Using Epson Glossy Exhibition Canvas on a Canon PRO-4600

[Dave Morgan OR]

I've had an Epson ET-8550 for a while and was having enough fun with printing that I went a bit off the deep end. So I splurged and have a Canon PRO-4600 incoming.

I've been watching lots of YT videos - especially from Keith Cooper. In one of his videos, he was showing a couple of panoramas that he printed. One was a photo of Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast, and it was printed on Innova glossy canvas. I really liked the look of that print and it made me want to do some experimenting with canvas.

As I was researching available roll options, I came across a really good deal on B&H for 17" x 40' Epson Glossy Exhibition Canvas. The price is good enough that I feel like it will be a good way to do testing and get my feet wet with canvas.

Now to the question. Since this is Epson paper, and I have a Canon printer, I don't know what I should be using for an ICC profile. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[NAwlins Contrarian]

I've had an Epson ET-8550 for a while and was having enough fun with printing that I went a bit off the deep end. So I splurged and have a Canon PRO-4600 incoming.

I've been watching lots of YT videos - especially from Keith Cooper. In one of his videos, he was showing a couple of panoramas that he printed. One was a photo of Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast, and it was printed on Innova glossy canvas. I really liked the look of that print and it made me want to do some experimenting with canvas.

As I was researching available roll options, I came across a really good deal on B&H for 17" x 40' Epson Glossy Exhibition Canvas. The price is good enough that I feel like it will be a good way to do testing and get my feet wet with canvas.

Now to the question. Since this is Epson paper, and I have a Canon printer, I don't know what I should be using for an ICC profile. Anyone have suggestions?

There are many printing materials that are very similar, or even identical, to each other. You probably won't find an ICC profile for that specific Epson canvas in your Canon printer. But you could try any profile you can find for any glossy canvas in a Pro-2600 / Pro-4600 / Pro-6600. I think there's a good chance that this approach will produce reasonably accurate prints.

Or you could rent a spectrophotometer for four days or a week and make your own profile. It's not that difficult. If you go that route, ignore the software saying wait five or ten minutes between printing the profiling target and measuring it; instead wait five or ten hours. Seriously. The software, if you select this approach at the beginning, lets you save your progress and come back to it.

 

[Dave Morgan OR]

Thanks for the response. After doing a bit more research, I found that it wasn't much more expensive to go with another paper, so my current plan is to buy a roll of Innova IFA-56 Exhibition Gloss Polycotton Canvas. They have ICC profiles and even AM1X files.

As to doing my own profiling, that's something I've thought about. It sounds like something fun to try, and the process doesn't scare me at all. I hadn't thought about the possibility of renting a spectrophotometer. That makes things easier.

 

[Dan Berg]

We have 6 Epsons and a Pro4600 we purchased as a backup to our main Epson we were having issues with. All printers run canvas effortlessly.

Our business is primarily canvas. The printing is the easy part. Pigment canvas requires a uv protective varnish either sprayed or rolled on. We use all matte canvas and control the final sheen with our Mirabel varnish from lexjet. The cost of gloss canvas can be 30 to 50% more than matte canvas. We use Sunset by Fredrix matte canvas, a great product from Lexjet. (Free Shipping) The varnish is a must regardless if you are gallery wrapping or wet mounting to gatorboard. If you are new to canvas the easiest way to get started is to get yourself some 3/16" gatorboard and wet mount your canvas to the gator with Miracle Muck. Attached images are of Fredrix matte canvas coated with Clearshield Canvas Guard satin. The semi gloss also makes for a nice finish. We do no gloss, it just is too reflective and does not sell. Another reason to start with matte canvas and control your final sheen with your selected varnish.



Dan Berg
http://bergsprintstudio.com/workshops/
Printmaking and Photo Mounting Workshops

 

[Dave Morgan OR]

Thanks for the details, Dan (beautiful print, BTW). I'll preface this by saying that I'm just a hobbyist photographer with no plans to sell prints. Having said that, I'm enjoying learning about all different aspects of printing, and canvas definitely looks like something I want to try.

I must admit that for some reason, I found an appeal to Keith's gallery wrapped photo. Also he mentioned that while if he was selling this to a business he would have coated it, this photo was mounted in his kitchen for several years (uncoated) with no obvious negative effects. I can definitely see the need for coating though depending on situation.

Even though I like the look of the gallery wrap canvas print, I wasn't relishing the idea of either figuring out how to do the stretcher board on my own, or paying someone to do it. As such, I had already started doing a bit of research on gatorboard. Seeing the typical mounting methods though (double-sided adhesive sheet) made me nervous. I've never heard of Miracle Muck though, and at first glance, it does indeed sound like something that might be easier for a novice. I'll have to see if I can find some YouTube tutorials for that.

And I'm with you regarding gloss. I don't care for the reflections (although I didn't see any obvious reflection in Keith's print). For my initial printing, my paper of choice has been Red River UltraPro Luster 300. Given my desire to experiment, I may very well try both gloss (uncoated) and matte (with a coat) canvas papers.

 

[MrCrowley]

I'm just doing this for a hobby on a canaon 2600... the varnish is needed for various reasons but one important one is that it gives the canvas a long lasting protective finish that can be cleaned if needed and touched, rolled and handled without damaging the printed surface. Never mind all the other important effects it will provide to the canvas.

 

[JohnSil]

I've had an Epson ET-8550 for a while and was having enough fun with printing that I went a bit off the deep end. So I splurged and have a Canon PRO-4600 incoming.

I've been watching lots of YT videos - especially from Keith Cooper. In one of his videos, he was showing a couple of panoramas that he printed. One was a photo of Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast, and it was printed on Innova glossy canvas. I really liked the look of that print and it made me want to do some experimenting with canvas.

As I was researching available roll options, I came across a really good deal on B&H for 17" x 40' Epson Glossy Exhibition Canvas. The price is good enough that I feel like it will be a good way to do testing and get my feet wet with canvas.

Now to the question. Since this is Epson paper, and I have a Canon printer, I don't know what I should be using for an ICC profile. Anyone have suggestions?

Dave, a few words for canvas.

For test prints, if you're going to print the entire print, you can buy Canon 20 lb Bond Paper. It comes in 500' rolls but I think the narrowest width is 24" since they no longer make a 17" printer. It's very thin and very inexpensive. Of course it doesn't look the same. I usually print a 2 inch strip cross section on the actually canvas. I do that for my fotos as well if I need to check sharpness in a specific area of the print!

For canvas prints for myself, I rarely coat mine. If in a coupleple years it gets dirty or smeared I can just print another for less than the cost of the varnish.

I can't use the new Canon print programs because my 8400 is too old to run on them so I print with Qimage. Qimage is especially good for canvas since it offers several edge treatments. But it may be no better than the new Canon program, I don't know. Maybe someone here has run both programs. Qimage can also run a 2" strip whenever you want it to in order to always be using the nozzles.

As to cheap frames, both canvas and matted glass, I get almost all of mine from Goodwill. I can usually buy a canvas with a real wood frame for between $5 and $10. I've bought some really nice pano frames as well. Just strip off the old canvas. Of course the frames will be one offs so you can't get 5 frames exactly the same. But for yourself and friends they're great!!

For varnish I use Breathing Color Timeless Varnish. It's $100 per gallon which seems cheaper than many others brands! Good luck

John

 

[Dave Morgan OR]

Dave, a few words for canvas.

For test prints, if you're going to print the entire print, you can buy Canon 20 lb Bond Paper. It comes in 500' rolls but I think the narrowest width is 24" since they no longer make a 17" printer. It's very thin and very inexpensive. Of course it doesn't look the same. I usually print a 2 inch strip cross section on the actually canvas. I do that for my fotos as well if I need to check sharpness in a specific area of the print!

For test prints, what I usually do is print on luster paper starting at 5.5 x 8.5, and then maybe something slightly bigger if I think I need to. That's worked pretty well so far, and my ET-8550 is great to use for that.

I can't use the new Canon print programs because my 8400 is too old to run on them so I print with Qimage. Qimage is especially good for canvas since it offers several edge treatments. But it may be no better than the new Canon program, I don't know. Maybe someone here has run both programs. Qimage can also run a 2" strip whenever you want it to in order to always be using the nozzles.

I'm doing my printing straight from ON1 Photo Raw. It's worked quite well so far, and it has a built-in feature for doing gallery wrap edge extension.

As to cheap frames, both canvas and matted glass, I get almost all of mine from Goodwill. I can usually buy a canvas with a real wood frame for between $5 and $10. I've bought some really nice pano frames as well. Just strip off the old canvas. Of course the frames will be one offs so you can't get 5 frames exactly the same. But for yourself and friends they're great!!

I watched a number of YT videos over the last day or two about building frames and stretching canvas, and now that I have a better understanding of the process, it's something I'm curious to try. I did also see a video talking about buying cheap canvases with frames from places like Michaels and just stapling over the existing canvas.