Digital BW, The Print

Clayton Jones wrote:
>> Any suggestions for good matte canvas?
> 
> Today I received two sample prints from HP, and one is on their
> "Artist Matte Canvas".  It is gorgeous and I find the texture not
> objectionable at all.  I can't say how it compares to others, but it's
> certainly worth considering.
> 
> How do you get it through the printer?

It is good. The Hahnemuhle Artist Matt canvas has a slightly 
better image but the HP is much cheaper. We had some problems 
with HP batches that cracked more so now we use Intellicoat's 
Magicl\ufffde Torino Canvas Matt UV that's also a bit heavier = 374 
grams/m2, polycotton. Their range of roll sizes is impressive 
too. Avoid the cheaper Hahnemuhle canvas varieties, they dry 
incredibly slow (especially with the 9000 MIS quad I have 
here, at the edge of inklimit I guess), I'm told that the 
cheaper HM canvas has just one coating layer and the good one 
above has 3 like the good HM papers.
The Magic coating has been tested by Wilhelm, one of the few.

There are lots of good canvasses around but prices differ a 
lot too on good and bad. Fuji-Hunt has nice ones, Oc\ufffd send me 
two good trial rolls. HP + Sihl recently introduced 3 new 
qualities here. Sihl is the coater for Hahnemuhle so usually 
has the same coating level but price likewise.

 From all the canvas suppliers I get the information that 
quality Indian canvas is hard to get and they all face the 
same problem. Using polycotton = polyester + cotton fabric is 
one way to get around without quality loss.

I'm using Lascaux's 6xxx varnishes, apply them with an air 
gun. First a layer of gloss and then a layer of matte. Drying 
with the silkscreen dryer tunnel. Total gloss on a quad print 
is nice too, use not too heavy texture and not too much 
varnish, getting deep blacks. Image is much more protected and 
with some nice edge printing and good stretcher bars I do not 
find it cheap. Frames sometimes distract and in this case you 
get the image and little more. It just isn't suited for every 
image or artist.

I've made QTR profiles for the quad printer for the Magic 
canvas: gloss, mat/satin and without varnish

With most canvasses the transport is no problem from the roll. 
The image has to be extended in the transport direction with 
0,5 -1% as the canvas is rolled tight and will shrink in the 
printing process. Trying to print left overs isn't a good idea 
in some cases. They warp.

Met vriendelijke groeten,  Ernst


|  Dinkla Grafische Techniek  |
|     www.pigment-print.com    |
|             ( unvollendet )            |