My First Canvas - is it ok ?

[JBDesign]

Kind of confused here. The qualityof print on dye sub paper with subli inks is very dull but transfers onto whatever nice and bright. So wouldn't your canvas look dull because you aren't transferring the image, just using the print that comes out of the printer, which would be dull like a print on dye sub paper? Does that make sense or am I missing something? ( like part of my brain )
Jon

[rossdv8]

Jon, I think Nik was talking about printing using the Ricoh with ordinary ink, and it sounds as if you are thinking SUB ink.

Nik has already done the Dye Sub onto canvass. I think he's just looking at something else.

I've been printing onto canvass for some years and last year I started doing Dye Sub canvasses because it is easier to do stretched canvasses with dye sub.

Because the canvas doesn't reflect light like paper. It is a bit dull, but here's another one from a couple of years ago. It is using Epson pigment ink in a Brother printer (which uses dye ink, but I don;t mean dye sub). It's not too dull.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2585[/ATTACH]

[NikGrey]

I WAS using the standard inks form the Ricoh (As I have 2x Ricoh, One standard and One with Sub inks).. Really I knew this wouldn't work from the paper tray but I wanted to see what would go wrong.

There is an attachment for the ricoh, a 'Bypass Tray' but they are far too expensive for me at this stage - I think I will go with Sublimation on this as I don;t think this standard Ricoh ink is suitable for canvas.

Not sure of the thickness of this canvas - I am still using the bits of the sample 'The Purple One' most kindly sent me but it does seem thick, I just tried to wash out the ink over night but apart from initial ink washing off as you would expect its not going to shed any more of the stuff.. (trying to re-use the canvas was the idea .

I was just watching a video from Conde on this process - they have 'CAnvas Pliers' and I am assuming this is what you mean by the stretcher machine ?

Everybody just seems to want Mugs from me mainly and I want to get away from that as too many others are doing the same thing - I do love the idea of this canvas product, just have to settle on the canvas type to use ! Does anyone send out samples ?

I saw the BMS stuff but don't want them to send me a sample and charge horrendous postage

[JMugs]

The ricoh's aren't great image printers....ironic given their sublimation ability, so I guess what I am saying is don't spend any money on the ricoh for doing the canvas. If you did you would then see an epson print and go "B#%$£*R!".

Janners

[NikGrey]

So it may well be the Ricoh

I have been testing with times and temps - from 190/40 secs to 200/60 but I am not at all happy with the results, even tried another paper from the xPress4072a (tried cheap ebay stuff but no diff):

[JMugs]

Ricoh sublimation should be fine, Ricoh photo non sublimation is the weak point.
Printing can be so frustrating can't it!

Janners

[rossdv8]

Nik, that multi bypass tray looks great for duplexing, but seems like overkill for feeding a single sheet. The SG3110dn specs say it will print light 'postcard'. Most printers that can do this bypass the paper tray and feed from the rear, as I suppose you already know. I'm wondering what stops the Ricoh accepting a sheet fed in through the slot where that bypass tray would fit.

If there are no actual micro switches to say 'hey Ricoh, I've got a tray here', you could make up a quick feeder as I did with the Brother to hold just one sheet. We've see what you can do with a welder, a saw and a big hammer.

I originally used a piece of ply and some plastic level with the slot, sitting on a couple of pieces of wood. Once I got that working I used a piece of plastic at the right angle so the edge of the paper just enters the slot. The sheet of canvas only has to rest in the entrance to the slot, to trip a switch saying there's a sheet ready. As I slide it in, there's a beep that says it is in.

Anyway, something to look at if you ever get a rainy day there. Another option is to grab a 99 quid Brother MFC-J6520DW when they are on special. That way you've also got an A3 scanner lying around.

A3 is about the smallest size a canvas looks decent unless it is stretched and on a frame, with a couple of inches of white all around it, or not stretched, sitting in a picture frame with a couple of inches of white around it. The white around it also enhances an A3 size.