Sivertson Gallery

Choosing your substrate: paper or canvas?

All paper and canvas prints from Sivertson are premium giclée prints

Giclée (pronounced jhee-CLAY) printing uses the latest inkjet print technology to create superior, long-lasting prints. If you want a beautiful fine art reproduction, you want your print to be a giclée print. Learn what makes a print a giclée print in this post.

With so many cheap digital printing options available today, it’s more important than ever to know you’re buying a museum-quality, archival giclée print when you order from us. Given that all Sivertson prints are giclée prints, how do you figure out which is the best choice for your new art print— should you choose paper or canvas for your substrate?

Paper and canvas considerations

Many of our prints are offered in three choices of substrate:

• Fine Art Paper
• Stretched Canvas
• Framed Dry-Mounted Canvas

If you’re choosing between paper and canvas for your print, there are important differences between the substrates that you’ll want to understand.

FINE ART PAPER PRINTS are printed on heavy, 100% cotton rag paper. Prints on paper are ready to frame, but not ready to hang on your wall.

CANVAS PRINTS are printed on cotton canvas and use highly-pigmented archival inks. Prints on canvas are ready to hang on your wall. They are available in two styles: stretched canvas or framed dry-mounted canvas.

Stretched canvas prints do not require framing. Our framed dry-mounted canvas prints are offered in four wood frame choices to compliment your image: ebony black (formerly called dark oak), chocolate brown, natural maple (formerly called maple veneer), and weathered gray (formerly called weathered wood).

Stretched canvas print: The canvas is stretched around a wooden framework and is ready to hang directly on your wall. The canvas print edge is 1.375 inches deep. Image: Early Freeze, by Howard Sivertson.

Dry-mounted canvas print: The canvas print is affixed to a rigid, flat substrate by applying an adhesive between the art and the substrate. The print is framed and ready to hang directly on your wall. Image: Early Freeze, by Howard Sivertson, and the frame color choice is ebony black.

Canvas print frame options. When choosing a dry-mounted canvas print, you’ll have a choice of four wood options: ebony black, chocolate brown, natural maple, or weathered gray frames. Our standard wood frames are approximately 1.75 inches wide and can be beautifully paired with many interiors and styles.

Pricing. Prints on paper cost less to produce than prints on canvas. However, prints on paper will need to be framed behind glass for protection and hanging, and framing your paper print can add a significant amount to its overall cost.

Prints on paper range from $35 to $129 for standard paper sizes. Prints on canvas range from $95 for stretched canvas to over $700 for a very large, dry-mounted framed canvas.

If you’re looking for an extra-large print, most of our prints are available in custom sizes. We offer only standard sizes on our website, but you can call us at 218-387-2491 and we’ll help you figure out what’s possible for your ideal print. Art is always spectacular when it’s big! In general, the larger the print size, the higher the cost.

Shipping. Paper prints are easy to ship either flat or rolled in a tube. Canvas prints must be shipped flat and will have a shipping surcharge added to cover their large size and/or extra weight so that they arrive in perfect condition. If you choose a canvas print, the surcharge amount will appear below the price of the item on the product page and in your shopping cart. If you’d like to pick up your order in Duluth or Grand Marais and save on shipping costs, call 218-387-2491 to place your order by phone.

Time frame. We custom print to every order. For prints on paper, please allow two weeks plus shipping. For prints on canvas, please allow three week plus shipping. If you need your print in a hurry, please let us know and we’ll try our best to expedite your order and get your art delivered for gift giving and other special occasions.

We’re delighted to help you find art that’s just right!

Choosing and understanding prints and substrates can be challenging. That’s why we’re available in person to help. We’re always happy to take your order by phone—call us at 218-387-2491 to discuss your questions, your print options, and to place your order. We’re staffed by experienced, knowledgeable associates at our galleries who can help you buy art for yourself or for others.

Click over to our Information page to find more of your questions answered about prints, framing, and ordering from Sivertson.