How to Frame a Canvas Painting

A canvas is a woven fabric made of cotton or linen used for painting and printing art. It is stretched across a stretcher or a wooden frame, which provides a stable surface for artists to work on. Canvas painting involves creating art on the canvas using different techniques, including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolor painting, and mixed media. 

The tools required to frame a canvas painting include a frame of your choice, canvas clips to secure the canvas on the frame, screws or nails, a screwdriver or hammer, protective backing to prevent dust and damage, and hanging hardware. To frame your canvas painting, you need to prepare your frame, attach canvas clips and secure the canvas with them, trim the excess canvas, attach the hanging hardware, attach the protective backing, and hang the canvas painting. 

What Are The Tools Required To Frame A Canvas Painting?

The tools you need to frame a canvas painting include a frame, canvas clips or offset clips, screws or nails, a screwdriver or hammer, hanging hardware, and protective backing. The protective backing is optional and is used for protecting the canvas from dust and damage. 

These tools, also called framing supplies, can be bought from art supply stores, hardware stores, framing shops, and online retailers like Amazon, Michaels, or Blick Art Materials. 

If you cannot find any of these tools, consider using customization options available at framing shops and hardware stores. 

What Are The Steps To Frame A Canvas Painting?

The steps to frame a canvas painting include measuring the canvas dimensions, positioning the canvas on a clean surface, folding and securing the canvas on the stretcher bar, repeating the folding of the canvas, tension adjustment, corner folding, and frame placement. 

The steps to frame a canvas painting are explained below.

Measure Canvas Dimensions

Measuring the canvas dimensions means measuring the height and width of your canvas. You can do this with a measuring tape or a ruler. Leave enough excess canvas around the edges to fold and nail or screw onto the stretcher bars. Leave at least two inches of the canvas for stretching over the bars.

Position Canvas on Clean Surface

Now, place your canvas face down on a clean surface and place the stretcher bar frame on top. Ensure that the frame is in the center of the canvas by measuring the distance between corners and stretcher bars to confirm symmetry. 

You want to leave excess canvas on the sides of the stretcher bar frame, fold it all over the frame bar so that it is covered, and nail it securely. 

Fold and Secure The Edges 

Folding and securing your canvas involves folding the excess canvas on the frame of the stretcher bar and securing it with a canvas clip or nail. 

Start from one short side, fold the excess canvas over the stretcher bar, and either secure it with a canvas clip or nail it directly with a hammer. Be careful not to shake the stretcher bar and canvas too much while hammering, or your canvas will become misaligned, and the art will not be in the center. 

If this happens, take out the nails and start from the beginning. 

Once all the edges are nailed, stretch the canvas lightly and place nails on either side of the middle stretcher bar. This will allow your canvas to expand and shrink and help preserve it while preparing it to be framed. 

Fold The Corners 

Folding the corners of the canvas involves securing the four corners of the canvas so that they neatly cover the stretcher bars. 

Begin by pulling one canvas edge flat inside the stretcher bar frame. Then, fold the remaining canvas at a 45-degree angle over the other piece and nail it securely on the frame. Keep the canvas fabric tight while folding to avoid any loose fabric that can make your canvas look lumpy. 

Repeat this process for all four corners till you have all the corners nailed on the frame. 

Adding Protective Backing 

Adding protective backing involves attaching a material to the back of a canvas artwork to protect it from dust, dirt, and potential damage. It also helps keep the canvas stretched properly and prevent warping or deformation over time. 

Using the canvas's measurements, cut the protective backing material to the exact size of the canvas. Ensure that the cut is clean and straight for a neat fit.

Apply double-sided tape or archival-quality adhesive along the edges of the canvas stretcher bars. Place the tape or adhesive close to the outer edge for a secure hold.

Carefully position the backing material onto the back of the canvas, pressing firmly to ensure it adheres properly.

Frame Placement

Frame placement is inserting the canvas into its final frame for display. 

The stretched canvas is placed into the frame from the back and held in place by screwing offset clips into the frame.

How To Choose The Best Frame For Canvas Painting?

To choose the best frame for a canvas painting, consider factors like the style of the canvas painting and the thickness of the stretcher bar. 

If your canvas painting is classical, a gold-leaf frame would suit it well. If it is abstract or has a lighter-colored theme, you can go with a thin and less ornate frame. 

For framing your canvas painting, you can select a wood picture frame, a metal frame, or a floater frame designed explicitly for canvases. Regardless of the type of frame you choose, it is important to ensure that the frame's surface is thicker than the stretcher bar. If your frame is too shallow, the artwork will protrude from the wall. Moreover, the canvas will not fit inside if the metal frame has an insufficient depth. 

If you don’t have a canvas frame, you can hang your canvas art using regular picture frames. You can use a simple and basic frame which can be bought from any art supply store. Or you can use high-quality gallery frames available in art galleries. 

How To Frame A Canvas With A Picture Frame?

A picture frame is a decorative and preventive structure designed to display and safeguard artwork, photographs, or other flat objects. To frame a canvas with a picture frame, select a picture frame, position the canvas in the frame, secure the canvas using brackets, glue, or tape, and add backing and hanging hardware. 

Select a Frame: 

Selecting a frame involves choosing a frame that is appropriate for your canvas. 

Choose a picture frame that matches the size of your canvas or is slightly larger if you prefer a mat border around the artwork, which includes a mat board or other material surrounding the artwork within the frame. A mat border goes around the artwork. It's usually made from a particular type of board called matboard. The matboard is cut to the size of the frame, and then one or more openings are cut to show the artwork. Ensure the frame depth is enough to accommodate the canvas thickness.

Position the Canvas in the Frame: 

Positioning the canvas in the frame involves placing the canvas appropriately inside the frame such that the artwork is in the center. 

Carefully place the canvas face-down onto a clean surface. If your frame has a mat, position it behind the canvas for a bordered look. If not, center the canvas within the frame.

Secure the Canvas: 

Securing the canvas involves attaching the canvas to the frame so that it can be hung on the wall. 

Secure the canvas inside the frame with the hardware provided. Depending on the frame style, these methods below can be used to secure the canvas. 

If the frame has brackets or clips, use them to hold the canvas in place. These are often included with standard picture frames.

Or apply a small piece of adhesive or double-sided tape to the back of the canvas to keep it in position within the frame. Be cautious not to damage the canvas surface.

Add Backing and Hardware: 

Adding backing involves securing a material on the back of the canvas to protect it from dust and damage. While adding hardware includes attaching D-rings and picture wires that help in mounting the painting on the wall. 

Once the canvas is secured to the frame, add a backing board, a piece of cardboard to protect the back of the canvas. Install hanging hardware like D-rings, which is a D-shaped metal hoop attached to a flat metal plate with holes for screws to the frame to hang the artwork. 

Hang Your Artwork: 

Hanging the artwork is the final step of mounting the painting on the wall. 

If necessary, hang your artwork using hanging hardware like a D-ring. Use a level to make sure that the artwork hangs straight on the wall.

How to Frame an Oil Painting?

To frame an oil painting, choose a frame that complements its style and has enough depth to accommodate the canvas thickness. Position the painting within the frame without glass to allow the oil to breathe. Secure the painting using offset clips or framing points to hold it in place without damaging the canvas. Add backing for protection and attach hanging hardware like D-rings for wall mounting. Make sure that the frame enhances the painting's aesthetic while protecting it for long-term display.

How To Frame Stretched Canvas?

A stretched canvas refers to a piece of canvas fabric stretched and secured tightly over a wooden frame, known as stretcher bars. 

To frame a stretched canvas, select a frame that fits the canvas’s dimensions and thickness. Clean the surface of the canvas and position it within the frame such that the artwork is in the center. Now, secure the canvas in the frame using hardware such as offset clips or framing points. Consider adding a backing board for extra support and dust prevention. 

Install hanging hardware on the frame, such as a D-ring. Next, hammer a nail on the wall where you want to hang the painting. Inspect for alignment before hanging the artwork on the wall, ensuring it is level on the wall and perfect for viewing. 

What Are The Types Of Frames For Stretched Canvas?

The five types of frames for stretched canvas are standard frames, floater frames, box frames, shadowbox frames, and open-back frames.

• Standard Frames

  These are traditional frames made of various materials, like wood, plastic,or metal used for encasing the entire canvas. 

• Floater Frames

  Floater frames are designed to create the illusion that the canvas is floating within the frame. They leave a small gap between the canvas and frame, providing a modern, minimalist look.

• Box Frames

  Also known as gallery wrap frames, Box Frames are deeper than standard frames and accommodate thicker canvases which may have a 3D element. They provide a contemporary appearance and often have a box-like structure that complements modern artworks.

• Shadow Box Frames

  These are similar to box frames but are deeper and provide more depth between the canvas and the glass or acrylic covering. They're ideal for displaying three-dimensional artworks or canvases with textured surfaces.

• Open Back Frames

  They lack a solid backing and are typically used for canvases that are meant to be displayed without glass. Open Back Frames allow the back of the canvas to remain visible, providing a unique and unconventional presentation.

The best frame for stretched canvas often depends on personal preference, the style of the artwork, and the intended presentation. However, standard and floater frames are favored for their versatility and timeless appeal.

Which Type of Frame Should I Choose for Each Painting?

Choosing the right frame depends on the type of artwork and its presentation. For couple portraits and pet portraits, floater frames or standard frames are great choices. They have a clean and elegant look that complements detailed and sentimental pieces. For landscape paintings, box frames or shadow box frames work well. They have depth and a contemporary appearance that enhances the visual impact of the scene.

To see how other paintings look with a frame, feel free to scroll through our gallery of custom paintings.