Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Fine Art Paper Showcase


When it comes to reproducing artwork, choosing the right paper is a huge deal. With different weights, textures, tones, it can be hard to pick the right one to communicate the "whole package" to a client, or to capture the full essence of your artwork. Below we list some of the characteristics of our best selling fine-art paper to help you choose.


These are our top 3 bestsellers: the Enhanced Matte paper, the Hahnemuhle Photo-Rag, and the Hahnemuhle German Etching.





Enhanced Matte

The most economic, smooth and bright, the enhanced matte is our most popular option. Though it is not archival in quality, its brightness and wide gamut allows for a very rich saturation of colors. Thus, this paper is a universally excellent choice...especially for images that really "pop", such as bold, matte graphics, bright portrait photography, or smooth, rich typography.



Hahnemuhle Photo Rag

This is our most popular archival paper. Like the enhanced matte, it has a very smooth coverage that compliments virtually any image. It is slightly heavier in weight and of a pleasant, distinct thickness. It is uncoated, with a very subtle texture that's evocative of hot-pressed watercolor paper, which harmonizes very well with artworks in traditional mediums. An image printed on Photo Rag has the feeling of being nearly like the original - sturdy, polished, and hand-pressed with love.



Hahnemuhle German Etching

If you would like an even heavier and more textured choice than the Photo Rag, we recommend our German Etching paper. With a substantial thickness and coarseness akin to cold-pressed watercolor paper or rougher, the German Etching is an excellent choice for those who really want to capture that "original" look and feel. Because of its rough texture, it isn't capable of capturing as wide of a color gamut as the other papers - so we recommend going with German Etching if you have paintings with rich, dark colors, as opposed to light, gentle washes.




Specialty Fine Art Papers: Moabs, Baryta and William Turner

For those thinking more outside the box, we also have 4 additional specialty papers. Each have been tailored to suit a more specific need or purpose, which we will get into here.





 Moab Entrada, Bright and Natural

The Moab series is an excellent archival match to the Enhanced Matte paper. It is similar in weight, with a very wide gamut, and comes in either warm or bright whiteness. Because of its wide gamut, I would recommend the Moab for any work that has soft colors, gradients, transparencies, etc, as it is capable of capturing that subtlety.  The Moab Bright especially provides excellent contrast for black-and-white work.

Though uncoated, there is a rich, smooth feel to it, evocative of vellum. Though its color and brightness are a win, most artists tend to prefer the Photo-Rag for its slightly thicker density and weight.




Baryta and William Turner

The Baryta is an interesting paper. It is extremely heavy and glazed with a thick coating that enhances the richness of the colors beneath. Its gamut is also very wide, and is excellent for black and white or rich photography. That being said, sometimes the gloss can be a little rigid and off-putting, reserved only for very specific circumstances.

The William Turner is similar to the German Etching, but consider it as its ultimate, Hulked-out brother. Extremely thick and sturdy, one can definitely feel the amount of pulp that was hard-pressed to make it. Its texture is also rich and riddled, excellent for recreating oil paintings and acrylics. However, because it's texture is so thick, it is harder for the printer to capture the same range in its gamut.



 And there you have it, our condensed, more poetic take on our Fine Art papers. If you'd like to learn about their specifications in more detail, visit our website here!





To experience these papers yourself, we do also sell a sample pack of not just the Fine Art papers, but the photographic ones too! Pop one into your cart here for $29 + shipping and handling.


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KeenArt Media is an online fine art printing and framing company, specializing in canvas, archival and photographic prints and reproductions. We are proud to serve and support artists from all over the US. 

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-888-533-6278 (KeenART)
www.USAOnCanvas.com 
Working Hours: Pacific Standard Time
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day!



From all of us here at UsaOnCanvas, happy Valentine's Day!

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KeenART Media Ltd. www.USAOnCanvas.com
Toll Free: 1-888-533-6278 (KeenART)
Working hours: Pacific Standard Time
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday


Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Blank Round Canvases are here!


We weren't kidding about unleashing new product this year! Based on your feedback, we have now included round blank canvases to our arts supply section!




Acrylic primed on cotton duck canvas and stretched on 3/4" deep frames, these are perfect for any painting project. Available in 5", 8", 10", 12", and 16" in diameter. Order here today!



Got a finished painting you would like to get reproduced on a round canvas? We can do that too! We offer circular frames from 18" to 40", all at 3/4" depth. When you order, just select the Square Version of your circular size (ie, 18x18 for an 18" diameter), and make a note you'd like "CIRCULAR CANVAS" in your order notes. We will send you an updated order confirmation (please note, specialty shapes are 20% more than regular square shapes) and get your round painting made in 7 business days!




Upload your photos now and order your round canvas today!

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USAOnCanvas is a printing, framing, fine arts and reproduction company. Our speciality is canvas printing, both for personal home décor as well as fine art reproduction uses. All our canvases are printed with archival inks and hand stretched over pinewood stretcher frames built by hand, finished off with black or white linen tape on the back. Best of all, we do nearly any size to fit your space! Call us today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday

Thursday, February 1, 2018

We Heart this Valentine's Coupon!


The first of February marks the beginning of yet another sweet holiday around the corner - you guessed it, Valentine's!

While Valentine's Day is usually associated with romantic pairings and lovebirds, it is also a day to just show anyone you love just how much you love them - whether they be friends or family. No matter how big or small the gesture, a sentimental thought will be sure to brighten anyone's day.

If you choose to give a Valentine's gift this year, we can help you make it especially thoughtful and personalized.





For friends, why not print a 8x8 canvas gallery wrap of one of their Instagram shots? 


For family, why not a metal print of their latest vacation photos? 




And for an especially special sweetheart, the possibilities are endless...but poetic Word Arts, Word Clouds, and Collages are our favourite.


And now we have an even better way to help - with a coupon!



Until February 14th, use the coupon code HEART30 to receive 30% off all regular-priced canvas, metal, plexi, fine art prints and plaque mounts! Order by Feb 7th for guaranteed Valentine's arrival. So heart this coupon code and get started!

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USAOnCanvas is a printing, framing, fine arts and reproduction company. Our speciality is canvas printing, both for personal home décor as well as fine art reproduction uses. All our canvases are printed with archival inks and hand stretched over pinewood stretcher frames built by hand, finished off with black or white linen tape on the back. Best of all, we do nearly any size to fit your space! Call us today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

5 Tips for Caring for Your Canvas

There's no better feeling than unboxing a beautiful piece of art and hanging it just so on the wall. But now that you have this fantastic piece of valuable canvas art, how to maintain it? We have 5 tips below for caring for your canvas print.


1. Keep It Out of the Sun


All of our canvases are sprayed with a special UV resistant coating that sets the ink within the canvas. However, it is still best to keep it out of direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting, as continued exposure can degrade through the coating over time.

2. Clean with a soft, microfibre cloth, or feather duster. 


No force is necessary; just gently wipe to dust, or dampen the cloth with a little water if need be. Make sure not to press as you skim over the center, as this is where the canvas is most vulnerable. Do not use any chemicals when cleaning, as this can react with the UV coating and damage it. Dusting daily is also recommended, as it helps prevent dust buildup that may eventually be harder to clean.

3. Keep It Out of Hot and Wet Environments


Humidity, heat and air pollutants can damage the canvas and inks. To avoid this, keep your canvas out of kitchens, bathrooms, or heat sources such as air vents, air conditioners, and radiators. For bathroom and kitchen decorating, we recommend framed fine art prints, which are protected by plexiglass. In general, keep such artwork out of heat, sunlight and moisture as much as possible.

4. Hold Onto the Sides When Moving


Sometimes canvases have to be moved, and in which case we always recommend holding the print by the wooden stretcher frames inside. Do not lean anything against either the front or the back of the canvas, as it can stretch the fabric, create a dent, or worse, tear it.


5. Spray Behind the Dents


In the event that dents are unavoidable, there is a simple solution to minimizing it. Simply spray the back of the canvas with a bit of water where the dent is, and leave it overnight to 24 hours. By then, the moisture should help reset the fibers and sooth out the dent.


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USAOnCanvas is a printing, framing, fine arts and reproduction company. Our speciality is canvas printing, both for personal home décor as well as fine art reproduction uses. All our canvases are printed with archival inks and hand stretched over pinewood stretcher frames built by hand, finished off with black or white linen tape on the back. Best of all, we do nearly any size to fit your space! Call us today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Why You Should be Printing with Inkjet Printers

With the rapid sophistication of modern printing, it's becoming harder and harder to discern differences in quality when it comes to comparing the various methods one can print fine art. On Etsy alone, fine art and design prints can be found on laser-printed cardstock, off-set printed fancy paper, or inkjet-printed on high-end 100% cotton rag. But while digital laser and offset printing can be appealing due to their lower cost, inkjet printing is still by far the best choice for artists and photographers, and here are our reasons why.

An example of an inkjet printer - the Epson SureColor 



More Precise Printing Process / Higher DPI 


Unlike laser and off-set printing, inket printers do not make colors by layering one on top of another. Instead, inkjet printers print using precise nozzles connected to colour cartridges. These nozzles are activated by little electrical pulses that activate the nozzles to put out a single dot of color in a certain area. This is why inkjet printers often will advertise their high-resolution capability – this means that the higher number of dots per inch (dpi) they advertise, the smaller the dots each nozzle is able to print, resulting in a much more accurate and rich color combination than other printers. 


Photo sourced from http://www.dp3project.org/


Wider Color Gamut / Smoother Continuous Colour


Although technically inkjet printing operates on the same principles as CMYK, unlike laser and offset-printing, inkjet printers have a wider range of inks in which to print. While laser printer and off-set printers have 4 different color rolls or drums (one for each color: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black), inkjet printers often have secondary inks available in various shades of the main colors. 

CMYK Rollers for Off-Set Printing


Laser printer showing the 4 CMYK drums inside
For example, rather than having one cartridge for black (K), some inkjet printers may have matte-black or gloss-black. They may even have several different shades of gray, light cyan or dark magenta. Having a wider range of precise ink colors means inkjet printers are able to replicate a wider color gamut with more accuracy. This also results in more natural, continuous shades of color, which is why inkjet printing is often used to feature black-and-white photography.

This is why some fine art printing companies will ask files to be supplied in Adobe RGB rather than CMYK. A 6-color or 12-color inkjet printer, therefore, can create color gradations with more precision than 4-color offset or laser printers. 

Inkjet Inks, in various colours for smoother gradients 

Larger Choice of Paper


Example of Hahnemule paper, showcasing continuous grays in a b/w photo

In addition to offering a larger gamut of color in their inks, inkjet printing also offers a wider range of paper choice. This is because certain inkjet printers are built to take specific types of paper that laser printers cannot. For example, an archival 100% cotton rag paper would be too thick and textured to run through a large format laser printer.

While offset printers are able to print on a variety of paper as well, they are not usually of archival quality, and therefore do not offer the same width in color gamut. Archival papers are often acid-free as well, and photopapers are made only to receive inkjet inks. Outside of archival papers, injkets can print on virtually any other type of material as well - canvas, transfer paper for dye-sublimation printing, textiles, etc.


At KeenArt Medida, we use the Epson Surecolor inkjet printer for all your print needs. It carries a 12-color cartridge capability for stunningly smooth results. We also carry a wide range of substrates, including fine art paper, photopaper, canvas, textiles, etc - check out our selection our website today!


Fine Art
  • Fine Art - Hahnemuhle, Photo Rag 
  • Fine Art - Hahnemuhle, Textured German Etching 
  • Fine Art - Hahnemuhle, William Turner 
  • Fine Art - Hahnemuhle, Fine Art Baryta 
  • Fine Art - Moab - Entrada Rag Bright 
  • Fine Art - Moab - Entrada Rag Natural  
Photography
  • Photographic Paper - Metallic Paper 
  • Photographic Paper - Premium Luster 
  • Photographic Paper - Premium Glossy 
  • Photographic Paper - Premium Semigloss 
  • Coated Paper - Enhanced Matte
Synthetic Textiles


  • Fabric - Satin Cloth
  • Fabric Removable Adhesive - Peel n' Stick
  • Canvas
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KeenArt Media is a family-owned printing company specializing in fine art printsframingcanvas and  dye sublimation (onto metal or wood!) printing. Whether it's for the home or for the gallery, we have you covered.  Inquire today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday




Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Happy New Year, everyone!

We hope everyone's had a great holiday and rest these past couple of weeks. With the holiday rush out of the way, we can now breathe a big sigh of relief and return to our regular turnaround times:

Product/ServiceSuper RushRushStandard
Turnaround Time
Canvas Gallery Wraps/Transfer1 day2 days3-5 days
Custom Made Picture Frames1 day2 days3-6 days
Dye Sublimation - Metal & Wood Printing1 day2 days3-4 days
Dry-Mounting, Stretching & Coating1 day2 days4-6 days
Rolled Canvas / Fine Art Prints1 day2 days2-4 days
Restorations, Collage & Popart Designs & Image Effects1 day2 days3-4 days
Artwork Scanning1 day2 days3-6 days
Plexi Face-mounting2 days4 days6-8 days
Resin Coatings2 days3 days4-6 days
Plaque Mounting & Greeting Cards3 days4 days6-8 days
Handmade Oil Paintings2 weeks3 weeks
4-5 weeks


In the joy of the new year, we also have a few new dye-sublimated products, launching soon! For example...


11oz Pearl Coat Mugs A high quality premium AA+ grade polyester coat ceramic mug available in bright white gloss finish. These mugs are coated with our super white pearl coating allowing images to be brighter and more vivid. Perfect for colourful images, photos, or brands. Also comes in 15oz  or 11 oz Black with White Patch
  • Dishwasher Safe - Rated for up to 3500 cycles
  • Microwave safe and heat resistant
  • Lead and cadmium free
  • FDA Compliant
  • CA Prop 65 Approved
  • Ceramic Platinum 32 Handle Strength Test



Follow us on Facebook for more updates on when these will go live!

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KeenArt Media is a family-owned printing company specializing in fine art prints and reproduction services, such as framing or dye sublimation (onto metal or wood!). Whether it's for the home or for the gallery, we have you covered.  Inquire today!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-88-533-6278
www.USAOnCanvas.com
Working Hours:
8:30 AM to 5:00PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00PM Friday