DIY vs. Professional Canvas Stretching: What You Need to Know Before You Start

 

If you have an unstretched painting or canvas print, it's easy to grab some stretcher bars and a staple gun and stretch it yourself. For a practice piece it's a fun project, but for something you really care about, it's best to learn exactly what it is you're getting into.

What DIY Stretching Takes

Stretching a canvas well requires more than pulling fabric over a frame. You’ll need:

• Stretcher bars cut to the exact size of your artwork
• A canvas pliers or similar tool to pull the canvas evenly
• A staple gun and plenty of patience
• A good eye for keeping the tension even in every direction

There is also no margin for error. Once a painting is stapled in the wrong spot or pulled too tightly, fixing it can risk damaging the artwork.

Common Mistakes

These are the problems we see most often with canvases stretched at home:

• Uneven tension: Pulling harder on one side leaves ripples or sagging areas.
• Crooked or warped frames: Low-quality or poorly dried wood can twist over time and pull the canvas with it.
• Messy corners: Folded corners that are bulky or uneven are very noticeable on the finished piece.
• Wrong size or depth: A frame that doesn’t match the artwork means cropped images or too little canvas to wrap around the sides.
• Cracked paint: Stretching original paintings too aggressively can stress the paint surface.

Why Professional Canvas Stretching Is Worth It

Professional canvas stretching takes the guesswork out of the process.

At Cloudburst Designs we use kiln dried hemlock to custom build our stretcher bars. Our canvases are hand-stretched by expert craftsmen and all edges are properly tensioned for a clean, professional look. Choose between gallery wrapped edges or premium edge tape.

Sizes and Depths to Suit Your Artwork

Often, standard sizes of stretcher bars won't fit the artwork you need to display. We have a lot of demand for our most popular depths of ¾ inch and 1½ inches, but we're also happy to custom-make stretcher bars if you have a special need. That can be helpful for displaying unusual sizes of artwork, such as pieces bought while traveling.

Which Artwork Is Best Suited to Professional Stretching?

Professional stretching is especially worth considering for:

• Original paintings that can’t be replaced
• Artwork brought home from travels
• Giclée canvas prints ordered online
• Large pieces that are difficult to handle and keep even on your own
• Pieces you plan to display for years, in your home or office

Finishing Touches

After you have stretched your canvas, you can simply hang it as is to enjoy a modern look. For a more gallery-style appearance, you can also choose to add a floater frame that will create a shadow effect, giving the illusion of the canvas being suspended in space. We offer a custom floater frame option for our stretched canvases.

Get Your Canvas Stretched the Right Way

If you have artwork waiting to be displayed, our team in Coquitlam, BC can help. Visit our canvas stretching page to learn more, or contact us at info@cloudburstdesigns.ca or 604-552-0606 to discuss your project.