Tips for Using Canvas Stretcher Bars and Crossbars

While it’s always nice to try and let your art speak for itself, you sometimes need to do a bit more to ensure it looks its best. Using canvas stretcher bars and crossbars to stretch your prints and original artwork, if you need them, can guarantee your art looks great. There are plenty of practical reasons to use them, including making your piece easier to move or hang and protecting it from changes to your canvas over time. Here are a few tips for using canvas stretcher bars and crossbars to stretch your canvas prints. They’ll help you create the best piece possible.

Match Size As Close as Possible

One of the best but most particular aspects of canvas stretcher bars is that they come in many depths and sizes. While this is great for customizing the final look of your piece and could help make it look better if you decide not to have a frame, it also means that you want to get a very exact size for stretcher bars. Bars with higher depth measurements can accommodate larger canvases while keeping them taut over time.

Only Use Crossbars for Larger Canvases

For the most part, smaller pieces of your work won’t need to have a crossbar to keep them steady or rigid. So save yourself time and money by not worrying about using a crossbar for your piece unless you’re going for a much larger canvas. Of course, you’ll hear different measurements for what size you might want to start considering for a crossbar. But the choice is up to you whether you think your piece will be safe enough without one.

Keyable Stretcher Frames Help With Preservation

Because canvases can absorb moisture over time unless placed in humidity-controlled conditions, they’ll start to expand slightly over enough time. Unfortunately, this moisture can ruin the shape that you need your canvas to stay in. Using keyable stretcher frames allows you to continually adjust for this moisture absorption and canvas expanding, preventing your piece from being ruined even if you leave it alone for a long time.

Don’t Put Stretchers Too Close to the Canvas

A good tip for using canvas stretcher bars and crossbars is to be very careful when stretching the canvas over them to avoid letting the stretchers sit too close to the actual canvas. An extra angled edge can help prevent this from happening. Stretcher bars that sit too close to the canvas can impact your painting in ways you definitely don’t want to deal with, especially on larger pieces.

Whether your canvas prints are already using stretcher bars or you need unstretched canvas printing, The Stackhouse has your back. With our help, your artwork will look its absolute best.