Canvas Stretching & Framing
Canvas Stretching
If you have an unstretched canvas — it could be an original oil or acrylic painting or a print — that you want to display, the best option is to have it stretched onto stretcher bars.
We swear by Gallery Stretcher Bars, made from UK pine. These are brilliant because they come complete with wooden keys in the back that can be tapped out in the future if your canvas loses tension.
This means you only have to have your canvas stretched once and a quick tap is all it takes to have it looking as good as new again.

Canvas Framing
For canvases that have already been stretched, there are two main framing options.

The Canvas Tray Frame
With this option, your canvas or board is framed within a canvas tray moulding — this allows you to see the whole of the face of the canvas or board. We always leave a gap of 5/6mm between the edge of the artwork and the tray frame to enable it to expand and contract naturally without damaging the frame or warping the canvas or board.

A Standard Picture Frame Moulding
We also have a wide range of standard frame mouldings you can choose as a surround for your canvas or board. Please note that with this option, a small part of the outside edge of the front of the canvas will be hidden under the rebate of the frame.
As with the tray frame, we’ll leave a small gap between the outer edge of the canvas and the inner edge of the frame to allow for expansion and contraction and increase the longevity of your artwork.
Depending on the moulding, we may need to include a slip moulding under the frame rebate to allow sufficient expansion/contraction space.