Latex Printing on actual cloth type artist's canvas (??)

[John_Smith]

I want to explore a new way of painting.
First of all, is it possible or even common in Digital Print Shops to use actual artist's cloth canvas vs "textured vinyl" for 36x36 size projects?
My "ambition" to explore is to have a photo printed on a pre-primed artist's canvas in maybe 50% opacity latex or similar water-based inks.
Then, I will stretch it to my own custom-size frames and hand-paint over the graphics with acrylics. Using the printed graphics as a "pattern" to have a hand-painted mural project at the end. This will be from scenic photos that I have taken myself over the years.
Disclaimer: I am NOT an artist, painter, printer, or even half-way skilled or talented in the free-hand painting art world. I've used opaque projectors in the past with less (much less) than desirable results.
Anyone ever try this ?? Pros & Cons ??
John

 

[balstestrat]

There's plenty of printable canvas available.

 

[John_Smith]

I checked with my two local shops and they only use some kind of "canvas textured vinyl" and to me, it was the same as the vinyl banners I used to put vinyl graphics on. Also, both said they do not print customer-supplied materials in their machines. (that was my only interaction with them).

There's plenty of printable canvas available.

is a fairly generic reply. Like me saying there is plenty of wood at the Home Depot. Thanks.

 

[balstestrat]

It already answered your question. You asking one shop and them not being interested doesn't mean anything.
Like I said, there's printable canvas available. 100% cotton, polyester or a blend etc. It's NOT a vinyl.

 

[victor bogdanov]

https://www.hp.com/us-en/printers/l...anvas-with-hp-latex-700-and-hp-latex-800.html

 

[DL Signs]

Used to do canvas prints for business lobbies and trade show applications. Did most solvent printed, some on the flatbed, layered to get a little of the hand painted look. For those we stretched them on the frame first to prevent ink cracking when mounting, added a painted or stained outside frame to hide the blank canvas edges, and coated with clear shield or frog juice. Went through a company called Big Systems for the material, they have a couple really nice heavy 65/35 polyester cotton blend printable canvas materials. Think what I used was either the 723 or 743, don't remember for sure, been a few years. Might just fit your need, contact em' and see if they'll send you some samples.

Just hit the "canvas " category on the left menu.

Print Media - Store - Big Systems - Print Brilliant

Choose from a wide range of print media, including photo papers, canvas, tearproof films, water-resistant posters, outdoor scrim banner, backlit displays, adhesive vinyls, removable wall fabric and cling materials.

bigsys.com

 

[John_Smith]

I will look into the polyester.
I guess you guys don't come back to "paint over" anything that you've printed.
I'll find some art forums that actually "paint" on canvas. I'm looking for 4-6oz cotton canvas with pronounced grain. It will be hand-primed with painter's gesso prior to running it through a printer.
I guess this needs more research on my part before wasting your time here.
Thanks.

 

[DL Signs]

I will look into the polyester.
I guess you guys don't come back to "paint over" anything that you've printed.
I'll find some art forums that actually "paint" on canvas. I'm looking for 4-6oz cotton canvas with pronounced grain. It will be hand-primed with painter's gesso prior to running it through a printer.
I guess this needs more research on my part before wasting your time here.
Thanks.

Most of us are printers, not painters. There are quite a few on here who still do a lot of painting, but not many are on during the weekends. Yer' not wasting anyone's time. What you're doing is unique, special, and just won't be in everyone's wheelhouse.

I started out with brushes and pounce paper, even used to do a little on canvas, but it's been... A long time. My first thought was to just start with an already printable fabric (sign production mindset), but yes, the cotton will give a way more professional look and feel. If you do get it figured out, I'd really like to see the results.

As far as the pattern printing goes, priming should do it for just a pattern, but if you have issues with latex that requires a lot of heat (may shrink the primer and cause it to wrinkle or buckle in the printer), try a solvent/ eco-sol printer if you have access to one. Inks are thinner, more translucent to control how much you want pattern to show, doesn't require all that heat, and prints on many technically "non printable" substrates (I do that all the time).

 

[netsol]

i think the one thing the OP is missing is, artist's canvas is not manufactured with the express purpose of avoiding head strikes, and the potential $3000 repair that can entail
the "canvas" you are not happy with observes the gap from substrate to print head that is SO IMPORTANT

if you can compensate by raising the head height ABNORMALLY, you will probably not be happy with the results

 

[netsol]

I would probably try to print REAL canvas with our mutoh hybrid. I am not sure if “flatness” or that tupe of consistency is importart to the quality control people at the company manufacturing the canvas