FAQs

We take our customers’ privacy very seriously.  We never share or sell any of your information.  We have many systems in place to protect our clients’ information, including a very secure website.  Although our website may seem a little more “picky” than other sites you shop with, it is this way to protect you via enhanced security programming features.  We also use “cookies” which helps reduce the amount of information kept with us.  Our SSL certificate uses the latest encryption to ensure information is safely transmitted to our server.

Although every effort is made to determine our customers’ needs, we may occasionally be out of a particular product due to a sudden peak in demand. Orders for in-stock merchandise are typically shipped within 1-4 business days Monday through Friday excluding holidays. The spread in the number of days to ship your order depends upon whether or not we are in a peak season or if your order was placed during a sale. In fact, most orders are shipped within 1 business day! (We do not charge extra for this service.) We use UPS service as our shipper of choice. Once the order has been shipped it will arrive in approximately 2-3 business days on the west coast, 5-7 business days on the east coast, and 4-5 business days for areas in between. Expedited shipping services are also available. (You will receive an email from Quantum View or Auto-Notify which is UPS letting you know your tracking information.)

Major shipping carriers switched their calculations for shipping costs to dimensional weight several years ago, meaning that they calculate rates based upon the space a box takes up in the cargo hold rather than by the weight of the box.  While we don’t mark up our shipping costs, we do realize the increase this has caused in their rates.  UPS gives us discounts on our shipping due to our volume of boxes, and we do pass those directly on to our customers rather than using shipping as a profit center.

To further assist our customers with their expenses on supplies, we offer free standard shipping to the contiguous United States on orders over $500 net*.  Orders up to $500 will show the corresponding rates for standard service during checkout.

Expedited shipping will be billed at actual cost, which may differ from the UPS estimator.  Shipping via 3-Day UPS is typically about $35 more than Ground, 2-Day UPS is about $70 more, and overnight UPS is typically about $120 more.  DVD’s only can ship via the Postal Service in a padded envelope.

*For large and oversized orders (panel sizes above 16″x20″ and rolled linen), we are happy to make custom boxes and tubes and charge only our cost for the materials to make them.  UPS shipping charges will also be billed according to their current rates. 

All shipping carriers charge higher rates to Hawaii and Alaska.  In order to determine your exact shipping amount, we use your zip code, weight of products ordered, and dimensions of the package to get a quote from UPS.  We will charge only actual cost for these shipments.

We care deeply for the environment and do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint.  Only recycled cardboard boxes, packing paper, and cornstarch-based anti-static packing peanuts (which are biodegradable and ideal for composting) are used in packing your order.

We ask for your email address as a method of contacting you.  Our system generates a confirmation email using the address you enter during checkout when an order is placed.  Once your order ships, you will receive an email with the tracking information from UPS.

We also occasionally send an email to our customers informing them of new products, specials or discontinued items, and new Featured Artists.    We never sell or distribute your personal information to anyone!

This a general response to an attempt to add something to your shopping cart.  There are a variety of reasons that can cause this to happen.  The most common reason this message appears is that the box to the left of the quantity field for the item you are trying to order has not been checked.  Simply go back and check the box next to the item you want, and then enter the quantity desired in the next field.  Then click your enter key or the “Add to Cart” button.

Another reason this may occur is that your security settings are too high on your computer to allow “cookies”.  “Cookies” refers to a small space on your hard drive used by websites to “remember” what you have placed into your cart.  (It does not allow us to access your hard drive.)  If your security settings are high, chances are that your computer does not allow “cookies”.  To change your Security Settings, see your browser’s help menu and search for cookies.  If this does not help you can of course always call us at 1-800-587-5462 to place your order over the phone.  We apologize in advance if this happens to you.  Please note that you will still receive any online discounts available at that time.

You bet! Simply inquire about our products at your local art supply store.  We would be happy to assist them with carrying our panel lines.

We are a small company and spend a great deal of time in the workshop making our handcrafted products. Unfortunately, we are not always able to answer the telephone during this process.  We may also be on the telephone assisting other customers and therefore additional incoming calls may be directed to voice mail.

Please leave a message so that we have a way to contact you, and we will return your call promptly as we check our messages regularly throughout the day.  Our telephone system is secure so you can also leave a detailed message regarding your order.

Our Featured Artists are selected from our customer base of professionals who have attained significant national recognition, and who inspire countless other artists in their own journey to success.  We offer this invitation-only program as a way of thanking this select group of artists for their referrals of their students, assistance and support.

Our new website redesign uses an alternative gift card registry which automatically applies your discount at checkout on your next visit.  This new system is on a different platform from our former shopping cart and does not associate with our former system.  Simply call us at 800-587-5462 or email us at HaddoxT@CanvasPanels.com to redeem your gift cards issued on or before 08/15/2024.

ArchivaBond^® is an ethylene vinyl acetate archivable bonding agent which is ideal for use with canvas. Because it dries completely inert and is heat re-activatable, it is used by many conservators in restoring old works of art. It is also popular for use in mounting watercolors or photographs to mats. We use ArchivaBond® to make all of our panels.

ArchivaBond^® can be applied in a variety of ways to many different type of surfaces. Visit our “Using ArchivaBond^®“ instructions page for more information on using it with art panels and canvas.

We use ArchivaBond®, an ethylene vinyl acetate archivable bonding agent, to create our canvas panels. This adhesive is specifically designed for use with canvas, ensuring a strong and long-lasting bond. Whether you’re creating art for display or preservation, our panels are crafted with the highest quality adhesives to meet your needs.

Actually, our panels are very competitively priced, and we offer a price match guarantee on any advertised price for an identical surface/substrate. We encourage you to “shop” prices on other panel manufacturers’ websites so that you can see we offer the best pricing on comparable panel lines.

We import our fine linens from Belgium, our wood is furniture grade, our hardboard is art-grade and our Gatorfoam® is the strongest available. We use only the finest components available and make our archivable panels completely by hand here in the United States of America. Most other companies source their panels from other countries. Others make them on machinery using heat activated sheets of adhesive which can result in changes to the surface of the canvas weave. Many of the panels found in art supply stores are made on cardboard or other less expensive substrates, and they use inexpensive cotton duck for the canvas.

Although we cater to professional artists and serious students who demand a top quality base for their work, even the weekend painter should try our panels (and they may never go back). Wayne Wolfe put it very well, “When I studied with Robert Lougheed in Santa Fe, he stressed the importance of always being a pro — in your attitude, in your integrity, and with your materials. “

Merging any two unlike materials can result in warping when the two substances pull against one another. Storing your panels flat rather than leaning against a wall, regardless of substrate type, will prevent the panel from taking on the lean into the wall.

Now that being said, we find materials that work more cohesively together within these parameters. In the case of our natural wood panels, any warping present (if any) will be permanently eliminated once the piece is framed. If you experience any warping, simply apply a damp rag along the back of the panel (not the canvas) and then lay it flat with weight on it for 24 hours while it acclimates to your area. This should flatten it out for you.  That is why we use Baltic birch – it is a rigid hardwood, yet remains flexible. It is also recommended by conservators as an excellent base.

Ralph Mayer’s The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques states, “Contrary to popular opinion, the complete painting or varnishing of back and edges to prevent absorption of moisture is not always advisable, as it may encourage dry-rotting of the wood; the end grain at least should always be left uncoated so that air has access to it.”

We make our panels the same way that they have been made for many years because this method has been tried and proven over a significant period of time. While some folks like to either shellac or gesso the back of the panel, many professional artists prefer it to be left natural.

Yes we do. Our panels provide a quality, professional-grade archival handcrafted product. The Premium Lines® are offered on a variety of substrates, including a high quality hardboard base with Claessens® linen mounted on them, and the Universal Line® is prepared with Claessens® #12TS acrylic-primed cotton. (Our other quality substrates are Baltic birch and Gatorfoam®.)

Our high quality MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), sometimes called Masonite® or hardboard, is made by mixing a small amount of resins, water and wood pulp and applying 1000 pounds of pressure per square inch to bind the pulp together and eliminate the water thus creating a smooth, uniform surface. (Tempered hardboard also adds an oily layer heated into the board to provide the shiny, dark surface. This can cause gesso and sizing to chip away as they cannot adhere well to the oily layer. As such, we use only untempered hardboard for our panels.)

Gatorfoam® is a unique product made of a lightweight high-density extruded polystyrene foam that is bonded on both sides to patented Luxcell facers. These facers are wood-fiber veneers impregnated with a proprietary resin for integrity, durability and strong moisture resistance. When exposed to long periods of very moist conditions, there is little or no change in either the face or the core.

Keep in mind that there are dozens of grades of Gatorfoam® and foam core products with a significant variance in price and quality. We use only the highest and most durable grade for our panels, and it happens to be the same grade museums use to mount old works.

Because of its unique composition, there are no conservation standards that specifically apply to Gatorfoam®. Both white and natural Gatorfoam® have successfully passed the Photoactivity Test conducted by the Image Permanence Institute of the Rochester Institute of Technology. (Conservation mounting requires special materials to ensure that the art to be preserved will remain undamaged in the future.) Major museums have used Gatorfoam® to mount exhibitions for many years!

“Testing at both room temperature and 150 F resulted in out-gassing at the parts per hundred million range only. The base papers used in Gatorfoam® are in the low acidic range, however, the saturation process reduces the mobility of the acid. For long term storage, protection should be provided from ultraviolet light on the exposed edges.”
– Manufacturer of Gatorfoam®

Our panels are indeed archivable. We use the finest raw materials in the industry, and make our panels the way we do because this method has proven itself over a significant period of time.

We place our logo on the back of our panels for a three reasons. First, we are proud of our panels. Second, it offers a convenient way for our customers to locate our telephone number and website address in the event they have questions about our products or wish to place an order. Third and most important, it tells any conservator or other individual who may work on your painting in the future that it was made by SourceTek. This allows any individual who may not be familiar with our products to visit our website and learn what binding agent, quality of wood, and canvas has been used to make the panel.

Any of our panel lines can be made in a custom size for you. We make our custom panels once a week on Tuesdays for orders received prior to Tuesday. Please feel free to call us for a quotation!

We offer a variety of surface options, each one with its own properties corresponding to the paint types which are compatible with them. Absorbency of the canvas and priming type, coupled with the type of paint used and the amount of medium the artist adds to that paint will react differently with each of the surfaces. See the chart on the Canvas Compatibility page by clicking here for a detailed matrix.

The front of oil-primed canvases can occasionally turn a creamy color as a result of the linseed oil used in priming it. If the canvas does not get exposed to light or is placed behind another panel, it will show a slight creamy hue. This natural phenomenon can be alleviated by exposing the panel to daylight for a short period of time.

Claessens® applies the final layer of primer using large velvet rollers. The edges of these rollers meet up at a certain point creating this smooth “seam” of paint variation. This is not a defect, just an optical effect in the top layer. There is no actual crease or irregularity in the canvas or the primer.