Best Printers For Canvas: Reviews 2022 (Recommended!)
There was once a time when canvases were only used by artists and painters, to draw on.
Artists used to spend hours painting and creating their own original works on canvases; if anyone wanted to hang a world famous painting on their walls, an artist would take the time to copy the painting manually on canvas. For many decades, this was the only way to transfer painting or design to canvas.
However, with the new kinds of printers that have come to the market these last few years, it is now possible to print directly on canvas. Since canvases are usually thicker and heavier than regular paper or regular sheets, a special printer is needed to print on them.
It is not possible for any conventional printer to print on canvas; it might seriously damage the printer and hamper the quality of the print.
There are some printers that you can use to print on canvases, and you can find all the information here in this article.
Need a short-list? Check these top 3 printers!
Top 6 Best Printers for Canvas Reviews
These five printers mentioned and discussed below can be used for printing on canvases, all from renowned brands popular all around the world.
1. Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer
Epson happens to be one of the top brands in the world to produce printers, scanners and copiers. This particular model, the SureColor P600 is a wireless device that you do not have to connect to any device with wires.
You can connect it to your laptop, computer, iPad, iPhone, Android phone and tablets via Wi-Fi. It can be also connected to your device and controlled via Epson iPrint, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wi-Fi Direct.
This is a duplex printing device that will automatically print on both sides of a sheet, saving you time and energy. It can handle thick paper and even canvas, which makes the SureColor P600 perfect to print on canvas.
It comes with individual ink cartridges that fit inside the device perfectly; there are a total of 9 ink cartridges inside the device which makes it possible to print extremely vivid and colorful paintings.
There’s also a small 3.5” LCD display screen on the device that makes navigation easy. This printer works on plain paper, photo paper, cut sheet, fine art paper, panoramic paper, roll paper, glossy photo paper, CD/DVD and of course, canvas.
You can directly print anything from your mobile phones using USB 2.0 or Ethernet; borderless printing is also possible with the SureColor P600 Inkjet printer.
Features:
- Maximum Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Wireless printing technology
- Can be connected to laptop, iPad, iPhone, Android phone and tablets via Wi-Fi
- Comes with 9 individual ink cartridges
- Vivid and brilliant color printing
- Comes with 3.5” LCD display screen
- Can directly print using USB 2.0 or Ethernet
- Works on plain paper, photo paper, cut sheet, fine art paper, panoramic paper and canvas
- Can be controlled via Epson iPrint, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Wi-Fi Direct
- Duplex printing device automatically prints on both sides of paper
2. Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Printer
This printer from Canon comes with 8 individual color cartridges that prints out amazingly brilliant and vivid paintings and designs. 3 of these colors are dedicated grayscale ink if you want to print out black-and-white paintings or portraits.
This printer comes with a front Output Sheet Tray with the capacity to hold 150 sheets of plain paper, 10 sheets of 8”x10” letter paper, and 20 sheets of photo paper. This printer can be connected wirelessly to any device using Wi-Fi or Ethernet port; it removes the unnecessary mess created by wires.
With the built-in Wi-Fi in the device, you can place the device anywhere in the house instead of having to place it beside the computer or on your work table. You can also use the same device to simultaneously print from multiple devices around the house.
This is an inkjet printer that is a favorite of professional artists and photographers. With the multiple ink cartridges inside the device, every single printing is flawless and brilliant. You can print up to 13”x13” photos and paintings with this machine, and the whole print would come out perfectly uniform and natural in every way.
The maximum resolution you get with this printer is 4800×2400 dpi, which is perfect for both paintings and photographs. The Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering, or F.I.N.E. features of this printer place microscopic droplets on paper and canvas to print perfect photos and paintings.
Features:
- Comes with 8 individual color cartridges
- 3 grayscale ink for vivid black-and-white photos and paintings
- Comes with Output Sheet Tray with capacity of 150 plain sheets
- Can be connected wirelessly to any device
- Comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet port
- Can print up to 13”x13” photos and paintings
- Maximum resolution: 4800×2400 dpi
- Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering, or F.I.N.E. features place microscopic droplets on paper and canvas
3. Canon 9856B002AA ImagePROGRAFiPF770
This printer from Canon is a little different from the other office printers used everywhere; it is slightly larger and can print any kind of designs and art extremely fast. This is actually the type of printer used in commercial workspaces for a large quantity of printing, as each single print is more affordable and takes less time to complete.
This particular printer can print a large 23.39” x 33.11” print in less than 25 seconds, making it perfect for commercial use. Each of the prints are perfectly vivid and brilliant, mostly because of the latest magenta ink that comes with this printer.
The Sub-ink tank system that comes with the Canon 9856B002AA allows you to finish the very last drop of ink inside the cartridges before you need to replace them; as all the ink cartridges are placed individually, you can simply replace the one that’s empty instead of having to replace the whole set.
The printer comes with an user-friendly software that is easy to install and use. You can use this software to print your photos and paintings directly from your phone, tablet or laptop, using the mobile printing app. The software can also be used to upload, download and share your files from the laptop or any other device to the printer.
Features:
- Can print a large 23.39” x 33.11” print
- Comes with multiple color ink cartridges
- Can print each piece in less than 25 seconds
- Allows you to finish the very last drop of ink inside the cartridges
- Comes with an user-friendly software
- Software can be used to print files directly from any device
- Software can be used to upload, download and share files
- Sub-ink tank system allows to finish the last drop of ink before replacement
- Perfect for commercial use and printing businesses
4. HP DesignJet T520 Wireless ePrinter
This is another commercial printer for large prints and photographs, paintings and blueprints. You can get a maximum of 2400 dpi resolution with each print, as well as extremely accurate lines and other sharp details.
This printer has been designed for professional quality look and feel of prints; these printers are used by architects, designers, painters and artists.
This printer is highly recommended to print architectural designs, paintings and photographs, maps, designs, sketches, posters and presentation boards. Thick and heavy sheets of paper, up to canvases, can also be printed on with this printer.
With the HP Click Printing Software, you can directly use this printer to print anything from your phone, tablet or laptop. This printer comes with a set of ink cartridges that has a total of 4 dye cartridges in it, and the dyes are all “pigment-based black, dye-based color”.
Features:
- Perfect for architects, designers, painters and artists
- Prints out accurate lines and sharp details
- Professional look, efficiency and structure
- Larger than other household printers
- Prints out large-sized photos, posters, presentation boards, maps, blueprints and architectural designs
- Can print from PDF documents
- Can print on heavy sheets, boards and canvases
- Comes with HP Click Printing Software for direct printing from phones, computers and tablets
- Up to 2400 dpi resolution
- Front tray to hold large sheets of paper
- Can print up to 36” sheets and canvas
5. Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer
This is yet another printer from Canon that can be used for fine printing and detailed execution. Not just the usual 8”x10” paper sheets, this printer can work on surfaces as large as 13”x19”, perfect for posters, presentation boards, large paper sheets and of course, canvases.
The print results are always brilliant and vivid, both for black-and-white and colored images. You can use this printer to print out large-sized photographs, paintings, architectural blueprints, maps and posters.
This printer is extremely quiet, with a barely audible 43.5 dB(A). The Canon IP8720 is a wireless printer that you can set up anywhere around the house, and connect to your laptop, tablet or smartphone via Wi-Fi. Besides, with the AirPrint App, you can control the printer from anywhere, and order prints even when you are not in the same room or in the same building.
The maximum resolution in this professional printer is 9600×2400 dpi, which is exactly what you need for flawless prints. This device also comes with a power cord, so that you’ll also have the option to connect it to your laptop or computer via a wire.
This printer is compatible with Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 7 and 7 SP1, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, and Windows XP SP3, as well as Mac OS X, version 10.6.8 to version 10.9. The Canon IP8720 is also compatible with mobile operating systems iOS, Android and Windows RT.
Features:
- Can work on surfaces as large as 13”x19”
- Perfect for presentation boards, paper sheets and canvases
- Can be used to print photographs, paintings, blueprints, maps and posters.
- Barely audible 43.5 dB(A) noise when operating
- Wireless setup
- Maximum resolution: 9600×2400 dpi
- Can be connected to your laptop, tablet or smartphone via Wi-Fi
- Can be controlled with AirPrint
- Comes with a power cord
- Compatible with mobile operating systems iOS, Android and Windows RT
- Comes complete with set-up ink tanks
- Comes with a set-up CD-ROM
- 6-color ink system, including gray for black-and-white images
6. HP Designjet T120 Inkjet Printer
Larger than the printers you see in a household, this device from HP is 42” long. You can easily use it to print out paintings, photographs, presentation boards and canvases as long as 24” in length.
It is an extremely elegant and sleek device that you can use wirelessly, by connecting to your gadgets via Wi-Fi. A large roller at the back keeps large sheets of paper or sheets steady; the machine comes with a port for holding your smartphones and tablets on the top.
The HP DesignJet is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Apple and Windows computers. The machine can directly print from multiple formats and file types, including MsWord, MsOffice, Gimp, Illustrator, Chrome, and of course, Adobe Reader.
It comes with a starter set of ink cartridges that can be replaced when the ink is exhausted, and replacement ink tanks are easily available.
The machine has an automatic sheet feeder that can also be removed to save space. The device works just as well with balck-and-white documents as it does with colored images and photographs.
Features:
- Large machine that is more than 42” long
- Machine dimension: 45”x16”x24”
- Can print on paper and canvas up to 24” in length
- Wireless connectivity
- Large roller at the back keeps paper stable while printing
- Removable output tray
- Compatible with both iOS and Android devices
- Can directly print from MsWord, MsOffice, Gimp, Illustrator, Chrome, and PDF
- Comes with a set of replaceable started ink set
Best Printers For Canvas: Buying Guide
Printers for canvases are somewhat different to household printers that you can find everywhere; they are used for more than just printing official documents or images. There are certain features that should ideally be present in a good printer for canvas, and you can find the complete list here in this article.
- Printing Size
When you are printing on canvases or presentation boards, these surfaces are certainly going to be larger than the regular paper for documents. Specifically for printing on canvases, you’ll need a printer that has the capacity to print on large surfaces, such as the Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Printer. This printer can print on surfaces up to 13” x 13” in size.
The Canon 9856B002AA ImagePROGRAFiPF770 is built for larger printing surfaces; it can print on canvases and presentation boards up to 23.39” x 33.11” in size. These are the kind of printers that you need for transferring your photographs or paintings to canvas.
- Maximum Resolution
If you are using these machines to print your photographs and paintings onto canvas, they need to be as vivid and perfect as possible. For this, you should only focus on the printers with the highest maximum resolution. The Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer, for example, has a maximum resolution of 9600×2400 dpi, i.e. droplet per inch.
The Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer, too, has a maximum resolution of 5760×1440 dpi. Other similar printers for canvas have maximum resolution around 4800×2400 dpi.
- Ink Type/Quantity
The more the number of individual ink cartridges in a printer, the better the printing quality is going to be. With more color options, your paintings and photographs – be it a black-and-white one or a colored one – is going to be detailed and vivid.
The Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer comes with 9 individual ink cartridges inside, all of them UltraChrome HD pigment ink that is going to give you professional prints. In fact, these machines are the ones used by professional artists, designers and photographers to print out their work.
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Printer also comes with 8 color cartridges, of whom 3 are dedicated grayscale colors for perfect black-and-white images.
With other similar printers, you can get built-in refillable or replaceable ink cartridges varying from sets of 5 or 6.
- Connectivity
Most printers, scanners or copiers these days are wireless, and the printers for canvases aren’t any exception. All of these printers discussed above are wireless devices that you can connect with your smart phones, tablets or computers via the Wi-Fi.
Some can even be controlled with AirPrint or Google Cloud Print, making it possible to directly print your photographs and painting from your gadgets even when you are not in the room.
Another advantage of these wireless devices are that they can be placed anywhere around the house or around the room, and don’t need to be placed near a computer.
- Printing Material
These printers aren’t made so that they can only work on canvases; beside large canvases, most of these printers can also work on other similar materials – both regular paper and thicker surfaces. The Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer can print on not just canvas, but on plain paper, cut sheet, photo paper, fine art paper and panoramic paper.
Other Features
There are some other features that can be found in certain printers, which aren’t necessarily crucial, but helpful in using the device, such as:
- Duplex printing option, i.e. when the printer can automatically print on both sides of the paper without having to manually turn the page. This feature isn’t necessary for printing on canvas, but can be helpful when printing on other regular materials.
- Fast printing, i.e. the Canon 9856B002AA ImagePROGRAFiPF770 takes only 25 seconds to print on a large-sized canvas.
- User-friendly installation and connection details and instructions.
- Compatibility with multiple operating systems.
- Low sound when in use, i.e. the Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer makes only 43.5 dB(A) noise when operating.
- Automatic sheet feeder tray.
- Compatible with multiple file formats, etc.
These are the features to look for when buying a printer specifically for printing on canvases and similar large surfaces.
Why should you go for Printers For Canvas?
Special printers for canvases aren’t something we can find in most households. In fact, these specialty printers aren’t purchased for printing regular official documents or assignments. Printers for canvases happen to be high-quality machines that can give you the best possible color and quality that you can expect from a printer.
If you have a specialty printer for canvas, it means that you can print your designs, artwork, paintings and images on a number of thicker and larger materials other than regular paper.
It also means that you don’t have to go to a professional painting business every time you want to hang a new family photograph on your walls. At the same time, you can print anything you want on large canvases directly for your walls home and workplace.
There was once a time when hanging a painting on your walls required an artist to actually paint on the actual canvas. If you wanted a famous painting or something by a famous artist on your walls, it would also have to be recreated on the canvas.
However, with these new specialty printers for canvases, this doesn’t have to be the case. You can print any of your favorite paintings or photographs on canvas yourself with these printers and hang them directly on your walls. With the right inkjet printer, any image or design you choose can be on your walls within a few minutes.
Print Size: One of the most important reasons to buy a printer for canvas is that they can print on large canvases, such as the Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Printer and the Canon 9856B002AA ImagePROGRAFiPF770.
The first printer can work on 13”x13” canvases and the second one can work on 23.39”x33.11” canvases. With these printers, you can print directly on large canvases instead of the regular A4 size sheets used for businesses and assignments.
Ink Quality: Another reason for using these printers is because they give out excellent performances. Printers for canvases are built so that what you print will be vivid and colorful.
Most of these printers come with more ink cartridges than regular printers. For example, with the Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Printer, you get a set of 8 ink cartridges. 3 of those cartridges are dedicated to grayscale ink, which means the black-and-white photographs and paintings printed with this printer will always be stunning.
The Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer comes with 9 ink cartridges and the Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer comes with 6 ink cartridges. Both these printers give extraordinary results in terms of color and vibrancy.
Maximum Resolution: With these printers for canvas, you get a higher maximum resolution than regular printers. As these printers are mainly used for images, photographs and paintings, the more the number of droplets per inch, i.e. the more the dpi, the better the quality of the prints.
The Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer, for example, has a maximum resolution of 9600×2400 dpi and the Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer has a maximum resolution of 5760×1440 dpi.
These are the features that distinguish a printer for canvas from other regular printers. While regular printers don’t need to print on large sheets and canvases, these printers do; at the same time, regular printers don’t need to have such a high resolution but these printers do.
So if you want to print paintings, designs, images and photographs directly on canvas, you need one of these specialty printers for canvases.
How to print on canvas?
To transfer your favorite painting on canvas, there’s two ways to go about it: ask an artist to recreate the painting on the canvas, or use a special printer to do the job. In the same way, to print a photograph or an image on canvas also requires the help of one of these printers.
Printing on canvas is almost the same as regular printing, except that you need the help of a special inkjet printer to do the job. The following steps are the ones to follow for printing on canvas:
1. The first step would be to purchase the right printer for your work. There are a few models that give extraordinary results in printing photographs, images or paintings on canvas, as discussed above in this article. Whichever feature is most important to you should be available on the printer you choose, i.e. print size, ink variety and quality, maximum resolution, etc.
2. The next step would be to choose the right kind of canvas. They can be found in any office supply store or crafting store, at an extremely affordable price.
You can find these printable canvases in different quality and texture, and the one you choose depends on the kind of painting or photograph you have in mind. The canvas you choose should also be compatible with an inkjet printer.
There are a few types of canvases available in the market. Some of them are only for painting on, while others can also be used in an inkjet printer.
Gloss canvas, for example, is of an extraordinary quality; printing on these canvases will give you a result similar to what you see in a gallery. UV resistant canvas are used for printing important works of art that won’t be damaged or destroyed for natural causes.
3. Next, choose what you want to print. You can do this in three ways:
- You can buy digitized art prints for your own printers. These will be available in supply stores, museums and galleries, as well as on the Internet. You can buy these digitized prints of your favorite paintings online to print. They can be downloaded free from the Internet as well, but the free versions would probably not be of a high resolution. If you want the digitized prints to be a good one, it is better to buy them from valid and legal sources.
- Use your computer to edit the prints. Depending on the size and color combination you want, you can make a lot of changes on the digitized prints that you have purchased or downloaded. You can reduce the size, adjust the contrast to make the print brighter or softer, and even change some of the color tones with some software. Save the edits you have made when you are done.
- If you are printing a photograph, you can also use anything you have saved on your smartphone, tablet or computer. In this case, the best option is to use Windows Photo and Fax Viewer, which is the easiest software to use. You can resize your photographs and images using this software. If you are using an Apple device, select “Application” to edit the file
- Set up your printer, which includes unboxing, setting up, installing and connecting it to your device. Connection can be both via Wi-Fi or power cord.
- You need to add a leader strip to your canvases. These are thin pieces of paper that help to feed the canvas into the printer; leader strips are attached to the entire width of a sheet of paper. These leader strips go on the bottom of the paper or canvas, so there will be no changes on your photograph or painting.
- Each leader strip is usually around 2.5 cm or 1” wide in size, and is taped to the sheet of paper or canvas.
- Because you have added an extra inch to your canvas. You’ll need to recenter the document on your computer. You can do this by choosing “Canvas Size” from the menu, if you are using Photoshop. On other softwares, you can select “Print Settings” and do the same. For example, for a 13”x9” canvas, you need to select 14” for printing.
- Next, feed the canvas into the printer. You can do this manually, or by using the rear feed tray at the back of the printer. Most printers have a rear feed slot, which is quite important for loading canvases. Load the canvas on the feed slot when it is ready for printing. The rear tray can usually handle a large stack of paper or a few thick canvases. This makes it easier if you are going to work on multiple canvases.
- You need to set your feed on your computer. If you are using the rear tray feed, choose the “Rear Manual” setting.
- Start printing the painting, artwork or photograph on your canvas.
- Remove the finished canvas, but be careful to give it time to dry. The ink can take a few minutes to dry and touching it before that can make smudges on it. Later, you can take the dried canvas and frame it, or wrap it around a small box frame.
The procedures to print on canvas is somewhat similar to regular printing, but there could be a few different steps. These are the steps to follow when you want to print a photograph, an artwork or a painting yourself on your walls.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions regarding these specialty printers for canvases, this is where you can find some of the answers.
1. How much does a canvas printer cost?
Canvas printers are usually more expensive compared to regular printers. This is mostly because these printers for canvases are both larger than other printers, and has a better ink quality and maximum resolution.
Efficient canvas printers from reputed brands usually start from $500, and can be as expensive as $650.
2. Can any printer print on canvas?
Ideally, any inkjet printer can print on canvas, but it is recommended that only the printers made for canvases should be used for such projects. This is because these printers are especially designed to fit canvases and to print in them. Besides, these printers also come with especially enhanced ink; these inks come in sets of 9 or 7, more than the colors in a regular printer.
3. Who has the best quality canvas printers?
Epson, Canon and HP – these are the names that come to everyone’s mind when looking for a printer. These brands also make printers for canvases and they are some of the best around the world.
4. What kind of printer do I need to print on canvas?
Usually, any inkjet printer can print on canvas. However, for the best results, it is better to use special printers for canvases for such projects. These printers can handle large and heavy canvas, and they also come with more ink cartridges than regular inkjet printers.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of printing on canvas to hang on your walls, your best choice would be to invest in a proper printer for canvas. These canvas printers all come from world-renowned brands like Canon, Epson and HP, and they contain all the necessary features needed to print on different canvases.
Canvas printers are bigger and sturdier, and they can handle heavy canvases easily; they also come with especially enhanced ink that makes your photographs and artwork vivid – be they black-and-white or color. For the best quality, nothing beats the performance of a printer for canvas for decorating your walls.