Canvas stretching

Hello all . . .

I have recently taken to having my prints done on canvas. I don’t do the printing myself, but order them and have them shipped rolled-up in a cylinder. Since I also do woodworking, I make the stretcher frame, and then stretch the canvas print over the frame and staple it to the back (now ready for framing). I have found that after a couple of weeks, the tightness of the stretch seems to relax a bit. The canvas then has a bit of a wave to it (very small, but none the less noticeable, especially to me). Since I hand-stretch the print and hand staple it, does anyone else do a similar process, and what success have you had? If anyone does this professionally, what tricks (if any) can you suggest?

Thanks . . .

golfecho wrote in post #6831318
Hello all . . .

I have recently taken to having my prints done on canvas. I don’t do the printing myself, but order them and have them shipped rolled-up in a cylinder. Since I also do woodworking, I make the stretcher frame, and then stretch the canvas print over the frame and staple it to the back (now ready for framing). I have found that after a couple of weeks, the tightness of the stretch seems to relax a bit. The canvas then has a bit of a wave to it (very small, but none the less noticeable, especially to me). Since I hand-stretch the print and hand staple it, does anyone else do a similar process, and what success have you had? If anyone does this professionally, what tricks (if any) can you suggest?

Thanks . . .

I'm also interested in this and hopefully somebody will reply with ideas.

Anyone?

Hello Golf - I really should ask my sister this since she's the painter in the family...

I could be mistaken, but don't artists (painters that is) first soak the canvas in water, thoroughly, and then stretch and attach them to the frames? As the canvas dries it shrinks a bit which tightens it on the frame. I don't see this as being practical though for photofinishing on canvas since it is imaged first. You would have to soak it after the fact, which would likely damage the picture unless it was somehow "moisture proof."

Google is your best friend.

sapearl wrote in post #6837568
Hello Golf - I really should ask my sister this since she's the painter in the family...

I could be mistaken, but don't artists (painters that is) first soak the canvas in water, thoroughly, and then stretch and attach them to the frames? As the canvas dries it shrinks a bit which tightens it on the frame. I don't see this as being practical though for photofinishing on canvas since it is imaged first. You would have to soak it after the fact, which would likely damage the picture unless it was somehow "moisture proof."

Thanks for the reply. You are thinking along the same lines as I am . . . I was thinking about heating/expanding and cooling/contracting. I have a canvas print that came already stretched from the printer and it has remained tight, but mine seem to sag a little bit after a couple weeks. I am hoping I am missing something really simple, and an expert will reveal some secret tips . . .

Is it getting colder in your house? Frame shrinkage perhaps?

For anyone monitoring and wondering, I stopped in to ask a local oil painter's frame shop, and he suggested that I was not using a proper canvas stretcher tool (I wasn't). It's like a pair of pliers with a 3 1/2 inch pair of jaws that are corrugated for grip. The tool also has a fulcrum like bulge on one side for leveraging against the wooden stretcher frame. Best of all, they run $6 - $8 or so online. I ordered one from a place called dickblick.com, and since the tool arrived, I have re-stretched my stuff and it makes a world of difference!

golfecho wrote in post #6910043
For anyone monitoring and wondering, I stopped in to ask a local oil painter's frame shop, and he suggested that I was not using a proper canvas stretcher tool (I wasn't). It's like a pair of pliers with a 3 1/2 inch pair of jaws that are corrugated for grip. The tool also has a fulcrum like bulge on one side for leveraging against the wooden stretcher frame. Best of all, they run $6 - $8 or so online. I ordered one from a place called dickblick.com, and since the tool arrived, I have re-stretched my stuff and it makes a world of difference!

You've just earned the considerate poster of the month award for coming back and finishing the story...

Glad you found a solution!

http://www.dickblick.c​om/categories/canvaspl​iers/

Edit:

Also:

http://www.google.com/​search?hl=en&q=tutoria​l+canvas+stretching+pl​iers&btnG=Search

(Thanks for coming back and filling in the gaps, GolfEcho)