Mark Lakey of Art Warehouse, Chattanooga, Tenn., prints Sunset Reserve
Bright Matte Canvas with a mirrored edge for a gallery wrap.
Exploring the options and how to make
your own inkjet canvas gallery and
museum wraps from start to finish.
Gallery and museum wraps are the most popular ways to finish inkjet canvas prints. They add value
and artistic flair and bring the image out from the two-dimensional confines of frames and other flatmounted applications. Of course, you can apply canvas to a flat substrate as you would any other inkjetprintable medium, but here we’ll focus on gallery and museum wraps.
First, and to be clear going forward, we’ll use the term “gallery wrap” to describe the basic concept of
using a wooden frame to stretch the canvas over and around the frame for hanging it on a wall. A gallery
wrap means that the image continues over the sides of the stretcher bars. This is usually accomplished
by adding a 2 or 2 1/2 inch border by mirroring the main image, effectively adding a “bleed” area (a link
to instructions and a video on how to do this are included on Page 6). A museum wrap, on the other
hand, uses a solid border for the edges wrapped around the stretcher bars.
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Spray booth setup at Lizza Studios, Tunkhannock, Pa.
Coating Canvas
Many print shops prefer to add a protective coating after
printing by either spraying or rolling it on the canvas. Typically, coatings come in either gloss or satin (luster) finishes.
Gloss coatings are often used to not only provide additional
protection, but to bring out the density of blacks and the
vibrancy of the colors in the print.
from other companies that specialize in fine-art and photo
printing. Stick with sprays and coatings that are specially
formulated for this application, rather than those that are
not tested specifically for inkjet prints (Krylon, for example),
because the long-term effects of these off-the-shelf sprays
on inkjet paper surfaces are unknown.
For a more subdued look and particularly to cut down the
glare from high-powered lighting, a satin or luster coating
may be preferred. Some will choose not to coat the canvas
at all to retain the unique texture and characteristics of the
material. However, if you don’t coat the canvas you should
only apply it flat, i.e., mounted to Masonite or some other
rigid substrate. When stretching aqueous inkjet canvas, always coat it to ensure the ink doesn’t crack when stretched.
Liquid coatings that come in a can, such as LexJet Sunset
Gloss and Satin Coatings, can be either rolled on or sprayed
using an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) spray gun,
which requires a well-ventilated dust-free area.
Coatings are available in both spray and liquid (can). Sprays
from Hahnemuhle and Clearstar Corp., for instance, provide
excellent results, though there are other brands available
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An HVLP spray gun wastes less coating in overspray than
other types of sprayers. It also provides more control over
the application process. But since most photographers
and imaging companies don’t have room in their studios
or shops for spraying (and can’t justify buying specialized
coating systems), rolling is still a good option.
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When rolling coatings on canvas, follow these basic steps:
1. Start with a high-density, white foam roller and a plastic
tray that is typically used for holding paints. Never use
a fiber roller. You can buy these products in the paint
department of any home-improvement store. The highdensity foam will help reduce bubbles. Use a largerwidth roller if you plan to coat larger canvases.
2. Pour the coating into the tray and dip the roller in the
coating until it is thoroughly wet, but not too wet. It
helps to pour a light amount of coating evenly on the
canvas itself, in addition to having coating on the roller.
This helps eliminate potential problems with rolling
onto a dry area of the canvas, which can lift or smear
the ink.
3. Lay your print on a clean, dust-free board that is bigger
than your print. The extra space on the surface around
the print can be used to roll off excess liquid if you happen to oversaturate the roller.
4. Consider using two or three thinner coats, instead of
one thicker coat.
5. Don’t try to coat the whole print at once. Start with one
or two passes at the edge of the print, and go over each
pass enough times for the bubbles to dissipate, but
not so many times that the coating becomes tacky or
bumpy. The primary function of the first layer is to displace the air in the surface of the coating.
6. If large bubbles appear, try blowing on the coating.
7. Make overlapping passes so you can maintain a wet
edge and avoid lines and streaks.
8. Find the rolling pattern that works best for you. Some
users prefer rolling in one direction only. They go up the
print in one pass, and down the print in the second pass
(like mowing a lawn).
9. Don’t press down on the roller. Maintain a light, even
pressure.
10.If you are applying a second coat, allow the first coat to
dry before applying the second coat. A thin coat should
take about an hour to dry. It may take a little longer if
you’re working in an environment with high humidity.
If the first coat is just a bit tacky, rolling on the second
coat while it’s tacky can peel off the first coat, along with
some ink.
11.Allow the coated print to dry thoroughly. Don’t try to
speed up the drying process with a fan; allow the print
to dry on its own.
12.Clean the rollers immediately after each use. Run
cool water over the rollers immediately after use, and
squeeze them until they run clear. Allow 10 to 15 minutes. If you keep the rollers clean, you can use them for
about six months before you need to replace them.
Click here for a how-to video on coating canvas by hand with a roller.
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Large gallery wrap on Sunset Select Matte Canvas by
Mark Andrews, Panorama Printers, Colorado Springs.
A couple of important notes about coating canvas:
• Make sure the ink is dry before applying any coatings. A
good rule of thumb is 24 hours. To test whether a print
is ready for coating, some printmakers suggest this technique: Lay each print on a flat surface, then cover the print
with inexpensive butcher paper. The evaporating glycols
will cause ripples to appear in the butcher paper. Periodically replace the wavy butcher paper with a fresh sheet of
paper. If no waves appear in the fresh sheet of paper after
a few hours, the print will be dry enough to coat.
• Coat the print before stretching the canvas and wait at
least six hours after applying the coating to stretch.
• As more inks and media types are introduced, it is impractical to predict the compatibility of every combination of media, ink and clear coat. Therefore, it is strongly
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recommended that you test before use. A test will immediately show any incompatibilities, including water sensitivity, inkjet receptive layer mud cracks and ink bleeds.
Generally, let the tested material dry for at least 24 hours.
Evaluate the adhesion, flexibility, and visual appearance.
Be realistic in your expectations and simulate the conditions the material will be exposed to. Generally speaking,
coatings formulated for wide format printing will work
well with both aqueous and solvent prints.
Some people use coatings to mitigate the perceived effect
of optical brighteners, or OBAs, since the coating effectively
seals the canvas and protects it from the degrading effects
of UV light. For a more thorough discussion of the OBA
topic, click here to read an article by Dr. Ray Work, To Brighten
or Not to Brighten.
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Canvas Wrap Options
Typically, there are three ways a canvas print can be
stretched – by hand, with a canvas stretching machine like
the Tensador II or using a stretcher bar system like Sunset
Stretcher Kits.
Stretching canvas by hand can be very involved and timeconsuming. While efficient, using equipment like the Tensador II requires an initial investment upwards of $3,500. If
your volume supports the equipment purchase, definitely
investigate the Tensador II. If it doesn’t, Sunset Stretcher Kits
are the happy medium between time and cost, helping to
simply produce truly professional canvas wraps in less than
15 minutes.
For detailed step-by-step instructions by master printer,
photographer and craftsman Ralph Cooksey-Talbot on creating your own stretcher bars and canvas frames, including the tools and materials necessary, click here. While the
raw materials needed to build your own canvas stretcher
system are relatively inexpensive, the process is rather time
consuming.
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On the other extreme, and as mentioned above, is the use
of an automated canvas stretching machine like the Tensador II. Companies producing higher volumes of canvas
wraps find it to be indispensable. Armando Garcia, director of operations for Soicher Marin, a high-volume fine art
reproduction company in Sarasota, Fla., says, “We use the
Tensador for just about everything up to 60 inches. When
you compare it to doing it by hand, the machine always
wins out. I can’t think of a situation where we wouldn’t use
the machine, unless it was an original canvas.”
Garcia adds that it usually takes one of their operators about
a day and a half to learn how to use the machine to its full
potential and cuts the time needed to do a canvas wrap by
anywhere from 30-50 percent.
The third option is the use of a pre-made stretcher bar kit.
While overall material costs are a little more than if you
made the stretcher system by hand, each canvas wrap will
take two to three times less time than doing it by hand.
Also, when the image is wider than 60 inches, as they often
are for panoramic images, stretcher kits allow for those larger sizes and any number of custom sizes that are beyond
the bounds of an automated stretcher machine.
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Here are the step-by-step instructions that show how quick and easy it is
to use a pre-made stretcher system with LexJet Sunset Stretcher Kits.
For videos of the process, including how to set up a file in Photoshop for printing a gallery wrap, click here.
1
This setting gives you a two-inch border all
around the image. The border size will depend
on the depth of the stretcher bars, so it may
well be 2 1/2 inches instead.
2
Put the X on the back where the
hole is located.
3
Draw the lines on all four corners.
Print the canvas with a 2
or 2 1/2 inch border, or
mirror the edge 2 or 2
1/2 inches on each side (the
border size will depend on the
depth of the stretcher bars, and
you want at least 1/2 an inch
extra to staple the canvas on the
back of the stretcher bars). Coat
the print surface as you normally
do and wait to dry.
Locate the corner of the
print by using the
supplied push pin. Pierce
the corner of the print as shown.
Then flip over the corner and
draw a precise “X” through the
hole. Do this for all four corners.
Draw the lines. Turn over
the entire print with the
back showing. Using a
ruler, draw lines as shown. Then,
depending on the bar depth,
draw a second set of lines either
1.5" or 1.75" in from the first set
of lines.
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4
Place the stretcher bars
down. Peel off the two
sided tape and place the
stretcher bars down as shown.
Orient the bars with the slanted
side toward the inside of the
canvas print. To avoid fouling up
the double-sided tape, tilt the
bars inward until they are
positioned correctly on and
between the lines. Press the bars
down firmly onto the canvas so
the tape will adhere.
5
Trim the canvas as
shown, then fold up the
corners and stick them to
the double sided tape inside the
corner as shown.
6
Use a corner brace as a
guide to cut the canvas.
Stick the tabs to the tape.
Fold up the sides and
insert the corner clips.
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7
Remove the second set
of double-sided tape and
stick the canvas onto the
double-sided tape. Be sure to
tuck in the corners of the canvas
very neatly.
8
Staple the canvas,
placing a staple every
2 1/2 to 4 inches.
9
Insert the corner braces
into the channels on the
inside of each corner.
Seat the corner braces by
tapping them firmly into the
corner. At this point the canvas
will be fairly tight. Note: a gap
will appear in the very corner
about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch or
about the thickness of a credit
card. This is normal and
desirable.
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10
Screw in the eight screws
which were provided. Do
not over tighten and
crack the stretcher bar.
11
Insert the back brace if
one was provided.
12
Attach the hanging wire
about 5 inches from the
top.
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