Inkjet on canvas for zine covers

[Pasto]

I bough a photo zine with a cover material that's really intriguing to me. My initial research suggests it's a Belgian linen. It's very thick, but pliable and makes a very nice cover for a saddle stitched zine. I attached pictures of both sides. The backside is quite textured and matt, the printed side is less textured, smooth and glossy (probably due to the ink). I measured the thickness to about 0.5 mm or 0.02 inches. I've been researching for similar inkjet ready material and did find a product from Breathingcolor, but it appears to be only available in huge rolls. Has anyone printed on this or similar material? Are there less costly alternatives? What about coating any canvass material for inkjet printing? Thanks.

 

[Pieter12]

It looks like the print side has some sort of overlay, maybe vinyl? Belgian linen is commonly used for painting and is usually primed first with gesso. It should be available in art supply stores, some sell by the yard. I don't think you can print on it without some sort of coating--it is too absorbent raw.

 

[_T_]

You can buy inkjet canvas in sheets. I don’t know if you’ll have the same selection or quality of material that way but a quick google search shows several vendors offering various products.

 

[Pasto]

Thanks, I did find many variants but not quite the same as the one I'm looking for, except as stated from Breathingcolor. mcgpaper sells individual sheets of 11x17 at $14. I'll visit my local art supplier and pick up some samples to try.

 

[koraks]

What kind of printer are you aiming to use?
The main challenge I foresee when trying to print on an actual canvas material is the irregular surface. You could try to somehow fill it up and even it out, while also applying an ink-receptive layer. That's what may have happened with the example you've shown, although I suspect that might have been printed on a large format flatbed printer with UV-curing ink. Not the kind of machine you'd typically use in your home lab.

 

[Pasto]

I'm printing on an Epson P-800 or an HP Z9+. Thanks for the info. I've order some samples for Breathing Color and see how that goes.