Monday, September 25, 2017

Our New Epson Printer is Here!

Hello all!

Have we got great news here at KeenArt Media, specially for those of your who are monochromatic photographers! We have just bought a brand new printer for all our Giclee needs - and it's the renowned Epson SureColor P20000!






The Epson SureColor is faster, more efficient, and crisper in its precision. Its printer head measure 2.64 inches and prints at resolutions up to 2400x1200 dpi. It is also features the first pigment ink set  with four levels of gray ink, such as Gray, Light Gray, Dark Gray and Black to provide smoother transitions and rich details for monochromatic grayscale prints. This also lessons potential noise and bronzing during output.


Here is the official spec listing from the Epson website below:

The all-new 44” Epson SureColor P10000 and 64” Epson SureColor P20000 are the successors to one of the most widely used fine art printers ever developed – the Epson Stylus® Pro 11880.

Designed for high-production photographic, fine art and indoor display graphics printing, we’ve incorporated newly-developed imaging technologies – including an all-new high-performance 2.6” wide Epson PrecisionCore® MicroTFP® print head. Along with an all-new Epson UltraChrome PRO nine-color pigmented ink set – including four levels of gray – the all-new SureColor P10000 and SureColor P20000 are the ultimate production tools for the demanding requirements of high-production color and black-and-white fine art printmaking.

Including advanced media handling options from cut sheet to roll, from plain papers to photographic, fine art, and even 1.5 mm thick poster boards, the new Epson SureColor P10000 and SureColor P20000 redefine the state of the art in wide format, high-production photographic imaging applications.


So if you've got a b/w photograph or detailed artpiece in your collection, now's the perfect time to get it printed.  Upload your photo and select from our large collection of canvas and fine art prints to make the most out of our new Epson printer!

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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 Canada. 

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

Monday, September 18, 2017

5 Tips for Hanging Art

Hanging art can be tricky business. Thankfully, we’ve got a few tips that might be able to help you with your home decor endeavor.


Common framing and art sizes. 

1. Hang the Middle of Your Artwork at Eye Level


The most common home decor mistake is hanging artwork too high. A good rule of thumb is to hang the artwork so that the center of the piece is at eye level. This can vary from person to person, so we recommend making the middle of the piece is 57” off the ground. From there you can adjust as you see fit.




2. Size Your Artwork to Fit Your Space


The next most common error of home decor is not choosing the correct size art for your space. Whether you’re hanging a statement piece over a sofa or pairing two postcards in your hallway, here are some tips to keep in mind.

For large, blank walls above mantles or sofas, try looking at pieces in the range of 36” width and longer. The general rule of thumb is to make sure your art piece or collection is about 2/3rds to 3/4ths the length of the furniture it is hanging over. For breathing room, hover your art so that it is above 8” off the sofa or furniture.


An example of a large canvas proportionate to the couch below. 

For smaller spaces, size is less of an issue - but placement becomes important. If you are stacking two images, put the heavier one on top. This guides the eye to “trail down away”, rather than ending abruptly with chunky piece.

If the images are the same width but different orientations, stack portrait above landscape.




Remember that when you pair artwork together like this, together they act as one “piece”. Make sure the centre of the “piece” sits at eye level, to avoid losing the bottom piece completely out of vision.


3. Keep Your Collections along a Horizontal or Vertical Axis


Sometimes, you may have a lot of small pieces, rather than one large artwork. If you have many small prints (think 8x10, 5x7, 11x14s), then an asymmetrical collection or gallery wall may be what you’re looking for.

Asymmetrical collections and gallery walls are excellent layout options for eclectic groupings, but are at risk of looking haphazard and unorganized if one is not careful. To keep a sense of unity, make sure that your collection follows a horizontal and vertical axis.

While the edges of the frames don’t have to follow the axis perfectly, if you were to dissect your collection in half, both sides should appear balanced.  

When making collections, aim for some consistency between your pieces. Whether it’s by theme, mat color or frame choice, a consistent aesthetic will help keep your pieces looking unified and organized.


4. Pick an Anchor Line


If you like putting your pieces together in a group but don't want to risk a haphazard look, try picking an anchor line and lining up all your artworks within that line. This works best with prints that are all the same size, which you can make symmetrical groupings out of. 



Common lower lines are excellent anchors. Most interior designers will put them on a shelf, which also eliminates the hassle of hanging them from the wall.
This is the most common anchor line. Although the composition is unbalanced (simply to show size differences between common frame sizes), it still looks clean, organized and structured. 




Upper lines are usually not recommended, as often this results in the artwork being hung too high. However, for large, singular pieces such as rugs, tapestries, or vertical canvases, this line will act as an invisible bar for them to hang from.


5. Plan It Out



An example from Jenna Burger

Hanging art is an art in of itself. Smoothing details like spacing and composition early in the game can save your framing from looking tilted, dizzy, or sloppy, and ultimately unify your gallery cohesively. Print out standard frame sizes (such as 8x10s, 11x14s, 24x36s) on paper (or measure them out on newspapers or poster paper), and tape them up on your wall in different configurations. Once you like your set-up, then decide which art piece should be framed and matted accordingly.

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Ready to start matting and framing? CanadaOnCanvas has a huge selection of beautiful frame mouldings, which we handcut in custom sizes to fit whatever size you need! We also do matting and fine-art printing. If you're uncertain about hanging your art, we also print art on Adhesive Fabric - perfect for sticking, peeling off and rearranging. Call us today at 1-888-533-6278!

Monday, September 11, 2017

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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CanadaOnCanvas 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. 604-421-8000 (KeenART)
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday 

Monday, September 4, 2017

Happy Labour Day Canada!

 

 

From all of at KeenArt Media, Happy Labour Day!

 
 
 
Please note that we will be closed today. We will reopen our regular hours tomorrow, at 8:30am. Thank you!
 

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