The Framers Forum

Hello all

I hope we are all enjoying the fine weather!

I have a 1210mm by 1500mm canvas to stretch and i need to order a made to measure stretcher bar set. It is to be gallery wrap style with wedges and braces etc.

The 1210 by 1500 is the exact measurement of the image in it's unstretched state. Experience tells me that the bar set needs to be slightly bigger... It's quite critical as it goes from image to black and i want to get the edges of the image bang on the the edge of the frame. How much bigger should I be ordering the frame?

Priced quoted from a company for the set is about £60 so needs to be right and have a deadline!!

The canvas seems quite substantial (IE Not skinny linen that would rip at the first show of pliers!) and comes from Florida, USA

Many thanks in anticipation

Hi Dan

Would there be any way you could get hold of a piece of canvas of the same weight and stretch it out on a simple frame beforehand ?

That way you would not be under any real pressure and would be able to see how the canvas behaves.

Sorry I don't have any canvas here or I would have gladly sent you a piece free.

I would order the bars the exact size of the image as it is. Staple it to the bars without trying to pull it taught.This way you can get the image edges just where you want them. Then knock the wedges in to tension it flat.

I would suppose that it was originally painted with the canvas on bars and unmounted for transit. I have re-stretched a number of such cases and it can be a PITA to get them back on new bars exactly how they came came off the old ones.

Good Luck.

A couple of questions for you -


1. Are there creases where the previous stretcher bars went?
2. How thick is the paint - if it is very thick you need to stretch carefully; if not then it should take some abuse!!
3. Are you having cross bars too? essential on a canvas of this size.


The stretcher should be the same depth as the original one (assuming it had one!).

When you come to stretch the painting work from the centres to the corners. Equal tension all round.

I've done a 12ft by 6ft stretch in my time but prefer to just make the bars!!

Good luck...

I would measure carefully the flat canvas to the extreme of any creasing - I don't think you can accurately add a stretch allowance. lucky that the edge is black - you could ask the owners permission to touch up any unsightly overstretch - getting it to fit exactly on this size stretcher is a challenge.

Make sure the stretcher bars have wedges - a few suppliers supply bars without them.

Thank you for your replies and thanks you swanlinnet for your kind intention