How to Stretch a Canvas Print

To be able to hang your canvas print, you will need to stretch it and frame it. Before you can frame it you have to mount (wrap) the canvas print in a stretcher. Stretching is very simple and inexpensive!  To stretch a canvas print is really not a difficult task if you have the tools and the materials. Any frame shop can stretch your canvas or if you are a handy person that loves to feel proud of your work you can do-it-yourself by following this simple guide:

Tools and Materials Needed

           

Safety glasses	Canvas print	Fabric scissors	Carpenter’s square
Stretcher pliers	Staples	Manual staple gun	Wooden stretcher

Safety glasses. Protecting your eyes is imperative. It is essential that you choose and use the proper eye protection. Safety glasses are available in glass, plastic, polycarbonate and Trivex™ materials. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Canvas print. Handle your canvas print with extreme care, to avoid creasing scratching, or cracking it. When you are ready to start the stretching, spread a clean blanket on a table and smooth out any wrinkles. And on top of the blanket put a sheet of tissue paper (or any other soft paper), large enough to protect the entire canvas print image. Powder free vinyl gloves should be used to handle the canvas print.

Fabric scissors. You do not need a heavy-duty and expensive fabric scissors. Probably good sewing scissors will be enough.

Carpenter’s square. If you are not assembling the stretcher, then you do not need a carpenter’s square. But, if you have to assemble the stretcher bars, you will need this tool. If you do not have a carpenter square you can use the square corner of a table or even the frame that the picture will be going into.

Stretcher pliers. This tool is helpful to pull the canvas and maintain even tension to place the staples.

Staples. If the canvas is not too thick you can use 3/8-inch (or 5/16) leg length staples, but if it is very thick (which is unusual for a canvas print) then you should use 1/2-inch leg length staples.  

Manual staple gun. Once you have decided which staple size is appropriate for the job get the proper manual staple gun and follow the manufacturer's instructions for loading it. Warning: Use safety glasses and keep your fingers and body away (distant) from it. The staple gun is very powerful and fast after you push the trigger.

Stretcher. The backer or stretcher for canvas is a wood frame on which the canvas is mounted wrapped around (stretched). This frame (stretcher), when completed, fits inside the outer or decor frame. Stretchers are available at craft stores or you can make one. You do not use glue or adhesives to fasten the canvas.

Stretching Directions

Your goal is not to have the canvas extremely tight but rather taunt enough that sagging is not apparent yet loose enough that you can move the canvas if you slightly press it on the surface. You may need to re-stretch a canvas a couple of months later to tighten it up again. This is why you do not want to overdo the stapling the first time you stretch it--you want to avoid lots of staples because you will have to remove them later.

1. If you bought a stretcher already assembled go to the next step. Otherwise you will have first to assemble the stretcher bars, making sure they are squared, using a carpenter's square..

2. Lay the canvas print with the image facing up on the blanket  (with the tissue paper) as explained above. Make a slight fold or crease along the print edges and lay the print face down to work from the back. Do not forget to use a pair of powder free vinyl gloves.

3. You want to staple on the back of the stretcher if possible rather than the sides but you can tack your first few staples into the sides to help hold the canvas in place. To avoid tears of the canvas staple it at an angle to the weave.

4. Staple on opposite sides by alternating following the chart shown below.  Place the first staple in the center (1) of one of the longest sides. Go opposite of it (2) and place another. Go to the narrower sides and do the same. Keep centering and alternating.

Note that the corners (13-14 and 15-16)  are done last. This often pulls out any extra sagging. Fold the corners as you would a wrapped gift box.

5. Finally trim off excess canvas edges if needed but leave enough for later re-stretching.

Once stretched, the Canvas is ready to be framed.

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