Unframed canvas prints have quite a few uses. Here are a few ideas:

The most common use is to roll them up and send them overseas where they can be framed locally. This saves a lot on postage as frames can be quite heavy and you pay by weight when you post overseas.

They can be used for making banners. Using canvas prints to make banners like the medieval ones in the picture below is ideal.

         

They can also be used to make scrolls. These can be very small or quite large. All you need is the printed canvas and two pieces of dowel and a hot glue gun.

An unframed canvas print can also be framed like a photo is framed. It does not need glass to protect it like a photo normally would.

      

Because Canvas prints are made from a cotton material they can also be made into cushions. Using a light weight canvas for the printing is an advantage for this. The print also needs to have a protective coating added so it will last and can be wiped clean.

Unframed canvas prints can also be used just like a paper poster and hung on the wall.

    

According to Wikipedia Giclée printing means inkjet printing.  

The term Giclée was coined by Jack Duganne in 1991. It originally applied to fine art prints which were done on Iris printers, but it has since come to mean any print done on an inkjet printer. Although printers, galleries and artists use the term Giclée to imply “fine art printing”, there is no guarantee of quality that goes with the word. The truth is anyone who does inkjet printing (including Eziprint) technically does Giclée printing.

A Giclée canvas print ideally should be a print that is done on high quality canvas (usually pure cotton not polycotton). It is done with an inkjet printer. The resolution should be high. The inks should be good quality and fade resistant. (Eziprint does canvas prints that meet all of these criteria). Put simply, a Giclée canvas print is a high quality print using the best practice and the best quality printer, canvas and ink that is available.

Giclée is derived from the French word gicler which means “to squirt or spray”. It does not refer to only canvas printing but also to art reproductions on paper.

Creating Giclee prints from photos or artwork is a common way for artists and photographers to reproduce their artwork. Because the prints are a very close replica of the original art, they can be distributed or sold so that the art can be enjoyed by many people.

 

At Eziprint we use Canon inkjet 12 colour printers. We check and calibrate our printing machine regularly. We use quality inks. We also use quality white cotton matt canvas that weights 430gsm. We lacquer our prints to protect them from dust and UV rays. Every photo we print as a canvas, is viewed by our trained technicians and checked at every step of the process. We believe we truly do produce a Giclee canvas print.

 

Other articles that may interest you:

• What difference does canvas weight make?

LED light-up canvas prints are simple and easy to make.

1. Pick a picture that has light features in it such as the fireflies in the picture above, or the Christmas lights in the picture below.

2.  Get your picture made into a canvas print with a boxline (35mm deep) frame. This is where Eziprint comes in.

3. Get a string of small LED lights. You can buy them at places like Mitre 10 or various light shops. They come with either a battery pack or a plug-in lead.  For $5 Eziprint can also supply a 2 meter long copper wire and LED light set, with a battery pack. It is suitable for a canvas from approximately 203mm x 304mm (8 inches x 12 inches) up to 304mm x 406mm (12 x 16 inches). One set of batteries will last about 48 hours if running non-stop.

4. Hold the canvas up to the light with the back facing you. This way you will be able to see where the light features are (such as the Christmas lights in the picture below). Use a pencil to mark where these light features are.

5. Tape the LED lights to the back of the canvas, over the areas you marked with your pencil. Double sided sticky tape is good for this purpose, or even Sellotape.

Now turn off the house lights, turn on your LED lights, and enjoy your handiwork!

If you want to get adventurous, use different coloured lights such as pink or blue to create a different effect.

Note: If you would like to try this activity, Eziprint can supply the two pictures shown, complete with a battery powered string of LED lights. Just go to our “Art Supplies” page to order.