Another Day, Another Improvement.

by Nick Friend on June 1, 2012 · 23 comments

Do you like this blog post?

inkjet canvas
Our perpetual goal at Breathing Color is to never be satisfied and constantly keep improving. We strive to make our products as “clean” and consistent as possible, which is a very tall order when it comes to inkjet canvas. Our quality control is more strict and discerning than any other inkjet canvas manufacturer in the industry and still, we are not satisfied.

So as you would expect, we have gathered your feedback and comments over the past year in an effort to identify areas to make improvements to our canvases. While the suggestions were few, we concluded that there was an opportunity to do some fine tuning. Most importantly, we felt that a little fine tuning would ultimately lead to higher quality and even more consistent output for our customers. To us, that’s hard to ignore.

So – I am pleased to announce that after countless man hours of feedback analysis, equipment scrutiny, and tons of trial and error, we have completed the fine tuning and have made the following improvements to our canvases:

1. We have further improved and refined roll-to-roll consistency by removing more blemishes when compared to industry standard canvas. This means you should see less gesso blobs, pulled threads, cotton seeds, irregular weave, loose debris on the surface, etc.

2. We have improved the flexibility and softness (or “hand”) of our canvas. The added flexibility means our canvas will be much easier and faster to stretch, with less tension required. The improved softness means that the canvas will feel more natural and less rigid.

If you’re not looking out for them, you might not ever notice these improvements because admittedly the adjustments are subtle. Also, considering that we have not made any tweaks or adjustments to the inkjet receptive coatings, your prints will look exactly the same as they always have. We sincerely hope that these improvements further demonstrate our steadfast commitment to quality and innovation. Most importantly, we hope to improve the final quality of your product, whilst making your production even faster and more efficient than it already is — with less waste, less wasted time, and more profit.

This improved canvas has already been shipping across all product lines for several weeks now. We look forward to your continued feedback as we continue to push the boundaries of innovation.

Regards,


Nick Friend
President

Similar Posts:

Article by

Nick Friend, President of Breathing Color, Inc., is a principle-centered entrepreneur who has over 15+ years of experience in developing and executing innovative sales and marketing strategies as well as building, training, and leading national and international sales forces. His ability to recognize market opportunities, build successful business models, and lead organizations has been demonstrated with multiple business ventures. Mr. Friend was honored by the Orange County Business Journal's "Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards" in 2007 & 2008.

  • Gvisions

    Great news! Both items have been a concern from time to time. Especially finding flaws on the surface of Lyve, but not frequently. The fewest occurrences are welcome. I look forward to handling of more flexible canvas. I do not stretch, I mount and glue the sides of my canvas and fine art paper to the gallery wrap mount. Flexibility without cracking is important to me. Of course with the help of “Timeless” I experience very little cracking.

    thxs,
    gHansenVisions

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Thanks for the comment Gvisions! We hope this helps with your consistency!

      • R Sokol

        I have to agree with some people saying that this ‘improved’ canvas isn’t really any good. Some customers buy simply printed and varnished prints from us. As the new canvas wrinkles and doesn’t stay flat like before this is not possible anymore. How am I supposed to sell to the customer printed piece of canvas which is distorted and deformed in wrinkles?
        Will be looking for a different supplier of canvas….

  • http://www.facebook.com/phil.marty.1 Phil Marty

    I’ve been a big fan of Lyve canvas, but I’m afraid improvements aren’t very meaningful when the product isn’t available.  I was told yesterday it’ll be a week to two weeks before you have Lyve back in stock.

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hello Phil,

      We do sincerely apologize for the sizes that are out of stock, but we do have other sizes available. Please give us a call and we’ll be happy to assist you in getting a size you need that will work for your current application.

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hello Phil,

      Just a quick update to let you know that all sizes of Lyve Canvas are back in stock. Thank you for the inquiry.

  • JimC

    I love the look of your Lyve canvas, so anything that’s “improved” is exciting. The cost and need for Glamour 2 for matte prints is what holds me back from using much more of it.

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hi Jim,

      You may also like our Crystalline Glossy canvas, which does not require a varnish. Keep that in mind the next time you are ordering, and we’ll be happy to help fulfill your request.

  • Mike

    I have had the Epson 9900 for over a year now and produce prints for some local photographers. I also have produced a dozen or so Canvas Gallery wraps using Lyve and have tried a few samples from other companies and have to say I am most impressed with your canvas. My customers have said they have not seen better wraps by anybody and don’t compare to the “big box” turn n burn wraps! Your companies passion to excel shows and I appreciate the constant updates as you strive for MORE than just average!! Thank you again for producing a superior product.

    Mike Taylor of Velvet Print Studio

    • Nick Friend

      Thanks for your kind comments Mike.  We will always push the boundaries of excellence.

  • Mark

    Nick, will these improvements be made to both Lyve and Chromata White?

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hello Mark,

      These changes have been made and are applicable to all of our canvas products. You will also notice the improvement on 800M and Crystalline.

  • Brad Grigor

    Thanks BC. These improvements will reduce wastage and rework, which means higher margins for my business. I buy my Lyve through Amplis in Canada. How soon can I expect these changes to flow through the supply chain?
    Cheers!

    Brad

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hello Brad,

      We have already begun shipping out new stock of the canvas with the improvements, so chances are you may already be receiving some of the new canvas. Thanks for the inquiry!

  • http://www.jerometimes.com/gallery Terry Molloy

    I’ve been working with the solvent gloss canvas and love the saturation and brightness of the color.  However, I have found that the canvas is much to easy to crease.  Even when it is rolled up for a few days after printing it can leave striations when unrolled.  I’m sorry I wasn’t aware of your call for comments earlier, as I would have mentioned these problems at that time. 

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hi Terry,

      Which solvent canvas are you using? Would you be able to send me a photo? I would be very interested in seeing what you are describing to me, and will be better able to offer a solution to the matter. Please feel free to give me a call and we can discuss.

  • Laura Grageda

    Hi Paul! We saw Breathing Color for the first time at WPPI, but though we´ve tried to purchase some rolls, we haven’t been able to do so from Mexico, and the vendor you have on the list, I get the feeling its more like a final user, so we get no price list or assistance at all :( and Im very interested on working with your products, but haven’t found the way to do so :) is there another sales representative I can reach? thank you so much for your time !   Laura

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hi Laura,

      Thank you for your interest in our products. I apologize for your initial experience, but we can help! Please give us a call at our international number : 1-714-744-4085 and ask for Adam. He will be best able to assist you.

  • Richbarger2002

    Still waiting for a trial roll of Vibrance Metallic. 
    I am not going to spend 140 bucks for a full roll without testing the material.
    Will the trial roll ever be available again????

    • http://www.breathingcolor.com/ Paul Morales

      Hi Rich,

      Thank you for your inquiry. We sincerely apologize for the delay in getting the Vibrance Metallic rolls back in. Our ETA for trial rolls back in stock is by the end of next week. Please check back on our Vibrance Metallic product page for availability: http://www.breathingcolor.com/action/bc_shop/223/

  • http://www.inkjet-uk.co.uk/ ink cartridges

    These changes will surely increase our margins and great tip so far about my business. It will surely helps me for the rest of my business life. 

  • John Swearingen

    We note that the Chromata White canvas with your new
    coating, creates two problems which did not exist previously.  One: the
    canvas on the length, after coasting it with the Glamour 2, is shrinking
    dramatically more than the old coating.  We see almost a full half inch of
    shrinkage for every three feet of image.  Two:  While the canvas is
    slightly easier to stretch, the canvas after coating has waviness, ripples in it
    which the old coating did not have, which creates, for us more problems
    stretching than the older stiffer coating ever did.  We see some
    distortion in the images as a result of the ripples in the canvas.  The
    good thing is the new coating did not change the quality of color in the image.

     

    To our mind the old coating was far superior to your new
    coatings.  The canvas was more physically stable before and much easier to
    work with.  If there is any possibility we would prefer receiving any
    further shipments with the old coating and hope that you will soon return to
    the more stable coating which was much more consistent to work with.  New
    is not always better.

     

  • Anonymous

    Hi John,

    Thank you for pointing out the issues that you have experienced with the new and improved version of Chromata White Canvas. We always appreciate hearing from our customers to understand what challenges and issues they may be having, so we can offer solutions. 

    While we acknowledge that these improvements may cause some printmakers to have to slightly modify and adapt their workflow, we chose to implement these changes to offer a better product to our customers. I am very confident that the issues you have described can be resolved by slightly adjusting your coating application method and technique.  

    The issues that you are experiencing (shrinkage and rippling) are simply caused by adding water to cotton.  The new and improved version of Chromata White Canvas will require less coating than the previous version.  Possible solutions are to use less water in your mixture of Glamour II, use less coating when applying to canvas, and consider using our Timeless coating which can doesn’t need to be diluted with water.  

    The improvements that we have made are permanent, but I am confident that we can resolve these issues and in the long run, you will be pleased with the improved consistency and performance of our canvas.  
    I left you a message to discuss application techniques to help modify your workflow and get you back on track.  Please give us a call at your convenience and we will be more than happy to help. 

    Thank you,
    Adam

Previous post:

Next post: