Canvas Care

Canvas Care - some simple guidelines. Every canvas prepared at Hudson Display Services Ltd has been carefully  designed, printed, coated and stretched to give you a beautiful product that  will last for many years. The following points will help you avoid any problems, and keep your canvas in top condition!

Do...

- Treat your canvas with the same respect that you would give to an original painting or
  watercolour.

- Handle your print with extreme care, to avoid cracking, creasing or scuffing.

- Carry the print by the stretcher bars, holding the back and top only.

- Hang the print in an environment with a consistent, moderate temperature, and away from
  direct sunlight, extreme changes in temperature, or high humidity.

- Carefully wrap in bubble wrap and/or packing foam before transportation, and always use
  cardboard corner protectors.

- Occasionally remove any settled dust by lightly brushing with a soft feather duster.

Don't...

- Hang the print in direct sunlight, high temperatures, changing temperatures or high
  humidity.

- Allow any fluids, including water, near the prints.

- Attempt to re-stretch the print yourself;

- Touch the front surface of the canvas, particularly when carrying on stretcher  bars.

- Attempt to retouch the image in case of scuffing or scratching.

- Hang the print outside.

Further Details

If you follow these basic dos and don'ts, you are unlikely to experience any  problems with your stretched canvas print. However, it may be helpful to be  aware of some of the more detailed aspects of the production methods and materials used, and how to solve some simple problems which occasionally arise. Depending on which canvas you selected for your print, your canvas will be  either a cotton/polyester blend, or 100% cotton. Whilst all of our canvases, inks and stretcher bars have been selected for their exceptionally high quality  and stability, they do remain susceptible to small changes over time, and these  changes can be accelerated or exaggerated by poor care. For example:

High temperatures, extreme changes of temperature and high humidity will increase the risk of sagging.

Touching the canvas surface with your hands may transfer oils from your hands to  the canvas; this may affect the appearance and colours of the print.

The stretcher bars have a small 'lip' on the front, designed to lift the canvas  away from the wood.  Carrying the canvas by holding the print face and wooden bar will press the print against the wood. This may cause sagging or lines to appear in the canvas. Move the canvas by holding the stretcher bars on the reverse and/or top only.

Leaning the canvas so that the front face presses against another surface, or with anything leaning on the front face may also cause sagging or lines in the  canvas.

Whilst the inks used to print the canvas have excellent water-resistance, exposure to any liquids may cause the inkjet receptive coating to move, causing  irreversible damage to the print.

Troubleshooting

In the unlikely event that you experience any problems with your canvas print, the following procedures will help you to resolve them.

Sagging

This is the most common problem, and the most easily solved! Before using this  method, you need to be sure that the sagging is not due to any change in  temperature or humidity which will self-resolve when the environment returns to  normal. If you look on the reverse of the print, you will notice that there are  small wedges inserted into each corner of the wooden stretcher frame. Using a  hammer with a small head, gently tap the wedges in each corner; this removes any  visible sagging from the canvas quickly and easily. Be sure to tap the wedges  evenly so that your picture remains straight. DO NOT touch the canvas with the hammer as this will cause irreversible damage to the print.

Water/Liquids

You should avoid getting water or other liquids on the print. Should this  happen accidentally, DO NOT attempt to wipe the print dry, or dab it with a cloth. To minimise damage to the print, leave it face up on a flat surface to  dry naturally, and do not touch until all the moisture has evaporated and the  canvas is dry.

Re-stretching

In the unlikely event that you encounter serious problems which you are unable to resolve, please contact Hudson Display Services Ltd on 01702 232500 for assistance.