Canvas printing: simplycanvas.com vs Sam's Club

[james_grindeland]

<p>This question might come across as asinine, but I just want to know the difference and at this point I don't know a better way to find out. Simplycanvas.com is supposed to be pretty good at canvas prints. On the other hand, there's Sam's club. I've never seen a Sam's Club canvas print, but I know some pro photographers who are happy with their ordinary prints, especially their B&W's.</p>

<p>Ignoring the fact that simplycanvas.com allows for custom aspect ratios, whereas Sam's Club doesn't, does anybody have anything to say here? One thing I'd be interested in is the archival quality: Does simplycanvas.com use better ink and canvas that's going to last longer? A second thing I wonder about is whether simplycanvas.com has experienced pros who do color correction. An additional point is that, regardless of how they turn out, my wife touches them up with oil paint anyway.</p>

[jenkins]

<p>I just had a friend print a couple of my pictures at Costco, I was pretty impressed with them to be honest as it still looked like a photograph, I really don't know very much about canvas printing, some of them look like oil paintings or really artificial which I am not very fond of.</p>

[azlatic]

<p>I tried Sam's once for canvas. It came back all "oil painting" like and artificial (thanks for the words, Simon!). I hadn't checked a box asking for modification...I guess someone in the lab just decided my view of Yosemite would look better if everything was blurred together with faux brush strokes. To be fair, they did credit everything back to me, but I guess I just felt I couldn't trust them anymore and didn't have time to waste going back and forth with future prints. They had no explanation as to why the image was manipulated, and really didn't care to even discuss it. I wasn't angry or anything...just wanted to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Since they couldn't be bothered, I couldn't be bothered to send them any more business. Another note: the canvas wrap from Sam's is only like 1/2" or so...felt pretty dinky.</p>

<p>I can recommend HelloCanvas.com, though. They did a great job on several small to large projects and their customer service is excellent. One of the large black & whites I had done had some streaking. An e-mail with an iPhone shot of the streaking was all it took - they reprinted immediately and I had the new canvas in a week. A Google search will usually turn up some discount codes, too. I'd e-mail them your questions concerning archival and color correction; they've always responded to me within 24 hours.</p>

[tholte]

<p>Canvas "wraps" are getting very popular with the public for many reasons; lightweight, don't need matting, glass and a frame, can group them together on a wall tighter etc., etc. I never used to care for them but the quality has improved so much that, with the right image, they can be really nice. Mpix and Costco both do a good job and their prices are reasonable. When I have them made, I want them to look like a photograph and not a painting. </p>

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>the hardest part of canvas printing is to figure what will work on canvas and what won't, at least in my mind: I have printed landscape on canvas and have worked well I have printed abstract B&W on canvas and that worked out well: Just printed a winter view and the white part of the snow shows the canvas grain to much it just does not blend in for me:</p><div></div>

[craig_gillette]

<p>I don't know what services Sam's offers. I just got a Costco canvas wrap. One thing that Costco doesn't offer and it might make a difference, besides the aspect ratios is the ability to be more selective about wrap types. Costco's options are limited - and because of these two things, I lost some of what I wanted on my first wrap both due to limited sizes and because the original was cropped tight to begin with. The simplycanvas site points out the services they offer and they seem to be more capable of dealing with things like color corrections, etc. I'm not sure of any way to tell about canvas quality, coating performance because I don't have a lot of experience with wraps. When you get to the price level Costco offers compared to a number of other places I checked, there would almost have to be some compromises (things like hangar types/numbers, bumpers, paper back, etc.).</p>

<p>Besides folks here and their experiences, I'd think you might be able to get some feedback from galleries or artists who sell "finished" wraps as opposed to service providers who might be a little less than candid about performance comparisons.</p>