IUSA 2009 - Solvent Technology Introduction

I just returned home from exhibiting at the Imaging USA show in Phoenix, some of the best and most well-respected photographers attend this show. We had a 64" Roland XJ (eco-solvent printer) in our booth, to show off the quality of our new line of archival, solvent canvas, PureG. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback we received, as this was the basically the first introduction of solvent printing technology into the high-end fine art photography community. We were not quite sure what to expect as solvent technology has historically gotten a bad rap among the most savvy giclee printing professionals and photographers (not too long ago, inkjet canvas did too). This show would be the first true test of changing this perception by demonstrating the recent technological advancements in solvent printers and canvas, in terms of print quality, longevity, and the containment of solvent odor, for the giclee art print. The advantages of solvent printing have never been disputed (lower production cost, faster production speed, no need for post-print laminate).

No one could believe the quality of giclee prints that were coming off of this machine, right there in our booth. The prints flowed onto the floor completely dry, with durable inks, ready to be stretched and sold. The very idea of being able to avoid the arduous and costly process of laminating giclee canvas, was enough to draw serious attention from all those who walked by. Some very prominent photographers even brought over their own images to more accurately evaluate the giclee print quality and were thoroughly impressed and excited when they saw the detail and density of familiar images. I saw smiles stretch across their faces as they vigorously tried to rub the freshly printed black ink onto the unprinted white canvas, and found that they couldn’t.

While solvent printers are still very expensive and will only be seriously considered by giclee printing professionals who are doing a fair amount of volume, one thing is clear…solvent technology is finally ready for prime time. I am now convinced that the quality is there, we have always known that the cost and time of production are significantly less than aqueous giclee printing, and now with our new line of OBA-Free, certified archival canvas…solvent technology offers a clear competitive advantage for the volume canvas giclee printing professional and deserves serious consideration.