Stretch canvas print 3

Now its time to neaten up. Trim excess canvas and apply backing tape to cover those unsightly staples. I agree that this is irrelevant once the picture is on the wall but we know from experience how a neat back helps reinforces the sale of an item that people will hold in their hands long before it goes on the wall.

We like to use a fairly tight string on the back of the picture to keep it as flat as possible against the wall it will hang on. This places tremendous strain on the frame and the heavier the frame the worse the effect. Over time an excessively tight string will cause the picture frame to bow inward at the sides, leaving your canvas limp.

There is also a theory that if the picture leans outward slightly it will need less dusting as it is harder for dust to settle on the texture of the canvas. I seldom have to explain myself to a customer but it is a point worth mentioning. By the way. The corner folds should turn to the top and bottom of the picture, not the sides. They will otherwise trap dirt and look unpleasant with time.

Stretch Canvas 2

When we print our images for stretching we print an outline border about 4 cm from the edge of the picture's front face. We do this so that we can see how even the print is over the frame even though it is face down under the frame as we are stapling it.

We place the picture square in the middle of the frame and start stapling it. First we pick the middle of each side, stapling it down with a mild tensionabout 1-2 cm from the edge. These staples will be covered later with backing tape. I prefer to use a slight angle for the stapler so that each staple is not grabbing the same weave in the canvas which would otherwise promote fraying.

Gradually work your way to the corners, applying only one or two staples per side. Work on opposite sides to keep an even tension throughout the work. Dont pull too tight as the stretch you get at that point will detract from other sides of the frame. This is especially important where there are straight lines in the image which would be distorted by uneven tension in the canvas.

It is a hard to describe how we do the corners. I don't like to cut the canvas so we fold the canvas over at the corners in such a way as to reduce stress on the point of the corner. Avoid the temptation to pull the canvas over the corner - it will cause cracking of the ink and will eventually fail. Not nice. Some people prefer "invisible corners" but we don't do it unless specifically requested.

caring for printed canvas 3

Sometimes it is tempting to put two printed surfaces together. This happens when you are handling a number of prints and are pressed for space. New prints take some days for the varnish to dry thoroughly and two varnished surfaces pressed together will bond and there will be a lovely tearing sound as you try to part them.

New prints on a roll should have barrier paper so that they varnished surfaces do not adhere to another surface. This is especially true if the roll is going to be stored for any length of time. Drying of the varnish is a function of temperature and humidity so I cannot give you any definitive time spans for safe handling. We guarantee that we will deliver it to you intact but who knows what will happen after you have spread it out across your living room floor...

Caring for printed canvas - 2

When handling our canvas prints please note some precautions:

• They crease easily - do not fold or squash
• stretched canvases can be easily damaged at the corners - very difficult to repair !
• When shipping please pack so that the container / carton / tube can be kicked for about 5 metres in a game of warehouse soccer without suffering a puncture.
• handle stretch frame by the edges. a firm grasp over the canvas will leave indentations. So will any soft furnishings which raise the canvas in the middle of the frame. This is especially true when leaving the picture on the back seat of the car
• sharp edges such as table corners and paperweights are death to canvas - avoid resting anything on the canvas - like a book, magazine or toddler.

Caring for printed canvas

The canvas prints we produce are typically protected with a water based varnish. This seals the canvas against further ingress of moisture, dust, pollen and fungus (at least on the printed side).

• The printed surface can now be wiped with a damp cloth periodically to remove dust.
• Any spills on to the canvas should be dealt with speedily. Fluids such as wine, coffee and tea may cause permanent stains if not dealt with immediately
• A water stain can usually be removed with a moist towelette (baby wipe) and in severe cases use baby shampoo.
• Do not be afraid to get the canvas wet but be carefull to dry it thoroughly with a clean cloth.
• Severe rubbing will probably lift ink and avoid using sharp tools to remove crud
• A hairdryer may cause cracking of the canvas at the stress points such as the sides of a stretch frame

If you accidently poke the canvas (say with your elbow) and it leaves a dimple do not panic. leave it for a day - the canvas should repair itself as the stresses even out and retension the canvas. Some say you can shrink the canvas by spraying with water or rubbing with a damp cloth on the back of the canvas. This has worked with us but may not work in all situations.

Avoid doing any of this with valuable pieces - rather seek expert help.

Make the wooden stretch frame

We have a framing shop so some of the tools we use may not be accessable to you . If this is the case please post a comment or mail me and I can discuss alternatives for use in a home workshop environment.
We use a molding made out of "Obeche" wood which has a number of useful features:

• It is profiled so that the inner edge of the frame will not display an outline through the canvas in later days
• it is quite strong with a fine wood grain and few knots (if any)
• it is soft enough for a hand staple gun to be effective
• so far as I know it has fewer issues with warping or buckling in humid environments than, say, pine
• it is relatively cost effective

Our canvas shrinks a little bit because of our water based varnish. Please remember to give it a slight "pull" when measuring for the frame, especially when you have to take your image to the edge of the frame. We like to wrap the image over the sides but it is not to everyone's taste and it sometime upsets the composition of the picture.
Remember that the canvas does not have to be " drum tight" as the image is already on the canvas! Fine artists like blank canvas tightly stretched so that they can paint on it but that is not the case here. If you are going to embelish the print (say with acrylic paint) please comment and I will discuss another approach.
We cut our molding corners on a guillotine, then glue and pin, then sand off sharp edges and corners. We then check it on a flat surface to see that none of the corners lift - a badly mitred join will cause one of the corners to stand away when it is hung on a wall - now is the time to fix this !
I will discuss large frames (say + 1 metre) which need reinforcement in a later post. Other methods of displaying canvas:

• Frame without glass in an attractive moulding
• stretch over a board (say 6mm MDF or 3mm masonite)
• glue to a backing board (some people ask us to "block mount" canvas
• hang between rods (our varnish causes the canvas to curl - watch out)
• punch eyelets and string to exterior frame
• glue directly to wall - please let me know how this works - I don't know what glue to recommend

Stretch canvas 1: preparation

Canvas printed in our system should be carefully handled as inkjet print can be quite sensitive to rough treatment. Your circumstances might be different to ours but I cannot stress enough the importance of a neat, clean work environment. We have often damaged an expensive (usually large) print because some invisible smear of foreign substance has scratched the print surface. Varnished prints will be less sensitive but a piece of grit or glass from a previous job WILL go unnoticed until you have come within 10 seconds of completing the perfect piece.

When our work area is cleared up we lay a protective covering over the work surface. I like to use 5mm thick Fome-Cor as it is soft enough to absorb bumps when you drop a corner on to it by mistake. It is smooth and dirt is easy to spot. It is also non slip without being rough enough to abrade the canvas surface. It is not a negligible cost though, and you may prefer to use a clean blanket which will do a similar job.

If you are using this surface for more than one job in a day then take care that you do not dirty it because of casual neglect. In the course of assembling your stretched canvas you will handle: glue; staples; trimming tools such as scissors and knives; sawdust and possibly splinters from the stretch frame; gum from the backing tape; sharp screws and a host of pointy, hard edged tools.