How To Choose The Right Canvas Stretching Machine.

A veteran Custom Picture Framer would readily admit how tedious and time consuming it is to stretch canvas, to say nothing of the beating their hands take on a daily basis. There are some die hard veterans that will boast that they can stretch a large canvas as fast as any machine, doubtful, but it does pose an interesting question- Are you ready for a Canvas Stretching Machine?

With the advent of large format scanners, printers, archival ink and an enormous interest in printing art on canvas (giclees) there is a high demand for canvas stretching. Custom Framers, Commercial Printers and artists now find the need to stretch what they produce. So what should you look for in a Canvas Stretcher?

There are less than a dozen canvas stretching machines currently available on the market, both pneumatic and manually operated, but only a few are equipped to produce "gallery wraps", a technique that allows the art to wrap around the stretcher bar and the staples are hidden from view. If you do not have a need for gallery wraps then you can narrow your search, there are only 5 known canvas stretching machines that can produce gallery wraps.

To make an informed choice ask the manufacturer these questions:

How easy is it to load the art and reposition it? Do large pieces of art require assistance? Is the stapling done from the front or the back? Do you have to remove the artwork to make the folds? Is the artwork facing upward to reduce scuffs and marring? Is the operator free to move about when applying staples? How quickly can an operator stretch a large canvas? Can a 30" X 30" canvas be stretched in a minute, including the alignment? How portable is the machine?

The answer to these questions should help you make an informed choice, only you can justify the need for a Canvas Stretching Machine. However, if you stretch 20-30 canvases a week then you might consider such a purchase.

David Weaver is a retired Coast Guard Engineer Officer, Custom Picture Framer and the co-designer of the Gallery Stretcher-60, a Canvas Stretching Machine.