Canvas for reproductions
Canvas is the natural pick for reproducing a painting, but not for every piece. Before you order, check that the surface will help your artwork.
Not everything should go on canvas.
An oil or acrylic on canvas feels at home printed on canvas again. A pencil drawing or fine ink study usually does not, because the weave breaks up delicate lines. If the original was made on paper, look at art paper first. For a straight comparison, see canvas or photo paper.
One subtle trap: a photograph of a painting already records the brushwork and the cloth beneath it. Print it on canvas and you have two weaves on top of each other. At close to original size that is rarely a problem. Blow a small study up to A0, though, and the recorded texture becomes large and can fight with the real weave.
Getting the original into a file
A reproduction cannot be better than the capture. Paintings are usually photographed because they are thick and cannot go through a scanner. We do this with Hasselblad equipment, with listed prices for A4 and A3 originals. Our guide to digital photography of artwork explains the process. Larger originals need a conversation, so tell us the size.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| A4 | £20 |
| A3 | £40 |
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Reproduction checklist
- Same size or new size? A same-size print is the most faithful. A change of scale is fine, but changes how the brushwork reads.
- Keep the proportions. A painting's shape may not match A sizes, so expect a crop or a custom size.
- Plan the edges. Stretching wraps the canvas around the bars. Either lose a strip of the image around the side, or ask about mirrored or plain colour edges.
- Judge colour beside the original. Some pigments are hard to match, so proof it and hold the two together in daylight.
- Check the rights. Only reproduce work you own or have permission to copy. An artist usually keeps copyright even after a painting has been sold.
Stretched canvas prices
Our canvases are stretched by hand over a 36mm frame.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| A4 (210mm x 297mm) | £40.00 |
| A3 (297mm x 420mm) | £49.00 |
| A2 (420mm x 594mm) | £59.00 |
| A1 (594mm x 841mm) | £79.00 |
| A0 (841mm x 1189mm) | £119.00 |
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Paintings, in print.
Your questions.
Can you add a varnish-like finish to match the original?
A protective coat can change the sheen slightly. Tell us whether the original has a matt or glossy varnish and ask what is possible.
Can a reproduction be sold as an original?
No. Describe reproductions clearly as prints. If you are selling editions, say how many exist and sign and number them honestly.
Will a canvas reproduction look like real paint?
From a little way back it can be very convincing, but the surface is flat. Close up, you will not see the raised brushstrokes of the original.