Digital Photos on Canvas Express - How to Stretch a Canvas

There are many ways to stretch a canvas. To find a professional picture framer near you click here.

Start by trimming your canvas with enough extra canvas so that it will stretch around to the back with enough canvas to staple to the back of the stretcher bars. Make sure that you have trimmed all sides with the same amount of extra canvas on all sides.

Lay the canvas face down and line up the same amount of extra canvas on all sides.

Lift all sides to ensure the canvas is where you want it. For a decorative wrap (where the canvas wraps all around to the back) this is much easier to see.

Next staple once in the center of each stretcher bar. Flip the canvas over to make sure it is where you want it to be. Then staple from the right of one of the staples to the corner. While you are stapling pull the canvas tight then staple. Some people use a special pliars for pulling the canvas tight but with strong hands and enough canvas to hold will be enough. Continue doing this until each side has from the center to corner stapled then fold over the corners.

To fold the corner make sure you have staples going to the corner from one side. Lift the side that is not stapled down and see where the canvas would naturally fold (following the edge). With one hand hold onto the spot that would naturally follow the edge and with your other hand fold the canvas under. Pull tight and staple.

Your corner should look like this for a Museum Wrap (Image only visible from the front).

Pull the canvas tight between the corner and center and finish stapling.

Last ensure all corners look correct and the image is still level. The great thing about canvas is that if a side is not correct just pull out the staples and redo.

Just put a hanger on the back and hang your canvas on the wall.