Canvas Champ product reviews

I'm not going to be around long enough to need artwork on my walls, but I wanted to do this as a way to show a friend how much I appreciated them. So while I am not a good representation of the 'I want pictures on my wall' market, I think I am a good example of the 'I want to sort out a special gift for someone else' market. I met the man who runs this site online some years ago, after my late wife found his site while entering some competitions. Since then, he has become a good friend, especially so since I moved to the Waikato to spend my final days closer to my homeland. The day we first met in person, we sat on his back patio chatting away and I snapped a photo of some very impressive clouds. That photo became a reminder of what became a very deep friendship. So, this is the story of how the gift happened.

After being selected to review this canvas print service, I knew exactly which photo I wanted to get printed, but my access to online sites is limited, and I didn't want my friend to help me because it would spoil the surprise. I managed to convince one of the nurses to assist me late one evening, and we started the process after I got a copy of the photo emailed to me from Whanganui. At first things were mostly smooth going, but when it came to adjusting the image, every time I explored the options, the system kept resetting all the customisations. In the end, my sweet nurse had to go off-shift so we agreed to try again the following night. I was very disappointed to discover that the site doesn't hold a portfolio of customer uploads the way most other similar sites do, which meant we had to upload the image again. This would mean that later repeat orders are just as time-consuming as a fresh order to process.

After much messing about, I finally settled on the basic print without any extras because we were getting frustrated by the resets. Payment was simple enough with the instructions that were included with the allocation notice email, and I selected the "drop ship" method so that I could have it sent directly to my friend instead of have it come to the hospital and risk it being damaged. So then it was time to wait for the surprise to spring itself. I was expecting it to take a couple of weeks. To be honest, I was not at all sure I would still be here when it arrived, but I got a call a few days later asking me if I had been "a sneaky old sod" because he instantly recognised the photo.

He brought it up to show me the finished article and I have to admit I was impressed. I have had some canvas prints done some years ago and they were great, but this was better. It had a thin but sturdy sheet of board attached to the frame over which the print was stretched. This gave it a lot of support and ensured that slight knocks wouldn't damage the canvas by tearing through it. I only had two small concerns with it. Despite the three layers of wrapping - plastic, cardboard and more plastic - the canvas had suffered a small tear along one edge. It was small, and long the top back edge so would not be seen, but it was still a little disappointing because the wrapping wasn't damaged there, meaning the damaged happened during production not transport.

The other small niggle was that the clever mounting bracket attached to the back was screwed on crooked. According to my friend, this meant the picture hung slightly off level unless he put some blue tack on the bottom corners. He does this with all his hanging art apparently, as part of earthquake-proofing, but that's not the point is it.

All in all I would say this is a very good deal. But I should point out this was a not-your-typical-order situation. Shipping is $20 because the prints come from India, but you should be aware of it because it means small 1-off orders are going to be more expensive than local options. Where you make up for it is if you buy a few prints at a time. Great for Christmas gifts or other occasions, for sure. There's a link up top of this page you can use to jump right to them.

When I first put my hand up to write a review for this product, I did not realise how difficult it was going to be to organise. I am pretty computer literate and I can usually suss out the quirky little bits that some sites throw up, especially if they are in beta stage, but this one had me baffled. I emailed the company and then a few days later I phoned as I was getting seriously frustrated. And then, suddenly, it all started happening. I talked to a real person, I exchanged emails with two others, and it seemed that the management could not do enough to sort out the access problems. I was assured I would have my canvas in a few days ...

And sure enough, it arrived just as they had promised. Not the tiny little packet I had been expecting, either but a large, impressive looking parcel that was so big my four-year-old grand-daughter had difficulty lifting it! I was glad that I had two helpers in the form of Miss Four and her brother Mr Six because it took all three of us to actually get to the contents. It was amazingly well packaged, and although it was hard to get into, the canvas had arrived in perfect condition so clearly the padding and overwrapping had ensured its safe arrival.

We examined the backing first. Some firms use a combination of cheap card backing and thin edging, but I could not fault this one. The frame was solid wood and the backing was hardboard. The canvas was stretched tight with the photo print extending to the very edges of the frame so there was no gap between the picture and the backing. There was also a good quality picture hook attached so that the print was ready to hang immediately.

I had opted for a landscape rather than a portrait as I was not sure what the quality would be like. I was highly impressed by the reproduction which was a faithful copy of the original photo. (This was a black and white study of a ruined cottage on a windswept Logantown peak high up in the Dunstan Mountains in the Bendigo Reserve area of Central Otago. The photo was taken some years ago when we were holidaying in the area and is one of those special New Zealand sites that draws you back again and again. The photograph is evocative of the magic of the place, and the canvas version, if anything, is even better than the matte paper the digital original had been printed on to.)

So - I am glad that I persisted in getting my order sorted, and that the company was equally determined that it would go ahead. I am glad that the follow-up was carried out so professionally. I am glad that they used all that packaging because it ensured that the print arrived safely in perfect condition. I have had it hanging up for a week now and it has been admired by many people, all impressed by the impact of the image. For myself, I have spent some time just looking at it in delight and appreciation. A work of art indeed.

As usual, when the 'negatives' are few compared to the 'positives', I like to get the bad stuff out of the way first... unpacking the finished print was an exercise in care and delicate use of a craft knife, because the canvas is wrapped in plastic, which is wrapped in cardboard, which is wrapped in a final, very thick layer of plastic... and there is copious amounts of tape used at every layer. While this offers superior protection in transit, it does mean that careless use of a blade to open the parcel could mean your beautiful canvas ends up in pieces.

The second gripe, and it's a minor one really, is that once you open the canvas you are greeted by a smell I can not describe as anything other than unpleasant and chemical. That said, it fades away rapidly, so I suggest you open the parcel outdoors, and leave the canvas in the shade for a couple of hours to 'air out' before you hang in. That's pretty much the only significant and relevant negatives I had... everything else was a bit of a breeze really into account a few non-standard things brought about by the whole "for review" process.

Using the website takes a bit of getting used to - I did a couple of 'dry runs' before actually placing my order, because I wanted to explore all the options at every step without accidentally locking myself in to an expensive order and draining my paypal account. One tiny thing to note is that at the final "art approval" stage, the system showed me a black band along the bottom edge of my image - because I had opted for image wrap-around and designed artwork accordingly - and the low-res preview didn't quite cope with that... but no such black band appeared on the finished print so I was quite relieved. (The next order I place is going to be artwork for me, not the office though. )

Of particular note, unlike prints from similar operations, these ones come with a piece of thin, flat board between the canvas and the frame - this would aid in stretching the canvas evenly, but it also offers superior presentation, since the canvas doesn't need to be stretched as much to ensure a flat surface. It also means that an accidental bump with the corner of something like a bookcase or ladder in transit won't necessarily damage your beautiful print by tearing through it. I have had this exact scenario happen to me in the past, so I was impressed by this added extra, especially considering the amazingly low prices.

Overall, this was a wonderful experience, and has provided me with a great way to fill up the many blank walls I have, without breaking the bank. The options for stunning gifts has now expanded rapidly, since canvas prints are just one of the many awesome art products they offer - prints on metal, peel'n'stick murals and stencils, acrylic prints, engraved woodprints, and so many more! My only after-sales service issue has been the huge number of emails from the company - in some cases 3-4 a day - offering me a range of incredible deals. While I may be tempted to take a few of them up in future, such a flood so soon after placing an order is a bit off-putting and should be addressed by the company with some urgency. No more than 1 email a week is preferred, but since they are run through Mailchimp, it's easy enough to opt out of them.

I flat with people I met at university, in a far below average quality house in West Auckland (I believe it was built in the 1940's). The house has different wallpaper in every room, and the ragged remains of curtains are just as varied. But as we all rent and none of us own the property, we aren't exactly going to go out on a spending spree to replace the wallpaper, curtains, or carpets. Things that we can do however to improve the aesthetic appeal of the house (in a way that we can take with us if we move), include artwork and hanging photos.

Anybody who has attempted to get something they love framed will be well aware of how expensive frames can be, and no matter how great the photo is, it's not always a viable option financially. Which is where the recent surge in the popularity of canvas prints comes into play. Canvas prints are a much cheaper option, that can still provide reasonably high quality images in a more versatile and durable fashion.

Given the option to try out CanvasChamp's services, I decided to veer away from the usual idea of picking a photo of family and/or friends, and instead thought of what I really wanted on my wall. Artwork. A less advertised aspect of canvas prints, is that while it is expected that you would use images of photographs that you created or have the express permission to use, there is nothing stopping you from just searching the internet for an image you like, and getting it printed at whatever size you want.

I am a big fan of superheroes, especially the more grounded human types and the dark and brooding, brute strength types (Wolverine and The Punisher are my favourites), so when I came across the variant cover artwork of the Wolverine #311 (2010) comic book, I knew that's what I wanted (credit where credit is due, the artwork was done by Simone Bianchi). Having picked a suitable image, it was time to attempt the CanvasChamp website.

I found the website rather easy to deal with. With the exception of the "thumbnail preview" picture which didn't really allow me to zoom or move the image around at all, the number of options available did most of the work for me. Picking a size, and image, thickness, and border, were all very simple actions and if I was in a rush I could have easily completed the entire process including transaction in under 5 minutes, which is a wondrous thing. My one real concern about the website is the size of the text. When looking at thickness, I had the option of 1.5 or 0.75. The text was very small to read, so I assumed it was in centimetres, when in fact it was in inches, so I got quite a surprise when my 1.5 inch canvas arrived. The online process was simple, providing canvas measurements in both centimetres and inches (for those that struggle with metric), and even having a system in place to warn if the image you are using is too low quality.

Now there are three different types of postage, Standard, Express, and Priority. I tried the fastest method, which costs an additional $10, but can cut off over a week of waiting time compared with the standard delivery. I completed my order online on Sunday 16th of October at 8:25pm. My canvas was delivered into my hands on Thursday 20th of October at 3:30pm. Looking at the packing slip that arrived, I was surprised to find that my canvas print originated from India. So to go from an online order, being printed, sent from India to New Zealand, and into my grubby little mitts in less than four days is a very commendable service, and well worth the extra price in my opinion.

In terms of the actual canvas, I was also impressed with the quality. The colour clarity was brilliant, and it still had a lot of definition despite being on a canvas. I opted for the additional laminate, which gave it a nice sheen.As I mentioned earlier, I was surprised by the thickness of the border, as I was expecting 1.5 centimetres thick, but it still looks great on the wall. Admittedly, the quality of the wood frame does look cheap. with cuts that are less than clean and little chunks missing, but really it doesn't matter. It is all on the back and not visible to anyone observing once it's on the wall.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by CanvasChamp. Their easy to use website, and fast delivery times make this something I will potentially look into using for some larger artworks in the future.

Like every proud parent around the world I have millions of pictures of my girls and besides screaming from the top of our roof or broadcasting it all over social media at how amazing they are, nothing is quite like putting a picture proudly on the wall. When the opportunity arose to review Canvas Champ and receive a 30 x 20cm print, I jumped at the chance - my only problem was which picture to use. As most of my pictures on the wall are black and white I decided to go for one with vibrant colour and also one containing a waterfall with green lush bush.

First off, logging on to the site is extremely easy and you are told straight away that major discounts are happening. The canvas I was receiving was retailing for $100 but it was on special for only $15. This actually got me really excited as the potential for Christmas presents presented itself. The navigation of the site is so simple and basically the world is your oyster when it comes to choices. Three Panels or Singular, Sepia/Grey Scale/Original, the choice of frames galore with even the choice of having a boarder colour or mirror image wrapped around the canvas. It is great fun designing your master piece as you can view the product as you go along and it is very easy to change anything you like as you progress. But here is a very important warning: most options come with a price tag and the cost of your canvas can jump up quite considerably, rather quickly.

Now I understand my situation is not of the norm and I can only say what has occurred to me. With my review part of the service was suppose to be free shipping, unfortunately the system did not allow for zero-cost sales so I was forced into purchasing an extra service. To be honest it was not a major as I did want it to be laminated which cost an extra $4.99. But, originally I did it as to plan and tried to have a $0 balance. I ended up ringing the 0800 number which is located at the top left hand corner. Being Sunday at 4.15 pm our time I was very shocked when a live person did answer. The only problem was I did not understand the gentleman. Now I have worked for Princess Cruises in the States, worked for Air New Zealand and numerous other companies which deal with foreign nationalities and I have never had and issue, but for some reason for the life of me I could not understand him and he was having a very hard time understanding me. I am sure he came from India as his accent was very thick. After trying for some time to get an answer to my question, we ended the conversation with me none the wiser. Just so I could finish that part of the assignment and proceed to the next stage, I decided to add the lamination for the extra money.

After the order was processed I was informed my order would arrive on the 28 October. I then received an email from FedEx saying the shipment should arrive on the 26 October. I actually received it on the 18 October. To say I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. My mum arrived shortly after I had undone the packaging which was packaged really well (it is extremely time consuming and very hard to open) and she loved it so much, has asked for a copy of it and wants to do some other pictures, this later fact came after I told her the price.

Besides dealing with the 0800 customer service person and waiting half an hour for the payment to occur (again I must stress this is not the norm as when I actually did make payment, it went thru straight away), I am very happy with the whole procedure and would happily use them again.