The OctOPUS Pro blog – from OPUSalbums.com

Printing on Canvas

Given the progress in inkjet and media technology, demand for printing photographs and art on canvas is growing exponentially. Whether you have a good inkjet printer or you prefer to have your work done by a professional outfit, it is worth to explore this option for any type of image.

Artists regularly order limited edition prints on canvas and watercolour papers to sell to collectors. These reproductions usually are signed and are accompanied by a COA (Certificate of authenticity). Buyers are very receptive to purchasing canvas prints they can hang up without a protective glass, without worrying about scratches and water damage.

The texture of a fine art canvas is unparalleled in beauty; a protective coating is applied on top to give the substrate a matte, lustre or glossy look. If you prefer to experiment with this material to see the results, canvas sheets are available at many stores that carry inkjet products.

Polycotton canvas is available in ultra gloss and matte finishes for photographic art reproduction and in fine art matte optimised for inkjet art reproduction. For more information please see

The differences between a home desktop printer and a professional one are many but I will focus on the most important. First, commercial machines can be outfitted with pigmented inks; these inks differ from dye inks commonly found in the cheap home printers because they are archival and will not fade for decades. Dyes on the other hand will start losing brilliance in a matter of months. There are some home use printers now that offer a form of hybrid dye/pigment system. The second difference is the nozzle quality; pro level systems have extremely sophisticated nozzles that can render a very fine dot and exceptional tonal rendition.

The process of printing on fine art materials such as canvas and watercolor papers is referred to as "giclée". Giclée is a french term that loosely translated means "sprayed on". It refers to the nozzles which spray ink onto the paper. Giclée printing involves some of the characteristics described above and it is usually performed by professional shops, but it is possible to do this in your own place with little more than a high end inkjet printer. It mostly depends on the print format.

With the latest papers and a good inkjet printer you are able to do this at home - or in a studio. An A2/3 printer such as the Epson 2400 or 3800 is fine. The two most well-known suppliers of paper are Innova (with whom we are associated) and Hahnemühle, though there are more restricted ranges from other manufacturers and the printer manufacturers.

©  Daniel Roberts – this may be reproduced in whole or part – so long as the source is acknowledged and a link to OPUSalbums is provided.