We just received our order and they all look great!  We could not be more pleased with how well our photos turned out and the quick shipping.

Dustin from Washington

Christmas and Halloween seem to get the lion’s share of everyone’s holiday decoration budget, but there’s no reason to leave out Thanksgiving, especially when photo to canvas prints make such unique and beautiful decorations.

While the images of Christmas – Santa, reindeer, angels, stars, and evergreen trees – and those of Halloween – jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, witches, and black cats – are quite particular, those associated with Thanksgiving are somewhat less so.  Halloween shares its pumpkins with Thanksgiving – though they have generally become pies by then – and Christmas shares its turkey and lavish family dinners.  Crisp days, autumn leaves changing color, and football – either participating in friendly family games, or watching the pros on TV – are things we associate with both Thanksgiving and the fall season.  The only things that Thanksgiving doesn’t seem to share with the rest of the season are the images of our pilgrim forefathers.

With so many possibilities, Thanksgiving really should get more decorative attention.  Thanksgiving reminds us of family, friends, and food, and the memories that combination can make also serve as great ideas.  A few examples:

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  Norman Rockwell’s ‘Thanksgiving’ painting of the family seated at the table in the foreground as the grandmother presents the golden turkey and the grandfather prepares to lead grace is a true American icon.  Why not re-enact the painting with your own family?  A white table cloth, an oven-roasted turkey, and enough people are all you need.  A photograph like that would be not only a one of a kind Thanksgiving decoration but a treasured family photograph.

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  Another family picture idea: dress up as pilgrims.  Costumes are available or easy to make if you’re a bit crafty with a sewing machine and a glue gun.  It’s something that will make a great memory year after year.

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  Football season – and football weather – is another great idea to explore.  Some families play touch football before Thanksgiving dinner – to work up an appetite – or afterward – to work off the pumpkin pie.  A photo of your family scrambling around in the fall leaves would make a beautiful printed canvas; even better if you have family team jerseys.  If your clan is more the ‘weekend warrior’ and ‘armchair quarterback’ type, snap of shot of everyone on the couch in the living room watching the game.

Once you have the digital photos you want to transfer to canvas, send them to Canvas Press and we’ll take care of it from there.  Your holiday printed canvases will be not only beautiful, but durable and easy to care for.  Gallery wrapped canvases need no frame, so there is no glass that might break while hanging or storing.  While the quality of your printed canvas will be such that you may want to display it all year, if you do want to use it just for seasonal decoration, just keep it in a cool, dry place where it’s safe from moisture.  When you bring it out for the holidays, your stretched canvas will need only a light dusting – if that – and it’s ready to hang.

If you want to know more or get some guidance on a project, visit www.canvaspress.com and let us show you how Canvas Press can make your holidays brighter.  Email us at the website or call (888) 784-5553 and we’ll be glad to help.

-Karen from Canvas Press

Canvas Press recently completed a 53 piece order for The McCombs School of Business MBA Program Office at The University of Texas at Austin. The prints ranged in size from 16″x12″ to 63″x48″ and revolved around 6 themes.

• On-Campus Architecture  Austin-based photographer Blake Justice chose Gallery Wrapped - Colored Border canvases to display his staircase, door and hardware images. He achieved a matted look for his prints by leaving extra white space on the front of the prints. The black border on the canvas sides complemented the thin black outline framing each of his photos.

• Iconic Austin Landmarks  6^th Street, Austin City Limits, the downtown skyline, the Katz’s Deli Cadillac, the Lone Star bus at the Broken Spoke, and Fran of Fran’s Hamburgers are a few subjects displayed in this series. It seems there is never a shortage of quirky subjects on the streets of this capital city.
  

  

• Prominent Alumni  Cheetos Brand Manager Marisa Jarrat and Whole Foods National Marketing Director Heather Kennedy are two alumni whose name, position, company and graduation date are featured on the alumni wall in the main reception area.
• Faculty   “CEOs don’t make, sell, or service anything. Their primary job is to create a culture in which all of those things are done well.”     – Management professor James W. Fredrickson
  

  

• Texas Wildlife  Landscapes across Texas and, yes, lots of cacti. Ouch!
• Students’ School-related International Travel  Students travel to the Great Wall, Chile, Delhi, the Kremlin and Athens through McCombs School classes.

A local courier delivered this large order to the home of the longhorns and installation was done with the aid of a professional framer. Security hangers were used for several of these prints. These hangers are useful for heavily trafficked spaces such as schools and hotels. Security hangers are available upon request.

While I personally bleed burnt orange, as a company we do not discriminate amongst institutions of higher learning and would love to help your school fill its empty walls.

Framing stretched canvas is quite different from framing a traditional photograph. Stretched canvas does not require a mat or glass and it fits into an open back frame. You can take your Standard Stretch canvases to a professional frame shop or use these instructions to do it yourself and save money.

With a Canvas Press Standard Stretch canvas, the image is on the front while the sides are white. The wood frame the canvas is stretched around is ¾” thick and we staple the canvas on the back. You may see a small amount of white when looking at the canvas straight on because of the canvas folds; however this will be hidden by the decorative frame.

Go to your local frame shop or craft store with a selection of ready made, open-back frames. The standard sizes are usually 8×10, 11×14, 16×20, 18×24, 20×24, 24×30, and 30×40, some stores will have other sizes like 10×20. You may want to see what is available in your area before placing the order for your canvas.

If you require a custom size cut and assembled by framing professionals you can still save money by finishing it off yourself. The frame will have a lip that the canvas rests on, depending on the frame it may cover ¼” to ½” of the canvas. Keep this in mind when cropping your image and make sure there is room for this overlap.

You will also need clips to secure the canvas to the frame. These are usually found on the same aisle as stretcher bars. They should come in a pack of four, the exact amount for one frame.

Once you have gathered these supplies you are ready to finish assembling the framed canvas. Set the canvas inside the frame so it is resting on the lip. Every frame will be slightly different, some fit tightly while others are loose. Just be careful not to scratch the ink on the canvas when placing it in the frame.

Now you can apply the clips to secure the canvas. Slide the pointed end down along the edge and against the frame like shown in the pictures below. Pull the remaining clip over the stretcher bar and press firmly in place.

The frame is complete. There are many different ways to hang the finished piece. You can hammer a sawtooth hanger onto the part that sticks out the furthest, be it frame or stretcher bar. Another option is to attach a wire across the back. Many frame shops will clean up the look of the back by taping or stapling a solid sheet of black butcher paper. You can also set your framed canvas on an easel for display.