Canvas is a plain-weave, heavy-duty fabric that is commonly desired for its water-resistance. Originally popularized as a useful sail cloth material and an excellent painting medium, canvas has now made its way into applications as widespread as tent material, casual shoes, and designer handbags. Most canvas currently on the market contains cotton fibers, but traditionally, this fabric was made with hemp or linen.

Due to the thickness of its yarn, the thread count of most canvas fabrics is low. Most canvas has a thread count of 50 to 100 with higher thread counts sacrificing durability in exchange for a softer texture.

Where To Buy Canvas Material

Since Venice was already the center of the Italian maritime industry, Renaissance painters had little trouble repurposing canvas sailcloth for the purpose of fine art. Back in those days, however, hemp was the primary material used to make canvas, and it remained the most popular canvas fiber for quite some time.

Throughout the centuries, canvas never lost its popularity as a sailcloth material. While modern sails sometimes feature synthetic fibers, cotton and linen canvas remain popular choices for sailcloth. Canvas gradually made its way into other outdoor-oriented applications, and for centuries, it was the most popular material for tents and other forms of temporary shelters.

Canvas incorporates unusually thick yarn, and it is not usually necessary for this yarn to be very soft. For these reasons, textile manufacturers commonly use the rougher fibrous parts of the cotton, linen, and hemp plants to make canvas yarn. This yarn is usually carded instead of combed since softness is not a relevant factor.

Canvas is a plain-weave fabric, which means that it consists of weft threads that alternate under and over warp threads. Some types of canvas have closer weaves than others, but each type of canvas features a weave that is close enough to render the resulting fabric opaque.

If woven canvas will be used for industrial applications, a layer of PVC is often applied to its outer surface. This step is optional, however, and all-natural forms of canvas exist that do not feature PVC or any other synthetic chemicals.

If intended for painting, textile manufacturers will bleach finished canvas and apply a layer of gesso. Canvas used for sails is usually unbleached, and canvas used for tents, apparel, and other purposes may be dyed.

If canvas will be used for painting, it is stretched around a wooden frame before gesso is applied. This stretching process ensures that the canvas forms a perfectly taut and flat painting surface. Expert canvas stretching also ensures that the warp and weft threads in the canvas form a perfect grid.

In the modern era, canvas is primarily produced for painting materials. While some sailboats still feature canvas sails, sailboats are not very popular in this era, and many modern sailors have replaced their canvas sails with synthetic alternatives.

Canvas also remains somewhat popular in the world of outdoor gear. Most contemporary tents feature synthetic materials, but some camping purists swear by the benefits of genuine canvas tents. Similarly, some outdoors enthusiasts believe that canvas tarpaulins are better than their synthetic alternatives.

In the apparel industry, canvas is primarily used to make outdoor gear and work garments. A variety of popular brands, for instance, make winter work jackets that feature canvas outer layers. These coats are especially popular in parts of the American West where winters are very cold but generally dry.

Plain canvas has a thread count between 50 and 100. It consists of rough, wide fibers with a relatively loose weave. This type of canvas is most appropriate for industrial purposes since it has a rough hand and can be abrasive when worn against the skin.

Duck is a type of canvas that features thinner threads and a closer weave. This type of canvas has a smoother hand, and it is more appropriate for apparel and other types of fabric products that touch the skin. While softer and finer than plain canvas, duck shares the water-resistant properties of its parent fabric. Duck may have a thread count of 100-150.

Most canvas fabric on the market contains cotton fibers. Compared to linen and hemp, cotton is stretchier, and it is both fluffier and smoother to the touch. At the same time, cotton is less durable than either linen or hemp.

Hemp is the most durable material that textile manufacturers can use to make canvas. Like linen, hemp is inflexible and wear-resistant, but like cotton, this material has a soft hand. Regulatory restrictions currently limit the use of hemp for canvas production.

Since canvas primarily contains natural materials, the production of this material has a relatively low negative impact on the environment. Gesso, the finishing material that is applied to painting canvas, commonly consists of a mix of natural and synthetic materials, and PVC is a fully synthetic material with a remarkably negative environmental impact.

During the production of PVC, toxic phthalates are released into the manufacturing environment, and this plastic can produce the environmental pollutant dioxin if it is disposed of incorrectly. Gesso, for its part, features either rabbit-skin glue or a synthetic alternative, and these materials are undesirable for moral and environmental reasons respectively.

The production of linen, cotton, and hemp have the potential to be environmentally neutral when performed correctly. All too often, however, textile crop producers deploy toxic agricultural chemicals, which harm surrounding ecosystems. To ensure that your canvas is environmentally friendly, choose fabric that is organic and not coated with PVC.

There are no certifications specifically for canvas fabric. While PVC used in canvas may be eligible for International Organization of Standardisation (ISO) certification, it is more environmentally friendly to choose non-PVC canvas products.

Buy Canvas Fabric by the yard from our online fabric store at discount and wholesale prices. Included are cotton canvas fabric, outdoor canvas fabric, printed canvas fabric, duck canvas and duck fabric, and unbleached canvas fabric.

Canvas is made from either cotton, linen, which in turn is made from flax, or traditionally, hemp, which is once again becoming a popular choice. Unlike other heavy-duty fabrics, such as denim, which uses a twill weave, canvas is made using a plain weave. Canvas comes in two forms, plain and duck, with duck canvas the threads are more tightly woven and consequently it is stronger. Waxed canvas was evolved by British sailors who, after observing that wet canvas sails caught the wind more effectively, soaked their canvas in linseed oil. Off cuts from the oiled canvas were then used as waterproof clothing. Today, waxed canvas is produced by impregnating the canvas fibres with wax. The quality and strength of canvas is determined by the thickness of the yarn and the density of the weave. Most waxed canvas is created using a paraffin-based wax but there are also hybrid waxes which use paraffin and fluorocarbon to improve water proofing. It is also possible to create waxed canvas using natural waxes, such as beeswax, but this is a more expensive option.

Waxed canvas is an increasingly popular material because it is eco-friendly and has a vintage charm and there are now a number of suppliers to be found on Etsy and Amazon. The original producer, British Millerain, is still in business, though they tend to specialise in waxed cotton products. The best range of wholesale waxed canvas producers are now to be found in America, among them: Big Duck Canvas, Canvas ETC, Fabric.com and Carr Textiles.

Popular perception of waxed canvas is sometimes haunted by dramatic images of circus tent fires, such as the Hartford Circus fire of 1944, which was caused by petrol added to the waxing mixture. Modern waxed canvas is difficult to ignite and is far less flammable than most synthetic materials. It will burn if sufficient heat is applied but it is not a dangerously combustible material.

Waxed canvas is vegan and is much more environmentally friendly than most other vegan leather substitutes which use products derived from the petro-chemical industry. The production of paraffin wax generates very low level chemical toxins.

Waxed canvas, because it is water resistant will not stain easily and marks and scuffs incurred by everyday use add to its character. To remove a serious oil stain, apply corn starch to the area and leave for forty-eight hours before removing with a stiff brush. Repeat if necessary. Cold water and a gentle soap may also be used. The canvas should be re-waxed after treatment.

A waxed canvas item should never be washed in its entirety and it should never need to be washed. If re-waxed appropriately and the frequency of the this depends on usage, it should not become dirty and marks and scuffs are part of its visual appeal. If, in extreme cases, it is necessary to wash a waxed canvas item it should be done using cold water and soft soap and the item should be completely re-waxed afterwards.

Waxed canvas is three to four times more expensive than canvas, this reflects the cost of the paraffin-based wax (alternative waxes, such as beeswax are even more expensive) and the time-consuming process of saturating the canvas with wax.

One of the features of waxed canvas which has resulted in its increasing use in fashion accessories is the attractive way in which it ages. Like full grain leather its appearance improves with age, making it a unique personal accessory. Scuffs, marks and creases create a rich patina which continues to develop with age.

As a result of its water repellent qualities waxed canvas also repels dirt. Dust or mud will not penetrate waxed canvas and can be removed with a damp cloth. An oil stain which has soaked into the material needs to be treated with corn starch or a similarly absorbent substance. Apply the absorbent substance generously to the affected area and leave for forty-eight hours, after which time it can removed with a stiff brush. If necessary, repeat the process. A stained area of waxed canvas can be washed using cold water and a gentle soap, but it will need to be re-waxed afterwards. Do not put waxed canvas articles in the washing machine and always allow them to dry naturally.

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