Tell us about how you use canvas wraps or gicl©e watercolors in the comment section at end of this article, and you could win a free canvas. Canvas wraps are on the tip of everyone’s tongue – even though this is not a new product. It’s now a classic, a major money maker, but price competition is growing.

When outsourcing every studio wants great quality at a low price delivered quickly. Gicl©e canvas wraps and art prints are a specialty production service best handled by experts. The economic reality is that we’ve got to compete with Groupon, Costco and WalMart, at least to the extent that our clients see and value what they’re paying us for. Your bottom line, like that of any business large or small, can evaporate with production costs.

Karl’s brother passed on the recommendation to try the Gicl©e Factory. Their web-advertised prices for pro services are no more than inexpensive mass market retail, so we were well motivated to test them out, even though they’re located in Quebec, Canada and I had some misgivings about shipping as well as quality.

So how was the color? Equal to the finest I have ordered elsewhere. I tried an abstract watercolor-style iPhone image (yes, off an original 3G iPhone) in 16×20 size first, and it was beautiful. Watch this video to see the fun and funky portrait that was my next order as a 24×36.

No worries about sending files. The web instructions are easy and accurate; the upload performs perfectly. Did I mention you can get absolutely any precise size you want? I later learned, upon interviewing the owner, Louis Charbonneau, that over the years he has done massive research with materials, inks, printers, coatings and stretchers to develop the perfect – and proprietary – formula for successful printing first time in close to 100% of images. He continually works to remove variables that impact output quality one time to the next. Longevity, uniformity, eco-friendly materials and avoidance of yellowing, fading and cracking are key.

“As you can see on this photo, all our production employees are equipped with iPads. With the ipad they have access to all the information pertaining to a given job via the server, where ever they are in our facility. what to do, when is it for and where it’s at,  is all crystal clear on the ipads. This way we’ve eliminated a huge amount of paper and reduced error and lost information to a minimum.”

“One of the reasons our prices are so low is that we buy all our materials in very large quantity. Canvas typically comes in at a few miles long by over five feet and coating comes in 55 gal drums a few at a time. Most competitors buy their canvas in a few hundred feet and coating in gallons.”

The manual cutting and sorting area installed in a controlled humidity and temperature room.

No worries about shipping either. They have the system; you need do nothing about importing. You’ll find in your shipping contents packet there is a NAFTA value statement and commercial value invoice appropriate to customs and FedEx delivery. Yes, there is a shipping charge, but your bottom line remains about 30-40% less than what most domestic pro labs are charging.

Gicl©e Factory is the new local.

How does he do it? In his wonderful French Quebec accent, Louis won’t say exactly, but I credit his long record as a traditional photo lab owner, along with his passion for limited edition reproductions of all kinds of fine art. Gicl©e Factory has a large format scanner that will create a file from as large as a 5′ x 10′ painting or art work layout of any kind. The largest number of reproductions he’s made? 10,000 from one art work! But you’ll be satisfied with just one or two client-pleasing pieces that will grace any home or business.

Now for the Rules to be eligible to win a free canvas wrap from Gicl©e Factory.

• In the comment box, leave a short description of how you are using canvas wraps or other gicl©e printing in an innovative manner. One lucky person will receive a free, delivered piece from Gicl©e Factory. You choice of canvas, stretched or not, either size stretchers, or a watercolor.
• Comment must include your full name and email, and we must be able to reach you to award the gift.
• Please keep comments to about 100 words.
• Comment content is solely about how you use or would like to use canvas or gicl©e watercolors for creative business, portrait, personal or art uses.
• Sara Frances will be the sole judge of the most interesting and original comment, which is the sole criteria for the gift award. Judge’s decision is final.
• Comments and ideas will be featured in future articles, with your credit, and we may contact you to learn more about you and your photographic work.
• Comments will close for the purpose of this gift award on October 15, 2011.
• Fulfilling the gift order is the sole responsibility of Gic©e Factory, which is in no way connected with Sara Frances, The RAW Report or ProPhotoCoalition.