How Do Canvas Stretchers Work?

Identification

Painters are the main people who use canvas stretchers. A canvas stretcher is basically the wooden frame on the back of a canvas. While you can buy some canvasses pre-stretched, others are not available in this form. Pre-stretched canvasses tend to be expensive, so some artists prefer to stretch their own canvasses. This is where the canvas stretcher comes into play. Not only will stretching your own canvas save you money, but also you will be able to determine the exact size of canvas that you want by doing it yourself. Sometimes you will see a painting that is not framed and the wood holding the canvas up behind the painting is visible. The canvas will usually be stapled to this canvas stretcher. By using canvas stretchers, the frame gives the canvas stability, while pulling the material tight and enabling the painter to paint with ease.

The process

In order to stretch a canvas, usually you will lay the canvas stretchers out on either the floor or a table. Typically there are four stretchers that compose the back frame of the canvas and which serve as canvas stretchers. After you have laid them on the flat surface, you will joint the pieces to form a frame. You can do this by gluing or nailing the wooden pieces together with very thin nails. (Thick nails can cause the wood to splinter or break.) After you join the sides to form either a square or a rectangle, you can next roll the canvas out on top of the frame. After you do this, you can cut the canvas to the desired size.
Usually, there is overlap on the sides of the canvas when you cut it so that you can staple it into place and stretch it. However, it is usually best to leave just enough extra to hang over the sides, because the canvas will be stretched further later.

How it works

Most people using a canvas stretcher begin by stretching the canvas from the middle and work outwards. Normally, you will place the staples anywhere in the middle portion of the frame to attach the canvas. You next staple the canvas to the backside of the stretcher. Then pull the canvas tight and also staple the other side of it to the back of the frame. Continue on all sides until you have completely stapled the canvas to the back of the frame. The result will be canvas that is tautly stapled to the stretcher, allowing the artist to paint on an even surface rather than painting on a piece of canvas that has not been stretched. If the canvas has not been stretched, it's akin to painting on a piece of fabric placed on a table. The fabric will move and the painting will not come out the way it should.