Differences between our VAST Prints™ and our canvas prints

Dan Piech

Founder & CEO: VAST

VAST photos are the highest resolution artistic photographs ever created, so they look spectacular at all sizes and as either VAST Prints™ or canvas prints. The primary differences between our VAST Prints and our canvas prints can be summarized as follows:

Light-sensitive paper vs dots of ink

• Our VAST Prints are true photographic prints made using perfectly smooth, light-sensitive papers exposed in a darkroom, the way high-end photographs have been made for nearly two centuries. All that is visible on the final print is the image itself because the paper is so perfectly smooth and the image is not made using dots of ink.
• Our canvas prints, meanwhile, are made using pigment inks that are printed onto textured canvas material. Due to the textured nature of the material and the fact that the image is rendered using (very tiny) dots of ink, the medium of the canvas and the ink is somewhat apparent in the final image (i.e. you can faintly see the texture of the canvas material). Some buyers like this look - because it makes the photo feel a bit more painterly or dreamy; whereas other people prefer the window-like perfection of a VAST Print.

Glossy shine vs a versatile matte finish

• Our VAST Prints are made using a glossy paper that has a brilliant shine, depth, and reflective quality - they are high-end photo prints art buyers are accustomed to. They really "pop" off the wall as a result, largely due to how dark the shadows and black tones can get with paper like this.
• Our canvas prints, meanwhile, are made using a matte, non-reflective canvas material that is more subdued and calm than the brilliant shine and dark blacks of our VAST Prints. This makes them more versatile in situations where the room's lighting can't be as easily controlled because they don't show reflections.
• Note: on request, we can make a VAST Print for you using a non-reflective, satin matte paper that has qualities more similar to that of the canvas material.

610ppi vs 300ppi sharpness

• Our VAST Prints are printed at a resolution of 610 pixels-per-inch using the highest resolution photographic printer in commercial use. This makes them perfectly sharp to the naked eye even at the closest of viewing distances.
• Our canvas prints, meanwhile, are made at the industry gold-standard resolution of 300 pixels-per-inch. This is still incredibly good and as sharp as you would ever need except upon very close inspection of the print. From anything further than a couple feet away, the human eye can't distinguish between 300 pixels-per-inch and 610 pixels-per-inch.

The artist's handwritten signature

• Our VAST Prints include the artist's handwritten signature on the rear of the piece.
• Our canvas prints do not include the artist's handwritten signature.