Vintage Crafts: Creating Stunning Black and White Canvas Prints from Photos
Turning old photos into canvas prints is a great way to honor your family, and create gorgeous art pieces that fill your home with meaningful memories.
When it comes to old family photos, most of us are at a loss for what to do with them. The majority of us have boxes and boxes of old photos, in either black and white or vintage sepia, that have been handed down from relatives and friends. Whether you’re lucky enough to have old daguerreotype photos from the late 19th century, or just folders full of Kodak snapshots from the 1970s and 1980s, these photos are priceless.
Despite their value, most of us leave these photos alone and unappreciated, until it’s time to pass them down to our children. Today, we’re here to tell you that you can break that cycle!
Instead of letting them sit in boxes, with a little effort you can turn your most meaningful black and white old photos into gorgeous canvas wall art.
How to Create Black and White Canvas Prints from Photos
Turning old photos into canvas prints is a great way to honor your family, and create gorgeous art pieces that fill your home with meaningful memories.
Here are our top tips for creating the best black and white canvas photo art.
1. Find the right photo
Finding the right photo is the key to creating a beautiful and meaningful canvas art print. If you don’t have a photo in mind already, take an afternoon to search through your collection, and pick the one that speaks to you. Some great photos we’ve seen our customers revive in the past include their Great grandparent’s wedding, pictures from their mom’s cross-country 70s road trip and grandpa’s portrait in his navy uniform. Additionally, creative customers have even taken old family newspaper clippings or other printed word special records and turned them into personalized word art designs.
Start by gathering all your hard copy photos together. Then, lay them out on a clean, dry surface that’s free from potential hazards – the last thing you want is to damage the only copy of a meaningful family photograph. Sift through the photos until you’ve found one you like. If you can’t decide, pick out the top 5 or 10, and take an informal poll of your family members to see which is the most popular.
2. Scan it
Since most older images are not available to us online, you’ll have to scan your image to start the process of turning it into a canvas art piece.
Don’t give in to the temptation to cut corners on this step. A quick picture with your phone camera won’t lead to a great image. Instead, look for a flatbed scanner that can provide a high enough DPI (dots per inch) to allow it to be enlarged. At least 600 DPI is a good place to start.
Don’t want to invest in a scanner for one project? There are lots of services online, as well as brick-n-mortar locations like FedEx Kinkos, UPS and Staples where you can send off single images and film negatives, and receive high-resolution digital scans.
3. Design and print your canvas
With a service like Canvas on Demand, it’s easy to design and print a beautiful canvas art print, using any digital image. All you have to do is upload the new digital file of your black and white photo, pick your size, and orient it correctly on the canvas using our easy preview tool.
Once you have your image situated, add the canvas print to your cart and check out. Your new canvas can be at your door in less than a week, ready to hang and enjoy.
Turn Old Photos into Canvas Prints with Canvas on Demand
With Canvas on Demand, it’s easy to create beautiful and meaningful canvas art that celebrates the history of your family. Our robust frames, UV-resistant ink, and museum-quality canvas ensure that your art will stay vibrant for years to come.
Shop at Canvas on Demand today to create a family memory for yourself, or to share with loved ones across the country.
Testimonials From People Like You
Find out how people just like you enhanced their vintage photos by transforming them into canvas prints.
Paulette from Rochester
I cannot stress enough the perfection in customer service and restoration to final product rendered. I have already recommended this site to many friends. The finished product is absolutely beautiful.
Sarah From Tulsa
Always with such excellence, Canvas on Demand sees an image through from processing the image onto canvas, framing it, and then the extraordinary effort to make sure it reaches me intact with their exceptional packaging inside and out! I have never had anything but perfection in all my years working with Canvas on Demand. Gracious to deal with, and easy to reach an individual on the phone if need be. I always enjoy working with COD for all my canvas work and it is always an impressive final work!
Donna From Ellington
I was VERY pleased with the service. They were very easy to deal with and very accommodating! The picture came out great! I will be doing more business with Canvas on Demand in the Future!
Since 2003, Canvas On Demand has been crafting affordable, high quality, personalized home goods that celebrate life's moments, both big and small, through the permanence of print.
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