More Advice! Sealing a printed Canvas?

[datasafe]

Hi again and a couple more questions I'm afraid.

Having successfully printed & framed a few canvasses on our Epson 9800 printer I've noticed the print can be easily scratched!

1. How long does it take a print to 'cure/dry''?
2. Can the 'curing/drying' process be acelerated in any way?
3. Should I use some sort of sealing spay over the print? If so, wh & which spray?
4. Anything else I should know?

Thanks for all the help, I'm really grateful

John

[stcstc]

there are tons and tons of diff things you can apply

i generally heat seal my with matt laminate from hotpress

the other thing you need to be careful which product you use on which canvas etc

remeber it needs to be coated BEFORE you stretch the canvas too

[misterdiy]

As Steve says loads of different products. I spray mine with a commercial spray gun, but you need to do a few as its a pain setting up for just one or two. You need to leave the print 24 hours before spraying and another 24 hours before doing anything to it.

[datasafe]

Thanks both for the replies.

What are the benefits of sealing a print and what are the downsides of not?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm a complete newbie at this!

John

[chris62]

The benefits of sealing a canvas print if done correctly are, It doesn't come back to you when the client scratches it !!

[datasafe]

Thanks for the reply Chris,

I was hoping there'd be other benefits such as uv protection!

I did notice how easily it is to scratch the print but I put that down to handling it too soon after printing.

As said, I've not printed many and only given one to a friend with a warning that it's easily scratched - probably cheaper to warn than equipment to seal? I guess experience will tell

[stcstc]

dpends on the product used, some give more uv protection than others

and where its sprayed or painted on etc, depends on how well its applied

[chris62]

A tub of Glamour and a fine 4" paint roller is all, 2 or 3 coats done

[GeoSpectrum]

How long does that take? Sounds time consuming if you have a lot to do, plus drying time.

[chris62]

Not very long at all really fill the work bench with your canvas's and roll away then hang on the line to dry, you could try spraying them but I found that
spraying was more of a hassle

[chris62]

And whilst they are drying get your stretchers together

[IFGL]

I use glamour myself, and very good it is too, however every time I use it , it reminds me of pva glue. I wonder if pva is the main ingredient, I have been tempted to try one with each coating and see how much they differ. I have also noticed many water based wood vanishes coming on to the market with the same milky appearance and a similar smell.

When I have some time I may experiment.

[datasafe]

I'm afraid to Google Glamour - you never know what'll end up on my screen!!!!

Could someone provide a link to a competitively priced source? And, what brush is recommended for application?

Cheers

john

[IFGL]

Try http://lmgtfy.com/?q=glamour+varnish

[stcstc]

lion sell it i think

[IFGL]

http://breathingcoloruk.com/bc/catalog/ ... ur-ii-p-45

and they say on their site, it makes a very good adhesive!!!

[CanvasChris]

Don't sell canvases unless they have some protection... unless you want them back as the ink scratches very easy. You will also get cracking on the edges.

Glamour II is what I use. I have a dedicated spray booth so no hassle for the odd one at a time. Very easy to set up with very little outlay... you just need a little space.

The finish is undetectable, totally smooth and 2 - 3 good coats are more than enough. Infact you will probably use less than if you used a roller.

I only use the Matt finish and it works just as well on FA prints.

Little tip... when folding the corners heat gently with a hair dryer to soften the coating to ensure a good tight crease with guaranteed no cracking.

[fineedge]

I had a bunch of canvasses printed for exhibition last year and coated them with 3 layers from a spraycan - I think its a Canadian product with uv protection apparently - RUST-O-LEUM . I used clear semi-gloss and the finish was superb on rather dark images which would have marked easily -
( http://www.southafricanartists.com/gall ... dSearch=Go )

[Roboframer]

a Canadian product with uv protection apparently

Just in case anyone thinks these coatings protect from UV light in the same way that UV filtering glass does http://www.printingforless.com/UV-Coati ... nting.html

[datasafe]

Wow! Thanks for the advice

I've purchased a couple of litres of Glamour and have one more question.

How long should one wait after printing before applying the varnish?

Cheers

John