Watercolour Canvas (20mm)

ACF is far from new to the canvas industry.

Founded in South Africa in 2013, Art Canvas Factory has spent over a decade producing high-quality box and stretched canvases trusted by working artists.

In 2023, we expanded into the UK, bringing our proven ACF Stretch and Box Canvas ranges alongside newer innovations like the Box Board Canvas, designed specifically to solve long-standing issues artists face with traditional canvases.

We’re now preparing for our USA launch in 2026, continuing to scale globally while keeping the same focus on build quality, material performance, and real-world artist needs.

At ACF, we use our own custom-developed canvases, made exclusively for Art Canvas Factory in South Africa.

Every canvas we sell is based on proprietary PET (polyethylene terephthalate) fabrics developed specifically for artist use — not off-the-shelf materials.

We currently offer four premium, acid-free PET canvas types, each engineered for different applications:

• 
  260 gsm PET Canvas – Used in our Stretch Canvas range. Durable yet flexible, with a stable surface that repels moisture and staining while delivering consistent colour response across mediums.
  
• 
  260 gsm PET Watercolour Canvas – Specially coated for watercolour and fluid media, allowing controlled washes without breakdown or buckling.
  
• 
  300 gsm PET Canvas – Found in our Box Canvas and premium ranges, offering increased rigidity and support for heavier paint, texture, and mixed media.
  
• 
  260 gsm rPET Canvas – Our 100% recycled PET canvas, using the same proprietary coatings as our Stretch and Box ranges, combining performance with sustainability.
  

Each canvas type is finished with its own purpose-designed gesso, matched to the intended medium and working style. Artists can also add additional gesso layers if a thicker or more customised surface is preferred.

We’ve also recently introduced our Black Canvas range, offering the same PET performance with a pre-coloured ground for artists who want to work dark-first or push contrast further.

All ACF canvases are pre-primed with our proprietary gesso, developed to resist water, staining, and surface contamination while enhancing colour vibrancy and paint response.

That said, we always encourage artists to prepare their canvas in a way that suits their individual style. Whether that means adding extra gesso, adjusting tooth, or applying a custom undercoat, our surfaces are designed to handle it without compromise.

This flexibility allows you to fine-tune the canvas to your exact workflow — from loose, expressive painting to highly detailed work.

ACF’s exclusive polyester (PET) canvas is engineered for strength, stability, and long-term durability, outperforming traditional cotton duck and linen in real-world studio conditions.

PET naturally resists moisture absorption, helping canvases maintain consistent tension and significantly reducing the risk of warping over time. Its uniform weave and thermal stability ensure reliable performance, while the lightweight structure makes handling, transport, and storage easier.

Each ACF canvas is treated to repel water, stains, and surface contamination, helping preserve both the canvas and the artwork applied to it.

All canvases are finished with a specialised proprietary gesso, developed in collaboration with Joe Joubert Hand Made Oil Paints, creating an even, paint-ready surface straight out of the box. This primer enhances colour clarity and provides a stable foundation across a wide range of mediums.

Artists who prefer a customised surface can apply additional gesso layers to adjust tooth or build thickness as needed. The result is a consistent, precise painting surface that supports detailed work while remaining adaptable to individual techniques.

While it’s technically possible to paint on many polyester fabrics, most traditional polyesters are not designed for artist use.

Common issues include excessive flexibility, surface denting, sagging over time, and coatings that aren’t suitable for paint adhesion or fine detail.

At ACF, we identified these limitations early on. Through long-term testing and collaboration with both professional artists and materials specialists, we developed an exclusive range of PET canvases engineered specifically for painting.

Our proprietary coatings are designed to deliver consistent paint response, strong colour clarity, and a stable working surface. They eliminate the common problems associated with generic polyester canvases, making ACF canvases uniquely suited to artists who need durability, control, and reliable long-term performance.

ACF stretcher bars are made from high-quality MDF, selected specifically for its long-term stability and resistance to movement. Unlike traditional solid wood, MDF does not warp, bend, or buckle under normal studio and environmental conditions — which is why we back it with a 100% guarantee.

With over a decade of manufacturing experience and hundreds of thousands of stretcher bars produced, our return rate remains exceptionally low, reflecting their proven reliability in real-world use.

MDF also offers practical advantages beyond stability. It performs consistently through temperature changes, is resistant to pests, and is produced using recycled wood fibres, making it a more environmentally responsible choice.

To ensure optimal longevity, we recommend storing canvases vertically in moderate conditions and avoiding prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures or high humidity.

ACF Canvasses Ltd (UK) and ACF Canvas LLC (USA) are direct extensions of South Africa’s original Art Canvas Factory, a manufacturer known for producing high-quality, artist-grade canvases since 2013.

All ACF canvases are developed and manufactured in South Africa, not sourced as mass-produced imports. From the original stretcher bar designs created by ACF founder Graham in 2013, to our proprietary PET fabrics and custom surface coatings, every part of the canvas system is built with long-term performance in mind.

As ACF expands globally, the same manufacturing standards, materials, and quality controls remain in place — ensuring artists receive the same reliable canvas experience trusted from the original Art Canvas Factory, wherever they are based.

ACF products are designed with sustainability in mind, using materials chosen for both performance and environmental responsibility.

Our stretcher bars are made from MDF produced using recycled wood fibres, which helps reduce waste and limits the need for new timber harvesting. MDF makes use of wood by-products that would otherwise go unused, making it an efficient and responsible material choice.

Our canvases are made from polyester (PET), which requires significantly less water, land, and energy to produce than traditional cotton or linen canvases. Polyester is also recyclable and highly durable, meaning canvases last longer and need replacing less often.

By combining long-lasting materials with efficient manufacturing, ACF aims to reduce unnecessary waste while providing artists with reliable, professional-grade canvases that stand the test of time.