Stretcher Bars and Braces

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  • Canvas Stretching Tools
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Stretcher Bars and Braces


Stretch and mount cotton and linen canvas over stretcher bars and braces. Choosing the right stretcher bars is just as important as choosing the perfect canvas to paint on. Typically made from wood, metal, or a combination of the two, canvas stretcher bars are used to create the frame for finished canvas.


Cross braces provide additional support to the canvas stretcher frame, to keep it square, and to help prevent warping and twisting. Cross braces should be ordered in the same length as the stretcher bar to which they are parallel.


Cross braces can either be installed in a ladder fashion, parallel to each other, or intersecting, in a crossing manner. In order to have the cross braces intersect or cross over each other, they must be ordered notched.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How are cross braces sized?

    When stretching your own large canvas, you may choose to add cross braces to your frame for extra stability. For the correct fit, order the cross brace in the same size as the stretcher bar to which it is parallel. The actual measurement of the cross brace will be shorter, but it will be sized to fit inside the assembled frame.

  • What are the standard methods for attaching canvas to stretcher bars?

    There are three standard methods: side stapling, back stapling, and spline finishing.

    Side Stapling is the least expensive technique for securing the canvas to the stretcher bar because it uses less canvas. Finished pieces are generally framed to hide the staples.

    Back stapling is a more expensive finishing technique and requires more canvas, but it provides more selvage for future restretching. Some artists paint on the side as well as the face, creating works that don't require framing.

    Spline finishing is the most expensive finishing technique. Though some artists feel that it's not as easy to restretch a splined canvas as it is a back-stapled canvas, many artists choose splined canvas because it has a neater appearance than other finishes, and because it's popular with their customers. Splined canvas hangs tight to the wall.