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Canvas stretching: a How-To Guide for Beginners

canvas stretching

Whether you have a finished artwork or a blank canvas to bring your vision to life on, canvas stretching protects your painting and displays it at its best. The structural supports guards your artwork from warping and makes it easy to fit into a variety of frame styles.

And Mobile Frames 2 U certainly has a variety of frame styles, whether you prefer a classically elegant look or a touch of contemporary gallery chic. You don’t even have to leave your home, office or workshop to sample the full range of our framing options. If you’re in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast or Toowoomba, Mobile Frames 2 U brings canvas stretching and mobile framing services direct to your doorstep.

Stretching a canvas is something you can do at home with the right tools and knowledge. But if you’d rather have a professional stretch your canvas and find the right frame for you while they’re at it, take advantage of the canvas stretching services that Mobile Frames 2 U offer.

What is canvas stretching?

Canvas stretching is the art of pulling a piece of canvas tight over a stretcher bar and securing it in place with staples. While it sounds simple, and it’s possible to carry out canvas stretching at home, there’s an art to stretching canvas in a way that preserves your artwork. Improper stretching technique can cause a canvas to lose its shape over time and degrade the quality of the image.

Why should you stretch your canvas?

Whether you have a finished work of art or a blank canvas, stretching provides a number of benefits including:

Protecting the artwork from many different types of damage, from loss of tension to UV light and moisture.
To showcase your artwork in a more professional way, which helps if you want to display it in a gallery or museum.
To stop your artwork from sagging and developing wrinkles as time passes.
To give your work the versatility to be hung on walls, displayed on stands or easels etc.
To prepare your artwork for hanging in a frame of your choosing.
To make your artwork easier to transport from place to place.
To preserve the financial value of your artwork and make it ready to resell.

How to stretch canvas

If you choose to stretch your own canvas at home, here’s a brief step-by-step guide to how to carry out the procedure:

Make sure you have the right tools

At the very least, you need four (4) stretcher bars, canvas fabric, a pen / pencil, tape measure, a saw, a pair of scissors and a staple gun. A hammer and screwdriver are optional.

Measure the canvas length

Use one of the pieces of wood to measure the size of your canvas. Once you have the correct measurements, use the saw to cut the wood to size.

Attach the stretcher bars

Line two bars up with the short sides of the wood, making sure they’re aligned with the outer edges of the wooden frame that supports the structure.

Measure and cut the canvas

Use your tape measure to measure the length of the wood. Add two inches to the measurement you get and cut your canvas to size.

Attach your canvas to your frame

Staple one end of your canvas to the back of your frame and pull the canvas tight while you fasten it. With the canvas pulled tight, staple it to the frame.

Frame your artwork

If you have a finished artwork to display, then once your canvas is secured to its stretcher frame, it’s time to find the right picture frame to give it the perfect border. The tones of your artwork and the environment you’ll be hanging it in will help you decide on the right frame aesthetic.

If you have any issues or you’re too busy to stretch canvas yourself, there’s no shame in hiring a professional. And who could be better than a professional that comes directly to your doorstep and can provide you with framing options too?

Canvas stretching with Mobile Frames 2 U

Mobile Frames 2 U provides professional-quality canvas stretching in the South East Queensland region. If you’re in Brisbane, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast, we’ll deliver your stretched canvas straight to your doorstep. We can also come see you in person, run you through our framing options, complete your framing job in our workshop and deliver the finished product back to you.

We draw upon our expertise and attention to detail to transform high-quality 10 oz prime white canvases into flawlessly stretched, taut and custom-cut foundations for your artwork.

For more information about our canvas stretching services, call Mobile Frames 2 U on 1300 157 720 or request a free quote.

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