Canvas stretched over 36mm bars

Why not thinner?

Thin stretcher bars, often around 18mm to 20mm on ready-made canvases, sit almost flat on the wall and look like a poster on a board. A deeper bar lifts the picture forward. It casts a soft shadow around the edge and gives the piece the look of a solid object. It also gives the structure more stiffness, so the corners are less likely to twist and the canvas is less likely to touch the bar behind it.

How it looks at each size.

The bars do not change with the size of the canvas, so the proportions do. This table shows how the side relates to the short edge of the front.

Where the depth has practical effects.

• Narrow corridors. It stands out from the wall by the depth of the bars plus any fixing. That is minor, but a passing bag can still catch a corner, so hang it higher or further along.
• Hanging. A nail or hook hides behind the frame easily, and you can get your fingers around the back to lift it off. The top bar often rests on the fixing, as our hanging guide describes.
• Sides on show. From an angle, a 36mm side is a real strip of picture. Decide what should be there. See wrapped edge prints.
• Shelves. A small canvas stands steadily on its own bars and can lean without slipping.

Do you still want a frame?

Usually not. The depth gives a finished look without one, which is the point of it. If you do want a frame, a tray or float frame leaves a small gap around the canvas, so it seems to hover inside. These frames need to be deep enough for the 36mm bars, and many off-the-shelf ones are not. Framing is available on request, and our framing guide has more.

What about very large canvases?

The longer the bar, the more it can bow under the pull of the canvas. Tell us what you are planning if you need something beyond the sizes on our list, and we will advise on how it should be supported. Our stretched canvas frames page has more on how the frames are made.