Canvas Stretching

Do you have a work of art on canvas that you would like to hang on the wall? If so, first it needs to be stretched. After that you can then choose to frame it, or just choose to hang it on the wall as is. When stretching a piece of art on canvas, whether it’s an oil or acrylic painting, or even just a photo printed on canvas, you need to decide between a few methods:

Regular Stretch:

The regular stretch is a classic method typically done on a ¾” stretcher bar with staples along the sides of the bar (not the back). This method is usually used when there is not enough excess material around the artwork to stretch around the frame and staple behind. This stretching style is typically framed afterwards in a way that would cover the staples.

¾” Gallery Wrap:

Another option is the ¾” gallery wrap. This option offers a cleaner look with the staples done behind the stretcher frame, exposing only canvas on the sides, and allows the customer to hang their piece frameless, or add a frame.

1 ¾” Gallery Wrap:

An additional option in stretching is a 1 ¾” gallery wrap. Although it is similar to its little sister, the ¾” gallery wrap, the 1 ¾” gallery wrap is bigger and bolder. It is usually recommended when pieces are over 24” x 36”, but also looks just as good on smaller pieces as well. This method is generally used when not framing your piece, as it tends to give the artwork more substance on the wall. With the 1 ¾” gallery wrap you require a minimum 2” of additional canvas for the sides of the stretcher as well as 1” for the back side where the staples go.

In many instances, people choose to have the artwork on the sides of the stretcher frame (as opposed to raw canvas) whether using a ¾” or 1 ¾” depth. Having the artwork extend along the sides of the canvas results in a more seamless look.

Although our standard stretchers are ¾” or 1 ¾”, we can also customize it to whatever height you like. This would cost a bit more for the modification.

The most popular frame style for a painting with stretched using gallery wrap is a float frame. This frame style adds the finishing touch to the stretched artwork, while exposing the entire piece. It is a much more contemporary look that leaves a gap of about ¼” away from the sides of the canvas and sitting just above the face of the piece, protecting the canvas.

Below are some examples of the standard stretcher, ¾” gallery wrap, as well as the 1 ¾” gallery wrap.