Getting Started

We currently have three channels through which you may contact us

• Email us 
• Live Chat with us
• Call us - telephone support only currently available to Australian and New Zealand customers

 

 

First time users of a service such as ours need to be aware that when you view an image on a computer monitor, the image immediately looks brighter and lighter as its being viewed on a back-lit device

Please read the following articles -

Dark images - why they don't print well

Why is my canvas not as bright and colourful as my image

So how do you know if your image will print well? Here are a few aspects to consider...

• Bright backgrounds
• Shadows
• Not using a flash when required

Is your subject matter well lit?

Below on the left is an example of an image where the subject is well lit and will print out beautifully. On the right, not such a good image. 

Well lit subject matter	Badly lit subject matter. Bright background and lots of shadows on the subject matter

Is your image contrasty?

A high contrast image will have bright areas and dark areas and nothing much in between. High contrast images can be difficult to print. For example, the image below left is high contrast. There is a bright light behind the horse whilst everything in the foreground, including the horse is dark.The image on the right has been edited and lightened considerably

A contrasty image with areas of light and dark.	Same image that has been lightened considerably. Subject matter is still not well lit and would have benefited from a flash being used

 

Is your subject matter too small?

This may seem a little silly to cover off, but its important to understand a little about composition. Composition is a huge topic so I just want to mention one basic aspect that can make all the difference in your printed images. 

Below are two images showing similar subject matter. On the left, the shetland pony is very small, and there is a lot of stuff in the background. Now, you may want to show all the stuff in the background or you may just want to take a nice photo of your pony and print it out onto a canvas

Of the two images below, I know which one I would choose to print onto a canvas! Yep, the one on the right. (This is my personal opinion though!)

 

Small pony, lots of background distraction	Pony is the main subject matter

 

Help! I don’t know anything about computers or photography! Is my photo going to look good on canvas?

If your digital file is at least 150 dpi, it should look good on canvas. We say should, as there are many factors that effect the quality of the end product. 

An image might be 20MB in size with a 300dpi - but if its slightly blurred and you want to print it out on a large canvas you are not going to get a good result. 

The DPI of an image can be found by right clicking on the image, selecting properties, selecting the details tab and scrolling down:

 We have a great tool on our web site that allows you to view your images at the size you want to print them at. Have a read of this article here

 

Can I increase the dpi of an image after I have taken a photo?

We do not recommend this course of action. If you have taken an image at say 72dpi, increasing the dpi will increase the file size but NOT the resolution.

In layman's terms, you can't create something from nothing, and expect a high quality result. When you increase dpi in Photoshop, Photoshop adds data through a best guess process.

The best solution is to increase your resolution settings in your camera, and take a new photo. Alternatively, you may be able to print the image out at a smaller size. 

 

 

 

1. I don’t have a digital file – can I still get this photo printed? 

No, we can’t accept photo prints. We can only work with digital files. However, it’s very easy to have a print photo scanned professionally – your local print shop or Kodak Shop will be able to do this for you, and it’s not very expensive. Make sure you tell them that you’re having the photo printed on canvas and that it needs to be at least 150 dpi. Then take the file they create and upload it to our site, and we’ll get to work!

There are various types of file formats that we accept. However, we highly recommend a high resolution JPEG file as it is the most used and most widely accepted image format with around 2 - 10MB in size.

Below is a list of file formats we accept:

JPEG / JPEG

JPEG is short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, and is the most popular among the image formats used on the web. Almost every digital camera can shoot and save in the JPEG format. JPEG is very web friendly because the file is smaller, which means it takes up less room, and requires less time to transfer to a site. 

Note: If you are trying to save an image in the JPEG format, make sure you choose the highest quality compression, to limit data loss.

TIFF

TIFF is popular with users in the graphic design, publishing and photographic industries. It is also popular among Apple users.

The TIFF image format is easy to use with software that deals with page layout, publishing and photo manipulation. It is the perfect format for graphic storage, processing and printing.  

Note: If you are trying to save an image in TIFF format, make sure to untick the option of keeping layers. Keeping layers will mean a very large file and very long transfer times, huge disk space consumption and slow loading times.  This can make processing more complex for our Designers.

PNG

Although we can accept PNG files, this file type is not recommended for print graphics, and not all web browsers will support this file type. Ideally we would prefer that you send us JPEG files instead.

Received PNG files are converted to JPG on our system. Any transparent layers in a PNG image will be converted to white automatically.

Other file formats we accept : BMP & GIFF

File formats we do not accept

RAW - online software is available to convert from RAW to JPEG

PDF - online software is available to convert from a PDF to JPEG

PSD - online software is available to convert from a PSD to JPEG

 

 

Our website app can accept images up to 50MB in size. If your file is larger than this you will receive an error message when trying to upload to our servers.

Our Zendesk support help desk can only accept files up to 20MB in size.

If uploading to our web site and your image is larger than 50MB, please save the image to a free file sharing platform, such as :

• Dropbox
• Hightail

Place your order using a smaller file, and leave notes in the comments box at checkout, with a link to the image you wish to print, which you have uploaded to either Dropbox or Hightail.

If you are ordering PROdirect, please contact us immediately after placing your order, so that we may place your order on hold. PROdirect orders do not provide a comments box, so you will need to email us the larger file. (or a link to the file)

Note: If you are trying to save an image in TIFF format, make sure to untick the option of keeping layers. Keeping layers will mean a very large file and very long transfer times, huge disk space consumption and slow loading times.  This can make processing more complex for our Designers.

If emailing our Support desk an image and the image is over 20MB please follow the instructions above for Dropbox or Hightail, and email us the link.

 

 

 

We often get asked why our system accepts images if they are not going to print well. Although your image may have the correct resolution, it may be slightly blurred. We also receive a lot of images that are taken in low lighting conditions, which when blown up, look quite grainy. Our canvas app can not detect blur. Some people include blur in images on purpose. When you blow a blurred image up, the defects become a lot more noticeable. 

So how large can you print an image? 

This is a very common question and depends on a number of factors such as the type of camera you use to take photos, how far away you are going to be viewing the image and what surface you choose to print your image onto.

Our Canvas App software allows you to select a size and view your image at print size. This will give you an indication of whether your image is suitable for the size chosen.

We do find that canvas material is a lot more forgiving than other mediums. Glossy paper for example shows off a lot more detail, whereas canvas material allows the ink to be absorbed more, blurring the pixels slightly and allowing you to get away with a lower quality image. 

 

Please be advised the above tool will only show for canvas, metal or acrylic products, and will not show for Stock images chosen from our library.

 

Planning for an exhibition of your work can be an exciting and stressful time! We would love to work closely with you to ensure a successful event for all parties concerned.

Forward planning is crucial! Allowing enough time for your work to be printed onto your chosen medium should be at the top of your list. Please also factor in shipping delays and the possibility of items being lost/damaged in transit. 

The more time you allow for printing and shipping the less stressful you will find the whole process. 

A few points to consider:

• Please contact us as soon as possible if you set an exhibition date. 
• Let us know where your exhibition is going to be and by what date you need to receive your order
• Let us know the products you are going to be ordering. Some items may ship from remote locations, and we need to factor in possible shipping delays.
• Although 99% of our orders are delivered in as little as 5 to 10 business days, its important to remember we do not guarantee these time frames. We do engage third party couriers and at times deliveries can be delayed. Possible delays and possible damage in transit needs to be factored into your time frame. If an item is damaged in transit we will organise a replacement, but sometimes we need to wait for a courier to confirm the item has in fact gone missing. This can take up to 48 hours.
• To play it safe and to enjoy the process, allow at least 20 working days from between your ordering date and your exhibition date. This gives us a buffer to work with if anything goes wrong.

Rather safe than sorry!

Best of luck, and remember, let us know the above details as early as possible. 

 

Question: How can I check to see if my image will print clearly at the size I have selected?

Answer: Before adding your image to your cart, you will be presented with two options

• Large preview - preview will fill your screen, but is not the true print size
• Print Size preview - this will show the quality of your image at true print size and is the most accurate measure of the quality of your image.

Alternatively, please select our Designer service and we will check everything for you.  

 

 

sRGB is the worlds default colour profile.

We recommend using the sRGB colour (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) profile

Most consumer cameras automatically save images in the sRGB format.

Notes for professionals

If you do upload an image with the colour profile CMYK, please ensure you select our Prodesign service so that we may convert the profile to sRGB. Alternatively, please make this conversion beforehand

If you use Adobe RGB, you will have to remember to convert back to sRGB for sending your prints out or sharing them on the Internet, otherwise they will look duller than sRGB.

Please be advised we cannot be held responsible if you do not convert your image prior to uploading

We do store the original image on our server, so we are able to view the colour space of the original image. 

Most black and white images we receive are not true black and white images but are desaturated colour RGB images that still retain some RGB information.

There will always be some variance in colour reproduction because of this. Black and white ‘colour’ is somewhat in the eye of the beholder (or the calibration of your monitor!)

Back in the heyday of Silver Halide black and white production the paper manufacturers produced paper that had warm or cold tones, including various contrast characteristics and post treatments that sent the print from very warm to very cold.  When you watched the rolls of prints coming off the printer you will see black and white prints scattered through the batch and most times these are very different from each other

To get the best printing result, please follow the process below before submitting your images

1. Convert RGB image to Greyscale image - this removes all colour information

2. Assign the DOT grain profile

In Australia we use the metric measurement system. However, our Printers use the Imperial system when printing.

In order to make product size selection easy, we advertise our sizes in Australia as centimeters. However, please be advised, the centimeter size has been rounded up/down for ease of advertising purposes.

If you would like to create artwork and fit them exactly to our canvas templates, please use the following inches measurements when designing.

Variations exist when one side is longer due to pixels. Sizes are based off a resolution of 300 ppi/dpi

If in doubt, please select our PRODesign service so our Designers can ensure your artwork fits the size product you have chosen

Square Canvas

Centimeter size	Inches size	Artwork size to be designed in inches (w x h)
30 x 30	12" x 12"	12" x 12"
40 x 40	16" x 16"	16.01" x 16.01"
50 x 50	20" x 20"	20.01" x 20.01"
60 x 60	24" x 24"	24.20" x 24.20"
75 x 75	30" x 30"	30" x 30"
90 x 90	36" x 36"	36.05" x 36.05"
100 x 100	40" x 40"	40.05" x 40.05"
125 x 125	50" x 50"	50.14" x 50.14"

Rectangle Canvas

Centimeter size	Inches size	Artwork size to be designed in inches (w x h)
30 x 20 Landscape 20 x 30 Portrait	12" x 8" 8" x 12"	12" x 7.99" 8" x 12"
45 x 30 Landscape 30 x 45 Portrait	18" x 12" 12" x 18"	18.02" x 12.01" 12" x 18"
50 x 40 Landscape 40 x 50 Portrait	20" x 16" 16" x 20"	20.01" x 16" 16.01" x 20.01"
60 x 40 Landscape 40 x 60 Portrait	24" x 16" 16" x 24"	24.01" x 16.01" 16.01" x 24.02"
75 x 50 Landscape 50 x 75 Portrait	30" x 20" 20" x 30"	30.02" x 20.01" 20" x 30.01"
90 x 60 Landscape 60 x 90 Portrait	36" x 24" 24" x 36"	35.99" x 23.99" 24.03" x 36.05"
100 x 75 Landscape 75 x 100 Portrait	40" x 30" 30" x 40"	40.01" x 30.01" 30" x 40"
120 x 80 Landscape 80 x 120 Portrait	48" x 32" 32" x 48"	48.09" x 32.06" 35.05" x 48.08"
135 x 90 Landscape 90 x 135 Portrait	54" x 36" 36" x 54"	54.08" x 36.05" 35.99" x 53.99"

Panoramic Canvas

Centimeter size	Inches size	Artwork size to be designed in inches (w x h)
60 x 20 Landscape 20 x 60 Portrait	24" x 8" 8" x 24"	23.99" x 7.99" 8" x 24.02"
60 x 30 Landscape 30 x 60 Portrait	24" x 12" 12" x 24"	24.03" x 12.01" 12.01 x 24.02"
80 x 40 Landscape 40 x 80 Portrait	32" x 16" 16" x 32"	32.01" x 16" 16.03" x 32.06"
90 x 30 Landscape 30 x 90 Portrait	36" x 12" 12" x 36"	35.99 x 11.99" 12.01" x 36.05"
100 x 50 Landscape 50 x 100 Portrait	40" x 20" 20" x 40"	40.02" x 20.01" 20" x 40"
120 x 40 Landscape 40 x 120 Portrait	48" x 16" 16" x 48"	48.06" x 16.01" 16.02" x 48.08"
130 x 65 Landscape 65 x 130 Portrait	54" x 26" 26" x 54"	52" x 26" 26" x 52"
135 x 45 Landscape 45 x 135 Portrait	52" x 18" 18" x 52"	54.20" x 18.06" 17.99" x 53.99"

 

 

Question: I am a photographer and would like to resell your products, do you offer a wholesale discount?

Answer: We certainly do! Please click on the wholesale button on the top right of our page, and follow the steps to register for a wholesale account. We will review your information and approve your wholesale discount if you meet the specified criteria.

Question: Do you offer wholesale discounts in all the countries you trade in?

Answer: No. We currently only offer a wholesale program in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. We do not yet offer wholesale pricing in the UK or Europe

Question: How do I know if my customers will like your products?

Answer: We always suggest to our new wholesalers to order a few small samples of our products to ensure that you like the quality. This will also give you first hand experience of the look and feel of them.

Question: Do you offer a full drop ship service? 

Answer: Yes, once your order is placed we will ensure it is delivered to your customer. As the account owner, you will also receive email updates when you item is shipped including tracking numbers so that you can follow the delivery of your customers order. 

Question: Do you include a Canvas Factory invoice with your shipped product?

Answer: No, we do not include any logos or invoices with our shipped products. As the account owner, the only invoice you will receive is the one we email to you at point of purchase

Question: Do the same Terms and Conditions apply to Wholesalers?

Answer: Yes, they do. It's important that as a wholesaler you clearly explain the Terms and Conditions to your customers. 

Question: I want to place an order, but my images are not yet ready? 

Answer: Although its best to try and have your images ready, you can place an order using temporary images. You will however, need to let us know so that we can put your order on hold, until you are ready to send us the correct images. Please use the comments box in the checkout screen to let us know.

The above service is only available if you select our PRODesign service. 

If you are an Australian customer, you can also select "bank deposit" as a payment method, and then drop us an email with the new images when you have them. When we have received your images and your order is ready to move into Production you can make payment, and your order will be produced with the replacement images.

Yes, only if you create an account and are logged in during the ordering process.

Question: Help! My images are taking a really long time to upload. What can I do?

Answer: Upload speeds can be effected by a number of issues, namely the size of the image, your internet connection and bandwidth available as well as how busy your local exchange is. Uploads can take a lot longer for example, during school holidays when everybody in the house is using the internet. 

Upload speeds to your service provider are generally not as fast as typical download speeds.

So what can you do if the above happens? If you are trying to upload from a desktop at home, you could attempt to upload from your mobile device instead. This way, you can bypass your home internet, especially if the kids are playing games online! Alternatively, you could wait for a quieter time, later on in the evening, or first thing in the morning. Also make sure you are running the latest version of your browser. Check your computer performance. If you have a lot of applications open, you could be running out of memory, and this can effect upload speeds.

 

 

Most of us have the ability to edit and crop our images the way we like them. This means your final image may end up with an arbitrary size due to cropping.

When uploading your image to our system, you are presented with an option to either zoom in or out. Our Canvas App constrains the proportions when re-sizing an image. This means you can't adjust the width of the image without adjusting the height. This functionality suits about 99.9% of our customers. But this can also mean you lose part of your image - especially important aspects on the edge of the canvas. 

There are a number of  solutions around this.

• If you have a design package such as Adobe Elements or Adobe Photoshop, you can adjust the canvas size to match the product size you want to order. Please work in inches as this is what the printer uses.
• The second solution is to order a "custom size" canvas - this can now be found under "select size and shape" when ordering. 
• The third solution is to order our PROdesign service, and our designers can assist with editing. You can read more about this service here.

You certainly can! You will be presented with this option during the ordering process. Please be careful on the placement of your text. Its best not to place text too close to the edge of the canvas, as we need to leave a certain amount of space for bleed.