Merry Christmas for 2009

We at Opix UK would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to take this opportunity to thank you all for helping us get through a very tough second year.

We have just updated the website and will now provide 'Contemporary Frames', 'Acrylic Blocks' and 'Poster Prints' in addition to our 'Acrylic Art' and 'Canvas Art'. We will be adding more frames all the time so do please visit us to see what's new.

We hope that the New Year brings you joy and laughter.... and like last year, more sells for us ;0)

Have an Outstanding holiday.

Opix UK- The Outstanding Picture Company!

Direct printing to acrylic or rear mounting?

We have been asked about direct printing on to acrylic / Perspex and whether it is a better method than reverse mounting.

We are going to do are best to give a honest answer, we provide rear mounted Perspex so are we going to be biased... no. The truth is that it all depends on what you are after from your product. Need a acrylic piece for the bathroom or for outside, then go direct. If you demand photographic quality prints then go rear mounted.

Direct Pros:

Can be used outside and in rooms with moisture.
Can have transparent areas where white would normally reside. (This is a nice affect on single coloured walls)

Direct Cons:

The resolution is not as high as with other substrates like paper. They look good but not pure photographic quality as you can not get as wide a colour gamut.
The ink also sits on the surface of the acrylic and can be scratched off fairly easy.

Notes:

Some printers using this method are not able to print white, where an image with white will show as clear patches on the clear acrylic as discussed above. Should you wish to have white and they cannot print with white ink, some producers now get around this problem with techniques such as placing a white panel behind the acrylic while a more satisfactory technique is where a white plastic laminate is placed over the rear.

To produce this type of acrylic product requires the use of flat bed printers, these expensive printers are really developed for the production of signs. This can explain why some prints are low resolution and expensive as the cost of the machinery is passed on to consumers.

Rear Pros:

High resolution photo quality prints can be produced.

Rear Cons:

Unless printing on a clear vynil a transparent affect is not possible.
Not recommended for outdoor projects or rooms with moisture.

Notes:

Rear mounting involves using a adhesive layer, some producers will try to cut costs by using inferior products. This is because true optically crystal clear adhesive, specifically made for layering onto photos with UV protective qualities is expensive. We however feel the cost is worth it.

We use rear mounting purely because most of our work is for photographers.

For flush mounting canvas art. Hang It Level Every Time!

We occasionally get asked what hangers we use for our Canvas Art, the answer is simple, only the very best.

The Hangman Canvas Hanger is a new way to hang canvas flush and secure to a wall. It is the fastest and easiest method to hang canvas frames level every time as it incorporates a spirit level. Your art is important to you, it deserves to be hung the best and most secure way possible so we include this product free with all our Canvas purchases.

What's a stretcher bar?

A stretcher bar is used to construct a wooden stretcher frame used by artists and printers to mount their canvases. They are traditionally a wooden framework support on which a user fastens a piece of canvas. They are also used for small-scale embroidery to provide steady tension, affixing the edges of the fabric with push-pins or a staple gun before beginning to sew, and then removing it from the stretcher when the work is complete. Stretchers are usually in the shape of a rectangle, although shaped canvases are also possible.

Since a stretcher is simply a frame, it can be constructed in a variety of ways. The differences in construction have to do with how the corners are built. Commercially available pre-fabricated stretchers come in segments with interlocking corners, that can be fit together like puzzle pieces. Corner supports can also be made using simple woodworking techniques, however.

The miter joint is the most popular method of adhering corners on a stretcher, although butt joints are also fine if used in conjunction with gussets. Keys or small triangle wedges are inserted in the joint after stretching the canvas to give the canvas its final tension. When fastening the canvas, pressure should be distributed evenly around the stretcher to minimize warping due to unequal distribution of pull.

Unlike other types of frames, the corner joints in stretcher bars are not glued or fastened in any permanent way. This allows the canvas to be retensioned over time, as it has a natural tendency to stretch and sag over time. In contrast, strainer bars stretch canvas in a fixed (non-adjustable) way.

The use of stretcher bars in the print market has become increasingly prominent with inkjet-printed canvas prints becoming more popular in the home. Many print companies import pre-cut and hand-finished stretcher bars from areas of South America and China in timbers such as Rosewood Paulownia and Fir. The rot and warp resistant characteristics of these timbers, as well as their availability make them a widely-used choice in machined stretcher bars.

Flame Polished or Diamond Polished Perspex / Acrylic Wall Art

The cheapest solution to a polished edge is flame polishing. This is where an open flame from a torch is passed over the edge of the perspex / acrylic. This type of polishing works better on extruded acrylic than cast acrylic. Flame polishing on certain pigmented colours may result in a matt finish or discolouration. This technique can be identified by the slightly rounded edges of the acrylic panel, in addition if not done correctly you can sometimes see imperfections on the face of the acrylic panel where the heat from the flame has spilled over onto the face.

A better choice for a quality finish is diamond polishing. Diamond polishing is a mechanical operation in which a diamond chip attached to a wheel is spun at a very high RPM and run along the edge. Diamond polishing can be used for straight edges and can provide excellent results. While the diamond polished edge is a better choice than the flame polished edge for display options, the quality of the edge does vary with some suppliers providing panels. Some panels do show machine marks dow.

n the edge of the acrylic, these are avoidable if the machining is done correctly.All our Perspex Wall Art / Acrylic Wall Art is made using the very best diamond polishing machines.

Merry Christmas

We at Opix would just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to take this opportunity to thank you all for helping us get off to a great first year of trading. We hope that the New Year brings you joy and laughter.... and more Perspex Art sells for us ;0)

Have an Outstanding holiday.

Opix - The Outstanding Picture Company!

How to stretch your own canvas!

Professionally stretched canvas can get rather costly. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to stretch canvas in the studio, especially with an assistant. It may take a few trial runs to learn how to do it properly, but once an artist is comfortable stretching his or her own canvas, it will seem well worth the effort. In addition to saving money stretching canvas personally, artists will also be able to have better control over canvas sizes, allowing them to create custom pieces.

To stretch canvas, several tools are needed. Start with the stretcher bars or frame over which the canvas will be stretched. If the canvas is going to be large, supporting cross braces will also be needed. The next important ingredient is the canvas itself. Many art supply stores sell rolls of canvas, which should be unprimed for stretching. To secure the canvas, you will require a hammer with carpet tacks, or a staple gun. Finally, a set of canvas pliers greatly helps to stretch canvas, although they are not strictly necessary.

Once all the tools to stretch canvas have been assembled in a clean, dry place, start by assembling the stretcher bars. Make sure that they are snugly connected and square before nailing or stapling them together. You can use a grid or t-square to make sure that the stretchers are square, or you can measure across the diagonals of the canvas to see if the distances are the same. Once you are confident that the stretchers are square, roll out the canvas and cut out a square which is larger than the stretcher bars. The canvas will have to wrap partway around the stretchers, so be with your cuts.

When you stretch canvas, you start from the middle and work your way in, always working on opposite sides. Staple or nail the canvas to the middle of one of the supports, and then move to the opposite side, stretching the canvas as taut as you can get it. Canvas pliers will help you grip the canvas without hurting your hands, and an assistant can hold the stretcher bars and canvas to help you stretch canvas tightly across the frame. Move to the middle of one of the sides and repeat the process to stretch canvas. Then, start working your way along the edges of the supports. When you reach the corners, fold them over neatly and tack them down.

After you have stretched the canvas, you can prime it or leave it unprimed, depending on personal taste. You can either stretch canvas for each individual piece one at a time, or you can devote a day to stretching canvas so that you can stockpile a range of canvases to work with. Either way, keep the materials in a cool, dry place, and do not expose them to moisture or excessive heat. Storing the canvas flat will also help to prevent warping.