CanvasHQ is a company based out of Fort Smith, AR, that takes customer's photographs and turns them into canvas artwork, which can be hung and displayed. Oil paintings are very tedious; now you can have your image on a canvas faster, with an ultra-precise, high resolution printer. CanvasHQ prides themselves on offering top-notch customer service and high quality "ingredients". They have a wide variety of options, whether it be size, finish, border color, etc. CanvasHQ works quickly and precisely to produce the best canvas art at affordable prices. The canvas prints that CanvasHQ produces are great for businesses, portraits, professional photography, home decor, interior design, or as a unique gift for your next birthday party or wedding.
How do CanvasHQ's materials exceed those of other companies?
CanvasHQ uses high-quality, solvent-based ink, which stands the test of time much better than standard, water-based ink. Solvent-based ink will not bleed when wet, and is UV resistant, so you can put your canvas anywhere in your house, without worrying about it fading in sunlight. The only exception is DIRECT sunlight, which would take three years to make an impact on solvent-based ink. CanvasHQ also uses eight different colors of ink, to best reproduce the quality of your original image. CanvasHQ uses only the finest canvases to print your images on -- the canvases that they use have been manufactured since the 1800's and are thick and resistant. CanvasHQ does not use wooden strips for frames as some companies do, but an authentic artist stretcher bar that is crafted out of radiata pine and imported from New Zealand. Not only are the physical canvas and artwork made with high-quality ingredients...so is the hardware and the packaging! Their packaging is extremely secure and intricate, to make sure that your canvas arrives safely. If, by chance, it somehow manages to become damaged, CanvasHQ will send a replacement immediately.
How does it work?
Ordering canvas artwork from CanvasHQ is simple -- you can either upload an image directly from your computer, or you can upload an image from your Facebook profile. The image doesn't have to be from a certain kind of camera...your phone's camera will do just fine!
You have many options for your finished canvas artwork. The first, of course, is orientation. The three options that you have are portrait, landscape, or square. The next option is to choose a size for your canvas artwork. You can have your picture printed on a single canvas or on multiple canvases, anywhere from 6" up to 96", depending on your preference. Next, you can choose whether or not you want your image to stretch around the sides of the canvas (image wrap or mirror wrap). If you prefer, you can also have a solid color as a border around the edges...and they have almost every color imaginable, to fit any decor! Then you choose the depth of your frame, or how much you want your image to "pop out" and away from the wall. You can choose from: 3/4", 1.5", or 2.5", and CanvasHQ recommends increasing depth as you increase the size of your canvas. Next, you decide what finish you would like for your canvas artwork. This is similar to when you are purchasing photo paper: you can pick between matte, semi-gloss, or full glossy. A matte finish is recommended for canvas artwork that includes people, and has soft colors and no glare or "shine". Semi-gloss finishes have a little shine, but not too much glare. Glossy finishes are recommended for reproduction of actual artwork, and is best for spaces without direct sources of light, as you will definitely catch a glare. Semi-gloss is the most popular finish. If that all wasn't enough for you, you can also pick from several image effects: colorful glow, dramatic, black and white, color isolate (where some parts are black and white and some are color), or sepia. Colorful glow and sepia effects will add $9.95 to your cost, black and white has no additional cost, and color isolate adds $29.95 to your cost.
Another great option from CanvasHQ is their free, professional image touch-up. You can either request a touch-up when you are ordering your canvas artwork, or you can see if your representative suggests one. They can remove red-eye, blemishes, color correction, etc. Major touch-ups, such as whitening someone's teeth are available at an extra charge.
Before CanvasHQ sends out your finished canvas artwork, the team member who is responsible for creating your canvas will reach out to you with a complimentary proof. This way, you can see exactly what your image will look like, and can alter it if something seems off, or it just wasn't what you expected. This way, you know if you like any borders or image filters that you have applied to your artwork. At this time, the team member who is sending you a digital proof will also make sure that you do not have any further questions or concerns. If they have any concerns about the quality of your image, they will notify you.
CanvasHQ fully backs their products and company; if you are unsatisfied with your canvas artwork for any reason, they will either REMAKE your piece, or they will refund 100% of your money within 30 days of the original order. There is a lifetime guarantee on your canvas artwork, that covers cracking, bubbling, or fading (if not in direct sunlight). They want to make sure that all customers are completely satisfied, so this is truly a risk-free experience.
Prices are extremely variable, as you can imagine, with all of the options that CanvasHQ offers. The cheapest canvas artwork would be an 8" by 10" with a 3/4" frame depth and no additional image effects or major touch-ups; this runs for approximately $33.95. The largest of the canvases can cost upwards of $150-$300, depending on which options you choose. CanvasHQ has a lot of special deals and coupons, so make sure to sign up for their newsletter and check out their Facebook page before you make your order.
CanvasHQ allowed to me to choose any photo to have printed on one of their canvases for the purpose of this review. I chose a picture of one of my two dogs, Icarus, because I knew that my mom was coming to visit me, and I wanted to have something special to give her to hang up on her wall. I moved to another state for school, but Icarus lives back in New York with my parents. My mom loves him just as much as I do, and is constantly sending me photos via text messages, so that I won't miss him as much. I chose one of the photos that she had texted me (taken on an iPhone), of Icarus looking (deceivingly) peaceful. At home we have a perfect, long hallway with a soft purple background, and I knew that this picture would go perfect with my mom's decor!
I chose an 14" x 11" landscape canvas with a black border. I wanted something that would really pop out from the wall (since it will be the only artwork on that wall), so I chose the in between, 1.5" frame depth. I know that that hallway gets a moderate amount of light (though not directly), so I chose the semi-gloss finish, to make sure that there is not a continuous glare on the canvas. The image effects looked really great, but I wanted to preserve the natural color of Icarus' coat and the softness of the image, so I left it as the original, without effect or major tweaking. I did not include any special instructions for my graphic artist. The process was SO simple, which I think is a huge benefit, especially for a lot of folks that aren't very computer savvy. You just click a button, upload, and click right through the rest of the options. You can see the changes made to your image in real-time, and there is no guesswork.
The graphic artist worked REALLY quickly to make minor alterations to my photo and to create a complimentary proof, which was sent to my email. I then clicked on the link, and I could see personalized comments from the graphic artist concerning my specific canvas artwork. My artist told me that they wanted to preserve the detail in Icarus' fur, but that there was a bit of pixelation when the image was blown up, so they softened it just a little to try and smooth it out. They showed me what the canvas photo would look like, and were very willing to work with me to resolve any issues or to alter the image if I was not happy. I thought it looked great, so I told them to proceed. I really felt like the customer service was top-notch -- the graphic artist made me feel like they really cared about the quality of my finished product, and that they would be patient and work with me if needed. I love that they go to this extreme to make sure that they really get things right. Sometimes you wonder how things will turn out without proofs and communication.
My canvas artwork was done in no time at all, and shipped extremely quickly. It was packed very precisely, and was placed neatly inside my entryway. I was pleased with this service as well, because I know how easily things get damaged in the mail if they are not packaged correctly. I tore open the box, and I was VERY happy with my finished canvas, featuring Icarus! I did not see any pixelation at all. You can tell that all of the materials are high-quality, from the ink, right down to the hardware. My image was printed beautifully, and the canvas feels very secure and well-built. The black border is sharp against the soft image, and will really look nice on my mom's wall. I will have her send a photo when she hangs it up, but I know that that process will go smoothly as well. The semi-gloss finish seemed to be a good pick for an image containing a pet - there is no glare, as the canvas sits in my living room. The frame depth is perfect, in my opinion, for this size canvas, and is really going to stand out as a nice conversation piece when guests visit my home.
This canvas artwork, without additional image effects or major alterations, would have cost me $53.95, which is not a bad price, given the quality of the work done, the materials, and the lifetime guarantee. I am very satisfied with this company, and I know that you would be, too!
Interested in learning more about CanvasHQ and their products? Check out the links below:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
One lucky reader will win their very own 11"x14" canvas or credit towards a larger canvas, courtesy of CanvasHQ! All you need to do is enter on the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to U.S. readers, 18 and over, unless you have permission from your parents. Please be honest when submitting Rafflecopter entries -- remember, I DO check all of your entries for verification, and I will throw them out if they are false. If the form has a spot for you to enter information, please provide me with the appropriate username, link, etc so that it is easier for me to verify your entries! I am not responsible for the shipment of the prize, that is the company's duty. I will contact the winner via email (so make sure to use one that you check) and you will have 48 hours to respond with your shipping information. If you have any questions or if the Rafflecopter is not working properly, you can always contact me via Facebook or email (links on the sidebar). Good luck!!
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.