Polyester Canvas Options
There are three main choices when it comes to canvases for painting: cotton, linen, and polyester. While linen is often viewed as the premium traditional support, artists may be surprised to learn that polyester is quickly becoming the top recommendation among conservators. Thanks to its immunity to humidity fluctuations, polyester eliminates the main cause of paint cracking and slack canvas issues, offering superior dimensional stability and structural durability.
Cotton Canvas
Cotton has short fibers and is widely available, making it the least expensive option and a popular choice for beginners. But as a hygroscopic natural fiber, it absorbs moisture out of the air so is constantly shrinking and expanding with the surrounding humidity. This movement weakens paint layers over time. Combined with the constant mechanical stress from uneven tension, being stretched tightly over wooden bars, and threats like mold, cotton fibers break down, leaving your painting vulnerable to cracking and peeling. Learn more about cotton canvas, its shortcomings, and best practices here.
Linen Canvas
Made from flax, linen has long fibers that make it two to three times stronger than cotton. Its natural oils help maintain tension and prevent brittleness, but, like cotton, linen is highly hygroscopic. Its hollow fibers absorb and release moisture quickly, which can destabilize paint layers over time. Despite this, high-quality linen - especially Belgian linen - remains the classic choice for artists. I understand this perspective and am not trying to knock linen at all. Linen is a beautiful fabric, and if you love linen’s old world look and feel, all is not lost! You can protect linen canvas from humidity swings and other threats in the environment by mounting it to a rigid support like an ACM panel (aluminum composite panel aka Dibond). You can do the same thing with cotton and polyester canvases, even with finished paintings after the fact. Watch my video tutorial on how to do that here.
Polyester Canvas
Made from continuous synthetic strands, polyester is the strongest of the three options. It is a hydrophobic material, so it doesn't absorb moisture or react to humidity fluctuations. This lack of movement greatly reduces mechanical stress and makes polyester a more stable support for paintings, especially large paintings made with stretcher bars. Its only real drawback? Synthetic fibers are smooth and non-porous, so proper priming is essential to ensure paint adheres over time.
Cotton vs Linen vs Polyester
*Tensile strength measures resistance to tension, or how much pulling or stretching a material can take before it snaps.
The Least Bad Option: Polyester
As you can see from the chart above, none of the canvas options is perfect. But from a conservation perspective, polyester is the superior choice over cotton and linen because it eliminates the greatest cause of structural damage in canvas paintings: humidity-driven expansion and contraction. The main technical challenge with polyester is not its durability, but guaranteeing proper adhesion between raw polyester fibers and the ground layer (gesso/primer) so that paint does not delaminate or crack over time.
Polyester Canvas Preparation
Because synthetic fibers are non-porous and hydrophobic, polyester requires a mechanical bond, meaning the sizing and ground must physically interlock with the weave of the fabric.
Blick's heavyweight unprimed polyester. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Blick sells an affordable, 11.5 oz heavyweight raw polyester canvas in a 60-inch width (available here). To prepare raw unprimed polyester, follow the guidelines below based on your intended painting medium.
Preparing Polyester for Acrylic Paint
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Sizing: sizing is unnecessary if you plan to paint exclusively with acrylics.
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Assembly sequence:
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For stretched canvas: stretch the raw polyester drum-tight on your frame before priming.
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For rigid panels: prime the canvas first, then adhere it to your support (like an ACM panel).
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Ground application: apply at least two coats of acrylic gesso to establish a permanent grip for acrylic paint. My recommendation for acrylic gesso is Golden’s Gesso (available here).
Preparing Polyester for Oil Paint
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Assembly sequence:
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For stretched canvas: stretch the raw polyester drum-tight on your frame before sizing and priming.
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For rigid panels: size and prime the canvas first, then adhere it to your support.
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Step 1: size the canvas:
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Use a polyvinyl acetate (PVA) size. Traditional rabbit skin glue (RSG) is not recommended because it requires porous, organic fibers to absorb properly.
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A single coat of PVA size is all you need. Mary Tevlin, a product specialist at Gamblin, confirmed that while extra coats won't harm the support, one application is enough to seal the polyester fibers.
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If using Gamblin’s PVA Size (available here), it comes pre-thinned and ready to apply. If using Lineco’s Neutral pH PVA (available here), dilute it with distilled water in a 1:1 ratio before brushing it on.
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Step 2: prime the canvas:
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Brush or scrape a high-quality acrylic gesso or alkyd/oil ground forcefully into the canvas using circular motions to pack the primer into the micro-gaps between the synthetic filaments.
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For stretched canvas: apply at least three coats of acrylic gesso to thoroughly seal the surface (read Golden’s article on revising recommendations for using oils over acrylics here). Allow the acrylic gesso to cure for at least three days before painting with oils or applying an oil ground.
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For rigid panels: consider applying one coat of acrylic gesso followed by one coat of oil ground. This two-step approach was suggested to me by several canvas manufacturers. Testing shows that placing an oil ground over an acrylic gesso layer creates an ideal, semi-absorbent tooth that minimizes paint "sinking-in" and glossy patches. Below is an example of an even, matte sheen created by applying one layer of acrylic gesso, one layer of lead alkyd ground, and a layer of Venetian Red oil paint onto Fisher Textiles GF 4308 Polyester Canvas:
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Thinning and Product Recommendations
To keep your ground layers thin and smooth:
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Acrylic gesso: thin with water if needed (up to a maximum of 25%).
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Oil ground/primer: thin with odourless mineral spirits like Gamsol (adding just a few drops at a time).
Recommended oil grounds: for a lead-based oil primer, use Rublev Lead Alkyd Ground (available here). For a non-lead option, use Rublev Titanium White Alkyd Ground (available here).
Tips on Stretching Polyester Canvas
Polyester stretches far less cotton or linen and you can’t shrink the fabric by spraying it with water. A pair of wide canvas pliers is essential for pulling the canvas tight enough to get proper canvas tension. My recommendation is Holbein Extreme Canvas Pliers (available here).
Narrow canvas pliers can damage canvas. These pliers are 4.5 inches wide and can gather enough canvas so that no one section gets pulled excessively.
The best way to stretch a canvas is to work from the corners towards the centers of each side, tacking one corner and then tacking the opposite corner. This method is suggested by renowned conservator James Bernstein and you can learn more about the process in detail here.
Prepared Polyester Canvases
The following is a selection of pre-primed polyester canvases:
Artfix canvas samples - click on any of the images to enlarge them. The “P” stands for polyester. The "U" stands for universal acrylic gesso. P72U refers to a fine polyester with two coats of gesso for a final weight of 325 gsm or 9.6 oz while P74U refers to fine polyester with four coats of gesso for a final weight of 410 gsm or 12.1 oz. P154U is a fine tight polyester with four coats of gesso and a final weight of 15.0 oz while P156U is a fine tight polyester with six coats of gesso and a final weight of 17.4 oz. P113U is a medium textured polyester with three coats of gesso and a final weight of 15.2 oz while P116U is a medium textured polyester with six coats of gesso and a final weight of 16.1 oz. P72U and P116U have the most texture and P156U is the smoothest option.
Artfix Polyester Canvases are considered conservator-grade. They are extremely high quality and their price tags reflect that designation. Most of their canvases are available in 85-inch widths but their pre-sized canvases are also available in 122-inch widths (see their retail polyester canvas options here). Artfix has even more polyester options on their site (here) and while they typically don’t sell directly to individuals, they will take orders from registered businesses. Just keep in mind that you will also have to pay for shipping from France.
Other notes: Artfix’s polyester canvases qualify as non-hazardous manufactured articles and are exempt from OSHA and REACH Safety Data Sheet (SDS) requirements. According to Artfix COO Pierre Decanter, the sizing used on both their pre-sized and primed canvases consists of an acrylic resin with an acrylic copolymer binder and no external plasticizers. While artists can apply oil ground directly onto a pre-sized canvas, Decanter recommends applying an acrylic gesso layer first for better results (you can apply lead ground over acrylic gesso but you can’t apply acrylic gesso over oil ground). He also confirmed that Artfix's universal primer is formulated without Zinc White (PW4 can cause brittleness, cracking, and delamination. More information on that topic here).
Fredrix's 520 Red Lion Polyflax. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Fredrix 520 Red Lion Polyflax canvas is a 10 oz medium textured acrylic primed 100% polyester canvas that is a more economical option and suitable for those who prefer more “tooth” when painting. Learn more and purchase here.
Fisher Textile's GF 4308 polyester canvas. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Fisher Textiles GF 4308 Polyester Canvas is a very affordable 11.2 oz heavyweight square weave polyester fabric with a neutral pH and an acrylic coating that is marketed as a printable canvas for commercial purposes yet it also checks the wallpaper and fine art boxes. When I did an oil paint adhesion test, the results were promising:
I recommend GF 4308 cautiously as its archival qualities have not been thoroughly investigated. The fabric contains flame retardants, which may be necessary or undesirable depending on your project. If you are using GF 4308 as an interior wall covering, for example, flame retardants may actually be required.
Regardless of whether you use it for fine art or as a wall covering, any impact of the flame retardant is heavily restricted if you add at least two additional layers of acrylic gesso and then a layer of lead alkyd or lead oil ground on top of GF 4308 (only apply alkyd/oil ground if you plan to paint with oils). The combination of gesso followed by lead ground creates an isolation barrier, preventing migration of any elements from the fabric upward as well as oil from the paint downward.
GF 4308 comes in a 63-inch width or 126-inch width. You must order it directly from Fisher Textiles and shipping is an additional charge. There is a minimum order requirement of 50 yards, however, I was able to get a roll of 25 yards upon request. Learn more about GF4308 here.
For more information, you can view the SDS sheet of GF 4308 here.
Mural Colors' Mural Cloth polyester canvas. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Mural Cloth is an exceptionally stable, 8.5 oz textured polyester canvas that is appropriate for extra large paintings, walls, and murals. The manufacturer reports zero shrinkage or expansion - even across eight-story wall installations - along with wrinkle resistance, tear resistance, and non-fraying edges that conform smoothly to arches and ceilings. The canvas comes fully encapsulated in a high-strength titanium white acrylic ground and, like GF 4308, includes flame retardants in the manufacturing process. This coating gives oils, acrylics, and spray paints an optimal mechanical grip. They will even do ghost printing on the 60-inch width cloth if that’s something you need.
Mural cloth comes in 60-inch, 126-inch, and 197-inch widths and is available here.
If you’d like to learn more, I’ve uploaded the SDS sheet here and the fire certificate here.
Poly-blend Canvases
Hybrid fabrics like poly-cotton and poly-flax are typically around 65% polyester and 35% cotton or linen and bridge the gap between synthetic resilience and natural texture. With these canvases, you get better dimensional stability than you’d get with cotton or linen on their own while the presence of natural fibers offers more “tooth” and enhanced adhesion.
That said, Materials Information and Technical Resources for Artists (MITRA) suggests avoiding blends with differing fibers in the warp and weft threads (i.e. one cotton and the other polyester), “as threads spun from different materials react differently to changes in the environment.” (see page 4 of their document detailing flexible supports here).
If a polycotton canvas is adhered to a rigid support, however, especially an ACM panel, the effects of changes in the environment are minimized, which brings me to Artefex’s panels:
A comparison of Artefex's extra fine, fine, and medium textured Alcotpanels. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Artefex makes extra fine, fine, and medium textured cotton-polyester blend canvas panels called Alcotpanels in acrylic primed, oil primed, and lead alkyd primed versions. The canvas used is 65% polyester and 35% cotton. It is adhered to an ACM panel and is ready to be painted on with no extra prep or stretching required. Alcotpanels come in standard sizes from 5 x 7 inches up to 48 x 48 inches, but Artefex will make custom orders of any size up to 48 x 96 inches. See all Alcotpanel options here.
You can also make your own canvas panels using ACM as referenced above.
…But Polyester is the Worst!
Still skeptical about polyester? I get it, I was too. I’ve listed relevant research below and will continue to add to it as more information becomes available. I encourage you to do your own investigation and please email me at nikita@nikitacoulombe.com if you’ve found something I’ve missed!
1) In an accelerated aging test for the Victoria and Albert Museum, scientist Capucine Korenberg studied polyester fabric degradation. After months of extreme heat, light, and water exposure, neither the plain polyester or high-tech polyester suffered any measurable drop in physical strength or flexibility. She determined that polyester is remarkably stable and will easily survive long-term exposure in museum environments without degrading (study link).
Side note: a techno fabric is a modern material that is engineered using advanced synthetic fibers and specialized processing to offer superior functional performance, such as stretch, moisture-wicking, wrinkle resistance, and durability (i.e. polyester, nylon, elastane).
2) In their study, "Fabrics for the Twenty-First Century: As Artist Canvas and for the Structural Reinforcement of Easel Paintings on Canvas," Christina Young and Suzanne Jardine tested various synthetic and natural fabrics for stiffness, tensile strength, moisture response, crimp, drape, and lustre. They concluded that polyester (PET) offers the best overall combination of physical properties as a raw material, even though polyester’s continuous smooth synthetic filaments often fail to match the look and feel of natural fibers. However, they highlighted Fredrix Polyflax 1008 (available here) as the best overall option for replicating traditional linen aesthetics - not by blending in actual linen, but by using spun polyester yarns that provide low moisture sensitivity alongside even mechanical strength. (study link).
3) In the Conservation of Easel Paintings, Joyce Hill Stoner and Rebecca Rushfield highlight polyester as the most promising synthetic material for canvas supports due to its dimensional stability, high tensile strength, and inert nature (link).
4) The Tate Modern highlights the adoption of polyester sailcloth as a lining fabric, noting that synthetic supports like polyester canvas do not expand, contract, or shrink dramatically in response to relative humidity changes—unlike natural linen or cotton canvas—making them structurally reliable, especially when an auxiliary lining fabric is necessary (link).
5) Gerry Hedley and Caroline Villers demonstrated in their landmark 1982 IIC paper, "Polyester Sailcloth Fabric: A High Stiffness Support," that high-tenacity woven polyester (sailcloth) provides superior stiffness, structural load capacity, and resistance to environmental fluctuations compared to linen or cotton (link).
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