Canvas with a frame

Why add a frame to a canvas

A stretched canvas is a complete piece as it is: it comes ready to hang and nothing is missing. An outer frame is a finishing choice, not a fix for a flaw.

There are three situations where it really makes a difference. The first is a formal space: an office, a lobby or the main wall of a living room, where a frame gives the work standing. The second is a gift, because a frame turns a print into something that looks finished and deliberate. The third is purely practical: if the sides of the canvas are not good enough to stay exposed, a frame covers them.

If none of the three applies to you, a canvas with no frame is a perfectly good answer.

Types of canvas frames

We have floater frames, which leave a gap around the canvas for a floating look, and regular classic frames too, depending on the style you prefer. A floater frame emphasizes the depth of the canvas and suits modern photos especially well; a classic frame gives a more traditional, orderly look.

The practical difference is what happens at the edge. In a floater frame a thin gap remains between the fabric and the molding, and the eye sees the thickness of the canvas, in other words that this is stretched fabric and not a flat print. In a classic frame the molding sits tight against the fabric and covers the edge completely, and that is what gives the traditional look.

Depth and fit

The outer frame has to match the depth of the stretched canvas. Before ordering we measure the depth of the wood and the margins, so the fabric neither sticks out too far nor looks sunken. We can frame a canvas you already have, or plan the print and the frame together.

The inner frame of a canvas is usually around 2 cm deep, and on large canvases or pieces meant to read as an object, around 4 cm. The deeper the canvas, the deeper the outer frame needs to be, otherwise the fabric will stick out of it at the front.

A canvas you already have

You do not have to print with us to frame with us. A canvas you bought somewhere else, one you received as a gift, or a painting on fabric that is already stretched can all get an outer frame.

What to bring: the canvas itself. We measure the width, height and depth on the spot, and hold moldings up against the work so you can see how each one changes it. No appointment needed.

If the canvas has gone slack over the years, it can be restretched before framing. That is a separate job, and we talk about it once we see the state of the fabric and the wood.

Weight and hanging

A canvas with an outer frame stays much lighter than a glazed frame of the same size, because there is no glass at all. That means even a large piece hangs on drywall without hunting for a stud behind it.

The frame adds a little weight and a few centimeters to each outside dimension. If you have a precise spot on the wall in mind, a niche, a gap between cabinets, a place above the sofa, tell us the space available and we will work backward to the canvas size that fits it once framed.