What is a Gallery-Wrapped Canvas?
You have thousands of photos you are considering making into canvas prints to personalize your living or workspace with an upscale look and feel but are unsure of what a gallery-wrapped canvas is. You’ve heard the term, however, are unsure how it is produced or what to look for when purchasing.
We at Wallhogs have been producing digitally printed gallery-wrapped canvas, decals, posters, and murals for nearly two decades and can assist you in determining what you need to know in order to make an informed decision for your personalized canvases.
If you have been researching this topic already then you know there are two types of wrapped canvas prints; gallery-wrapped and studio-wrapped. Simply put, studio-wrapped canvases are intended to be framed once completed so we will not explore this option in this blog post.
Gallery Wrap - stapled on back
Studio Wrap - stapled on side
Gallery-wrapped canvas prints are the most popular method for displaying canvas photo prints or actual painted art prints. A gallery wrap means the image appears on the front and continues to wrap around the sides of the canvas print – providing it with a semi-three-dimensional appearance so your image is visible from all angles.
Let’s explore what products are used to manufacture a gallery-wrapped canvas print and the qualities you should demand for your personalized canvas prints.
Gallery-Wrapped Canvas Product Breakdown
There are five very important product considerations when purchasing a gallery-wrapped canvas print; the image you submit, the quality of the canvas material, the ink used to digitally print your canvas, the type of wood frame the canvas print is stretched onto, and the finished backing material.
Let's explore each.
- Your image. The quality of the image to be printed is of paramount importance. As they say “garbage in – garbage out”.
Your image she be bright and colorful, as well as in focus. Any issues with the image will only be magnified when enlarged to make the canvas print. You also need to keep in mind that you have enough background in the image and surrounding the subject so it is able to wrap around the sides of the stretchers and none of the subject will wrap, but be completely visible on only the front face of the canvas. - Quality of canvas material. The two most popular modern canvas materials available today are linen canvas and cotton canvas. There are some new synthetic canvas materials starting to appear in the market, however, these are still in beta testing.
a. Linen Canvas: Linen canvas has been used since the early 16th century and is still considered the “gold standard” – thereby making it a much more expensive option. Linen is a strong durable material that is hand-made from flax. This material is less prone to expansion and contraction due to retaining its natural oils – making it less brittle over time. Linen canvas has a more natural weaved appearance but is extremely difficult to stretch properly.
b. Cotton Canvas: This material is nearly as old as linen canvas. It is a less expensive option than linen and is much softer. Due to being manufactured by machinery, the weave is much more consistent and it stretches easily. Due to affordability and ease of stretching this is the most popular form of canvas printing today and what most digital print shops offer - including Wallhogs. - The ink used to print. There are several different ink types used in the digital print industry today to make gallery-wrapped canvases. As opposed to listing the many variants we will work with the three most popular inks: aqueous, eco-solvent, and UV.
a. Aqueous: These are water-based inks and there are two types. Prior to having someone print your canvas, you will need to determine which type of aqueous ink they are using;
i. Dye-Based – This ink works for canvas prints and will provide the brightest colors by staining the canvas material, however, if the print is displayed in an area with high humidity or where water can reach the surface of the print it may cause the ink to stain and run. This type of water-based ink is not UV resistant and will fade over time.
ii. Pigment-Based – similar to dye-based but the colors are not as bright and it will have a much more mute or flat-based finish. The upside is these inks are waterproof and UV resistant so will not fade or be harmed by humidity.
b. Eco-Solvent: Instead of using water to carry the ink a solvent-based solution is used. The solvents actually “eat” into the material being applied to, allowing the pigments in the ink to bond with the material in order to become one. These inks provide just as bright colors as a dye-based water ink, however, possess the qualities of being both waterproof and UV resistant.
c. UV: These are one of the newest forms of digital printing inks developed and used within the last 15 years. Due to their infancy, the color gamut is unable to match aqueous or eco-solvent-based inks and is much heavier when applied, causing a sort of raised surface (like painting). Due to the thickness of the ink, it is susceptible to cracking on flexible materials like canvas.
Our recommendation, and the type of printing utilized at Wallhogs, is Eco-Solvent. This provides you with bright, rich colors while providing a waterproof surface and UV resistance. - Wood stretcher frame. Commonly known as canvas stretcher bars the canvas prints are pulled tight around the edges and then stapled on the back. The majority of bars are manufactured from pine wood but there are also metal bars and some printers have started using Styrofoam and cardboard as frames in order to reduce costs and shipping weight.
These bars are also manufactured in different thicknesses. We at Wallhogs utilize a professional mitered firm pine wood stretcher that is 1.5” in thickness (the industry standard) and is offered in seven of the most popular sizes.
You will want to stay away from the metal bars as they can rust, causing stains on the canvas. Needless to say, you do not want to order a gallery wrap where Styrofoam and cardboard are used as the prints will warp in a short time. Normally when you see a price that is too good to be true they are using Styrofoam and cardboard as stretcher bars. - Finished backing w/hangers. Some printers offer a finished back on their gallery wraps and some do not. At Wallhogs we utilize a Cambric fabric that is used on many canvas prints displayed in museums then add a sawtooth hanger. This material resists moisture and assists in keeping dust, dirt, and moisture from the back of the print and stretcher bars. Some utilize a board backing, however, this is susceptible to moisture and can warp the gallery wrap.
Now that you know what products to look for when having a gallery-wrapped canvas print produced we will explore the qualities you should seek for a finished canvas.
You want this - authentic wood stretcher bars.
Not this - cheap styrofoam and cardboard.
Finished Canvas Cambric Fabric Backing & Sawtooth Hanger
Finished Gallery Wrap Canvas Qualities
Just as with the products utilized to manufacture your canvas, there are five important qualities to look for in a custom gallery-wrapped canvas print.
- Taut – This refers to how tight the canvas is wrapped around the wood-stretcher bars. If it is pulled too tight it may cause the stretchers to warp over time. If too loose, your canvas will sag and will not maintain sharp folded corners and smooth design. The perfect stretch means no creasing, sagging, or bulging of the canvas in any area.
- Hand-stretched – This process should be performed manually by hand, however, there are companies that utilize machines for the stretching process. By using machines you risk overstretching the canvas which can cause the stretcher bars to warp or even the woven canvas material to begin to separate. Hand-stretching is the gold standard and is how all gallery-wrapped canvas prints at Wallhogs are processed in order to obtain that perfect drum-head tightness.
- Stapling work – Once the canvas is stretched around the sides and onto the back of the stretcher bars it will then require stapling to hold the canvas in place. Staples should be placed at even intervals along the canvas and not close to each other.
- Corner fold – This refers to the corners seen from the front of the print, as well as on the back.
a. Front corners should be tightly tucked and folded to obtain s sleek, smooth design.
b. The back corners should be flat and smooth and not bulky due to how the material is folded to achieve the tightly tucked corners on the font. - High-quality stretchers – As mentioned above in the product area this is of paramount importance. Ensure quality wood products are used, like we at Wallhogs use. Once the back is covered you will not be able to tell what was used.
We like to add one more item as we see it as very important. You want to ensure you have a completely finished gallery wrap with finished backing. Not only does it make the appearance more professional but will protect your canvas for years to come.
Back corners
Front corners
Your Finished Custom Gallery-Wrapped Canvas
In essence, you want the following for any of your stretched canvas prints.
- A cotton canvas material that utilizes eco-solvent ink that is stretched over authentic pine wood stretcher bars with a finished material backing.
- The canvas should have a nice drum-head tight appearance with no torn or separated weave, no sagging or bunching, and neatly tucked corners with no gaps.
If you follow these recommendations you should receive a perfect gallery wrap of your personal image that will last for years to come.
Wallhogs wall décor experts are always available for you to speak with Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST using our toll-free number, (877) 900-4647, or via email 24 hours a day at cs@wallhogs.com. They can answer any questions you may have pertaining to our gallery-wrapped canvas prints, vinyl or fabric wall stickers or decals, as well as, murals. Don't forget to ask about our Price Match Guarantee.
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