Canvas Stretching Alternatives
Canvas products are available in Gallery Wrap, Museum Wrap or standard stretching. You can usually choose the style you prefer!
Museum wrap: (This is our default stretching. Your item will come stretched this way unless you notify us immediately at the close of sale at [email protected] that you would like a different style of stretching.
The image is completely visible from the front and the edge is canvas. As indicated by the name this style is the classical look preferred in most galleries and museums. This allows the piece to be hung with or without a frame and you lose no image. The sides can be painted to enhance the finished piece or left white. I have also seen the sides taped with colored vinyl tape .
Gallery wrap:
The image ”wraps” around the edge of the frame, a wonderful modern look. Keep in mind with this choice you will loose approx 1/2"-1" of the image on each side, thus reducing the overall size of the finished piece. This may not be a good choice for some images as they may have detail around the edge that you will not want to lose.
Standard Stretching:
100% of the image is on the front and completely visible. The staples are on the sides of the stretcher frame.
Some Images Do Not Lend Themselves To Gallery Wrap
Here we see a Rodney White canvas that has been Gallery Wrapped. As you can see, the Rodney paints what is referred to a s full bleeds, where the image goes all the way to the end. He takes it one step further and has become famous for his truncated words, printed right up the edge and cutting them off, leaving just enough of the lettering showing to make it readable. Gallery Wrap stretching compromises that concept and in effect destroys the integrity of the artist's intended results.
Side View of Gallery Wrapped Life Needs More Green Lights by Rodney White
Front View of Gallery Wrapped, Life Needs More Green Lights, by Rodney White on the left. As the artist intended it to be on the right.
This can be the case with any artist's work. You have to make sure that the content of the image allows for Gallery Wrap stretching.