PUBLICATION CENTER

Renovations provide great opportunities for photographers and fine art reproducers. Case in point is a recent hotel renovation undertaken in Austin by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Wyndham purchased an older hotel just north of downtown Austin off of I-35. The location was great, but the building needed work.

An integral part of the successful renovation would be the décor. Wyndham turned to Austin-based Canvas Press to give the hotel a unique feel and one that would be distinctly Texan. Or, more accurately, distinctly Austonian.

The concept was to represent Austin icons in a big way with photography on canvas. Local themes included the University of Texas, downtown Austin and the state capitol, Texas rivers, and Texas music legends.

Canvas Press had already provided new framed prints on photo paper for the hotel’s 200-plus rooms, and would now print and gallery-wrap dozens of images for use in the hotel’s common areas, like the lobby, hallways, conference and meeting rooms.

Doak Walker, owner of Canvas Press, says the standard size of the canvas prints was 24x30, with a few that were output at 36x54 (Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan). Some spaces included unusual applications, such as a 52x52 print of the Texas Rotunda at the capitol building attached to the ceiling, which peers down on the conference table.

The addition of canvas prints throughout the property gives the hotel a unique museum gallery flavor. Each Texas artist gallery wrap includes a biographical plaque next to it. This “Austin Music Hall of Fame” stays true to the overall theme of the hotel, while providing additional interest and information about the Austin music scene to out-of-town travelers.

Canvas Press printed the entire project on LexJet Sunset Select Matte Canvas. “We print exclusively on Sunset Select Matte Canvas. We tested about 20 different canvases, and it’s the highest grade canvas we have been able to find. The overall quality and imaging of the canvas really showcases our level of quality to our customers,” says Walker.

Canvas Press used an Epson 9800 with ImagePrint, and a Canon iPF9000 for the project. Walker says, “When I’m looking for a printer, I look at more than print quality. I also look for the quality of the printheads, ease of maintenance, speed, and durability since we print almost exclusively on canvas, and volume printing on canvas can be tough on a printer.”

One of the most important factors when printing on canvas is to clean up any debris and particles after each print run. Effective printer maintenance often boils down to a clean work environment.