How To Reduce Cracking & Peeling
Large format Giclee Printers are much more affordable than they were 5 years ago, in the hands of an experienced operator the output is extraordinary. There are several steps to this process, regardless of the equipment, the artwork must be scanned, color corrected, retouched and printed to canvas or paper. The output, when printed on canvas, can be sold “as is” or it can be stretched. If you leave the stretching to the customer you are sending money out the door.
Stretching Giclees For those of us that stretch canvas there are a number of problems associated with stretching giclee prints. The most notable and perhaps the most annoying problem is “cracking” along the edges of the stretcher bar. A giclee print is nothing more than a thin layer of ink on the surface of the canvas. The ink does not penetrate the surface of the canvas and is easily separated when external forces are applied. The type of canvas, the weave of the fabric and the elasticity of the material all contribute to this problem. Scuffing and flaking can also occur when the artwork is moved across an abrasive surface.
Solutions that work
All giclee prints on canvas should be sprayed with a protective lamination with some form of UV protection. This will not eliminate cracking or scuffing but it will reduce it. The primary purpose of the lamination is to encapsulate the artwork; if the lamination has elasticity when it dries it will be less likely to crack.
If you are using canvas pliers you must avoid over-stretching the canvas. The primary disadvantage with using pliers is that the stretching force is not evenly distributed across the length of the stretcher bar. A typical pair of canvas pliers is only about 3” wide.
Avoid laying the artwork face down, scuffing occurs when the artwork moves against an abrasive surface (cardboard can cause scuffing).
A nice slow uniform stretch across a soft round corner over the entire length of the canvas is the primary solution to cracking. A canvas stretching machine would be the preferred tool, however, if you are forced to use canvas pliers try to emulate the machine.
Stretch the canvas slowly. Imagine the ink moving on a separate layer above the canvas, if the canvas moves quickly over a hard edge the thin layer of ink will tend to follow along that same plane until the canvas changes direction. Some of the ink will follow the canvas while some of the ink will “lift away” but stay on the canvas.
The stretcher bar should have a prominent “radius”, the larger the radius the less likely it is to have any cracking. Imagine pulling a strip of paper, with one hand, over the square edge of a wood table while resisting that pull with the other hand, note the drag. Imagine pulling that same strip over a rounded edge, very little drag. The hard edge is more likely to cause the paper to fray or part.
Summary In conclusion, treat the surface of the canvas with a spray lamination with some form of UV protection. Apply even stretching pressure along the entire length of the stretcher bar and stretch slowly. Be sure to use a stretcher bar with a prominent radius and avoid placing the artwork facedown.