Looking after a printed canvas
Printed canvases need very little care, but what they do need is specific. Almost all the harm comes from where they hang and how they get carried.
Choose the wall carefully.
Position does more for a canvas than any cleaning routine. Think about what that wall experiences through the day and the year.
- Direct sun. Strong light fades any print in time. A wall that catches the sun for hours is a poor home for a favourite piece.
- Radiators and stoves. Repeated heating and cooling dries the frame and can loosen the canvas.
- Steam. Bathrooms and the wall above a hob expose the surface to moisture and grease. Our page on materials for damp rooms suggests better options.
- Cold outside walls. Damp can gather behind a canvas here, so leave a small gap for air.
Dusting without damage
- Take the canvas down if it is large or high up, or dust it where it hangs if you can reach comfortably.
- Use a soft, dry brush or a clean microfibre cloth.
- Work gently from the top down, without pressing into the surface.
- Go around the back edges of the frame, where dust settles.
Leave out water, glass cleaner, furniture polish and baby wipes. If you have a mark that will not brush off, ask us before trying anything wetter, as the right answer depends on how the canvas was finished.
Six ways canvases get hurt
- Gripping the top bar with fingers pressing into the back of the canvas, which leaves dents
- Leaning it against a chair, a table corner or the handle of something
- Stacking canvases face to back, so that a hanging wire or fixing marks the print below
- Wrapping it with bubble wrap straight on the surface, which can leave a pattern
- Hanging a large piece from a single nail, so it tilts and drags on the plaster
- Storing it in a loft or garage where temperature and damp swing
If it goes slack or gets dented
A slight ripple can appear when a room changes from damp to dry, and it may settle again once conditions are stable. Do not spray water on the back of a printed canvas, even though you may see this suggested for painted ones. Print behaves differently, and it is a risk. For anything that persists, tell us what you are seeing. Our guide to canvas stretched over 36mm bars explains how the frame is built.
Moving house or storing it
Protect the corners first, since that is where a drop lands. Cover the face with clean, smooth paper or card, then add padding on top. Carry it by the sides with your hands flat on the frame. A stretched canvas should not be rolled. Store it upright in a dry room, and keep something rigid between pieces. When it goes up again, follow our advice on hanging a large canvas.
Canvas prints at home on the wall.
Your questions.
Can a canvas hang in a kitchen?
It can, if it is well away from the hob and sink. Grease and steam are the issue, so a dining end of the room is far better than the wall behind the cooker.
Does sealing a canvas protect it?
A seal can add a layer of protection, depending on the finish chosen. Ask us about it when you order, as it is much simpler to do at the start.
Can a torn canvas be repaired?
A tear in a printed canvas is hard to hide. If you still have the file, a reprint is usually the better route. Send us a photo and we will advise you.