What is Lamination on Canvas Prints?

by William Kenny

What is lamination on canvas prints? Does lamination affect the quality or durability of your canvas print? Read on to find out!

Laminating photo canvas prints means adding an extra thin layer to the surface of the canvas. Lamination has the primary aim of protecting the canvas, but it’s done for other reasons too.

What exactly does lamination contribute to the final product? Does it improve the quality or durability of your canvas print – and if so, how much? In short, is lamination necessary? This article aims to answer these questions and more.

Contents in Brief:

• What is Canvas Print Lamination?
• Is It Necessary for My-Picture.co.uk Prints?
• Can You Laminate a Canvas Print Yourself?
• Is Canvas Lamination a “Must-Have”?

What is Lamination, and How Does It Protect Your Print?

To laminate a material is to reinforce it with an added layer of a different material. The idea is to get better performance in one or more ways – more strength, improved appearance, greater durability and so on.

Canvas printing firms that laminate their canvas use a thin layer of plastic or similar material, aiming to protect the canvas against four main threats:

• discolouration caused by dust and impurities
• everyday abrasion (wear and tear)
• moisture damage (warping etc)
• UV-induced fading

A canvas print of indifferent quality (one that’s produced without the use of premium inks, for example) can be poorly defended against these environmental hazards unless it’s given the extra protection that lamination provides.

Should I Get My Photo Canvas from MYPICTURE Laminated?

Let’s be clear. Canvas prints from MYPICTURE already give you many of the advantages of lamination.

We print all our photo reproductions using HP Latex Inks, on premium canvas material that’s specially certified for HP Latex printing. These state-of-the-art inks not only allow superb photo reproduction, they’re also designed to be UV-resistant. So fantastic protection against light-induced fading comes as standard.

What’s more, our extra-tough canvas material can easily be cleaned using a slightly damp cloth without the fibres being damaged. So the extra moisture resistance that lamination brings isn’t so important for a long-lasting print.

We’ll tell you all you need to know about laminating your print in case you want to go ahead anyway. But rest assured that canvas prints from MYPICTURE will give you superb performance even without an added protective layer.

Can You Laminate a Canvas Picture Yourself?

Yes, you can – and there are several ways to do it:

Liquid Coating

The most common method of laminating canvas yourself is liquid coating. The tools you’ll need for this are:

• paint roller
• roller tray
• liquid laminate

How it's done:

• Step #1: Pour the liquid laminate into the tray and use your paint roller to apply it to the canvas. Don’t use too much pressure.
• Step #2: Once the first coat of laminate is applied, wait 10-15 minutes.
• Step #3: Apply the second coat. This time work across your strokes from the first coat.
• Step #4: When two coats have been applied and have dried completely, your canvas should be fully protected.

Note: In recent years the quality of spray-on laminates has really improved, so aerosol liquid coating is another great option here.

Sheet Lamination

This technique is even more simple than the liquid coating technique. All you need are self-adhesive laminate sheets. These should be available in any good art supply store.

How it's done:

• Step #1: Peel off the removable backing of your sheet to expose the adhesive side, and position this side onto the canvas. 
• Step #2: Gradually apply pressure, starting from the top of the canvas, until every part of the laminate sheet has stuck firmly to the canvas. 
• Step #3: Work out any air bubbles using a squeegee (a credit card will work too!). 
• Step #4: Trim the edges and you’re all set.

Tip: If at all possible, avoid touching the adhesive side of the sheet. Obviously you don’t want fingerprints visible on your print, and they can reduce the adhesive strength too.

Is Canvas Lamination a “Must-Have”?

Canvas laminate is usually prepared with UV inhibitors that will help to prevent colour fading – a real benefit for canvas prints, which are rarely covered by glass etc.

Photo canvas prints from MYPICTURE, however, are already printed with solvent-free HP Latex Inks that come with UV-resistant properties and give our prints incredible longevity. So lamination is really a “belt and braces” choice here.

Lamination also protects against moisture damage and helps in the maintenance of your canvas – the laminated surface can safely be wiped clean of grease, dust and other impurities. Some types of lamination also provide scratch resistance, defending your print against wayward fingernails and sharp objects.

All the canvas we use is tough and durable, offering good moisture resistance and excellent protection against wear and tear. But a good laminate coating will bring undeniable benefits here, putting another layer of defence between your print and those day-to-day hazards.

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And the Final Word?

We sell each one of our canvas prints as a finished item. Our prints are robust, moisture-resistant and easily cleaned – and we use exclusive HP Latex Inks which have set a new industry standard for UV resistance.

Buy a canvas from MYPICTURE and the vibrant colours of your print will last for at least 75 years before they begin to fade. So your canvas – as sold – gives a lifetime of premium performance.

That said, we know that your most precious photo memories mean the world to you, and lamination will always provide that extra line of defence – and extra peace of mind too. So if home lamination suits your pocket, you’ve definitely got our blessing to go ahead!

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