Thursday, May 31, 2012

Review: CG Pro Prints Canvas


A few months ago I came across a review on a forum I frequent online raving about a new canvas company they'd discovered called CG Pro Prints. I was skeptical but for the price I figured that it was worth a shot to see if they would even come remotely close to the quality I've come to expect from my normal go-to printer for canvases.

Item: CG Pro Prints Canvas

Website: http://www.cgproprints.com/

Price: $12.99 - $64.99 (you read that right!)

What I bought it for/what I was expecting: For the price I was expecting something along the lines of the cheapo canvases that are always offered on Groupon or at Walgreens. I'm just being honest. Something most of the normal population would be wowed by but almost all professional photographers would sneer at.

Expectation met? Holy moses, boy was I wrong!!!!

Pros:

+ High quality canvases.
+ Sturdy as sturdy goes frames/backing. My CAT decided to lay on mine and they were totally fine.
+ Hardware already attached. + Closed back (I like this better than the open back due to dust issues).

Cons:
- Not quite as sharp as other companies, make sure to sharpen your images a tinge before printing.
- Some of my canvases had stray fibers that needed to be cleaned up.
- You have to digitally stretch the image yourself or choose a solid border for what wraps around the outside of the frame if the subject is too close to the border (most of the higher end companies do this for you).
- Is the low price a gimmick or is it going to stay low? I want to restructure my pricing for them but worry that they will rise as popularity surges.

Final Thoughts: As you can tell, I wasn't expecting much. Even though other photographers were raving about their product, I was somewhat ho-hum about it. How good CAN it be for that cost? I was floored when I got the canvases in and was so elated by them! I was crazy excited to hang them up in our home - I decided to be my own guinea pig because I didn't want to risk it on a client order. While side by side you can tell the other canvas from a different pro company is a bit more expensive, you'd be hard pressed to pick it out off of a wall and I can't justify spending 3 to 4 times the cost for the other canvas. Beyond that the CS from CG is brilliant and amazing. I couldn't be more pleased!!!

Want to see some pics?  I posted some over on my blog and detail shots of them here.
Corey Ann is a wedding & lifestyle photographer from North Canton, OH. She is a mix of everything - fashionista (runs Clothes for Pros, clothing suggestions for photographers), travel guru, deal hound and geek rolled into one. She's had a website online since 1997 and a blog since 1999. When not plotting world domination or her next trip, she can be found reading one of the 100+ books she reads a year. Follow her on Twitter.

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info and review! I think these will be a perfect solution for canvas prints for displays in boutiques, etc. - it will cut my marketing budget substantially while still providing my business partners a great display!

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  2. Glad you were happy with yours. I was hugely disappointed. Just didn't look as good as the prints I get from another printer. Color was off, and just didn't seem as detailed. Then I double-checked their site. They say they're printing with a printer that only uses 8 colors. My regular lab uses a 12 color printer and my regular lab's prints are so much better only slightly more $$.
    And that 8 color apparently explains why they are so cheap. Not good enough for my customers. You can get the same price and quality from Walmart and save yourself the shipping cost, too.

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    Replies
    1. Would you mind sharing who your regular lab is? I just got my canvases from CG and am really disappointed.

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  3. Color was an issue for me too - skin was way off on my first and had to be reprinted. Service was good. Doing another test to have a lower cost option possibility but my regular canvas company rocks and never been disappointed by them

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    1. who is your regular canvas companY?

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    2. Different person here, but I agree. Their prints were just Ho Hum. Not as detailed or the same color depth and pizzaz. Simply canvas has been excellent as the name implies, but they are much more expensive. CG is quick, easy to use and well put together and for the money not bad, but not something I can really be proud of.

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  4. When I need canvas print I go to http://www.canvasprintsreviews.com and compare company reviews. It helps to find the best one.

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  5. I personally can never have too many pictures in my house. The canvas adds an extra dimension really making a beautiful photo spectacular.


    Wholesale Canvas Prints

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  6. Custom White Canvas Printing Services - Canvas printing and photography became as a real good mix a while back now. You can use any image even if it is from a normal camera, but it always helps if you are looking for a sharper and cleaner image to use photographic images as they tend to have been worked on to the highest.

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  7. Just an update...If professionals are still using this company, their products (because they are glued) are falling off walls all over the country. This is NOT an archival or long lasting product.

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