What is a photo to canvas?

Artists know that a giclée is a reproduction of an original painting using ink-jet technology (giclée in French literally means to squirt or spray, but it has special meaning in the art world).
So what is a photo giclée?

Using the same techniques and processes that are in widespread use for art reproduction, some innovative giclée printers are beginning to offer the same services to ordinary people who want to decorate with images more personally meaningful to them. Special photographs may be scanned and re-sized, then manipulated and reproduced on canvas or watercolor paper. The result is a beautiful piece of art that has special meaning to the owner of the original photograph.

A Variety of Applications:

Images that evoke special memories may include vacation photos, photos of ancestors, family reunions, memorial events, honorarium conferences or other special moments ranging from baby’s first steps to sports scenes or a meeting with the president or a rock star – or literally thousands of other events and activities. The list is as extensive as the number of people with special memories.

Or one might choose to create a photo-giclée purely for its artistic value – rich, vivid or dramatic, well-framed photographs can be as stirring to the soul as a fine painting.

Why a Canvas Photo-Giclée?

Not only does canvas present a uniquely artistic appearance, but it also has some very practical advantages as well. Because it doesn’t require glass, there is no annoying glare or reflection to deal with. This alone greatly simplifies the lighting challenges that can be very troublesome with art that needs glass. Even non-glare glass is only a partially satisfactory solution, as it restricts and even modifies the light, affecting color and image detail.

How long does it last?

Wilhelm Imaging Research Inc. is considered by most to be the company that has made the largest contribution to understanding “Print Permanence”. “Display Permanence Ratings” is a term I first heard coined by this company to describe a number of tests that can be used in a relative way to determine the longevity of prints on display. Wilhelm Imaging Research Inc is a third party company and as such, they are not in the business of manufacturing printers or printing materials but rather, they are a research company dedicated to research that is objective and non partial. In their test environments they expose prints to light, humidity, ozone, and other elements. By means of their testing they have shown that quality inks, quality canvas, quality printers and finally quality sealers, used in connection with one another can result in photo canvas prints with life expectancies ranging between 60 and 142 years without “noticeable fading”. The test environments that contributed to this knowledge consisted of these constant features. Twelve hours of light a day with an exposure brightness of 450 Lux. temperatures fixed at 75 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity being 60%. These test environments are common in many household display areas.
With the look and feel of original art, any photograph may be enhanced and reproduced on artist-grade canvas, to enrich and inspire.