Rolling down the Runway with an Inkjet Printed Canvas Triptych

Canvas Triptych Print by Broadstreet Fine Art

Broadstreet Fine Art and Framing, based in Fairburn, Ga., recently pieced together this canvas triptych with an appropriate passenger jet image for the Atlanta Airlines Terminal Corporation (AATC).

AATC handles facility management at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and this carefully-crafted piece is part one of a two-part décor project at the company’s executive offices. Part two will be a series of vintage photos from the airport printed on Sunset Fine Art Paper that will decorate the common space between reception and the offices.

For this canvas piece, Broadstreet Fine Art owner Loran Hygema used Sunset Select Matte Canvas protected with Sunset Satin Coating. The canvas was stretched on 2″ stretcher bars using Broadstreet’s automated canvas stretching machine. Each canvas piece of the triptych is 36″ x 36″ for a total image size of 3′ x 9′.

Canvas Inkjet Print by Broadstreet Fine Art“Sunset Satin Coating is not only cost-effective, but it’s the best by far we’ve used for coating. The canvas is hands-down, head and shoulders above other canvases I’ve used. It is more like a canvas should feel: more pliable and much easier to stretch. We do a lot of big canvases 4×6, 4×7 and Sunset canvas works well for us, especially at the large sizes we often produce, because we don’t have problems with wrinkles,” says Hygema.

The airliner image is black-and-white, but the client requested a subtle sepia tone to go with it, so Hygema added a slight tint for that effect. “I prefer the image in black and white, but the customer is always right,” says Hygema.

Hygema also used Perfect Resize from OnOne Software, which was formerly known as Genuine Fractals, to create the wrap borders and to res-up the file. Hygema says Perfect Resize will create selective, mirror, museum-wrap style and other types of wrap borders.

He used the LexJet profile for printing through his Epson Stylus Pro 11880 wide format inkjet printer. “I’ve had great luck with the profiles supplied by LexJet. We have a color management system to make custom profiles, but don’t fix it if it ain’t broke,” he says.

The three printed pieces were laid out and lined up before stretching, and then hung on mirror hangers, rather than wire hangers so that all the pieces will stay in the exact same position.

“That was a bit of a challenge,” says Hygema. “You can’t really adjust the canvas on the wall like you can with wire hangers, so we had to do a little trial-and-error to get the hanging hardware in the right spot in relation to each other. They love the triptych and are excited about seeing the rest. We’ll be working with the Delta Air Museum to find the right vintage photos for the rest of the project.”