Most canvases sold online are printed: an image is applied to fabric, stretched over a frame and posted. That is a perfectly good way to make a photo canvas. A handcrafted lettering canvas is something else, and the differences show up on the wall.
The surface is real
A printed canvas is flat. The image lies on the surface, and the texture is the fabric weave. In a handcrafted piece, the lettering and surface are physical. Letters are raised, and the surface can be textured. You can see it from the side, and feel it with a hand. Our gallery pieces, such as Welcome to Our Home, show the effect.
The light behaves differently
Because the letters are raised, they cast real shadows. The canvas changes as the light changes through the day, which a print cannot do. Our guide to how light changes raised lettering explains this.
Each piece is individual
Printed canvases are repeatable. Made-to-order handcrafted ones are made one at a time, to your design. There is natural variation, which is part of the character. That is also why we ask you to review the design carefully before we begin, and why custom pieces are final sale.
The process takes longer
A print can be produced quickly. A handcrafted canvas takes time, with up to 20 business days of production from order confirmation and payment, not including delivery. That is the trade for a piece that is made for you.
Your design controls more
In the Canvas Builder, you choose the surface, the lettering depth, the position and the colours, and those choices are physical, not just visual. A printed canvas lets you choose an image. A handcrafted one lets you choose how the object itself is made.
When a print is the better choice
If you want to reproduce a photograph, a print is the right tool. If you want words with presence, depth and texture, handcrafted is better. They are different products for different jobs, and neither is wrong.
What we mean by handcrafted
Handcrafted means that each Letters in Linen canvas is made individually, using premium materials, with attention to detail. If you would like to know more about how a piece is made, ask us when you send your design. We offer a free consultation, and are happy to answer questions.
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