Canvas Frames and Floater Frames

Canvas Frames and Floater Frames

Canvas frames have an open back and deeper profile allowing them to accommodate the depth of a stretched canvas. They also provide a secure fit without the need for a mat, glass, and backing board. Canvas frames can be made from wood or metal and come in a variety of colors. You can find them in two different styles – a traditional frame style and a floater frame style.

Traditional Open Back Canvas Frames

Traditional open back canvas frames look like standard frames but can accommodate the depth of a canvas. The canvas is loaded from the frame’s back, like how you would a photograph. The frame’s rabbet, or rebate, gives depth to the frame and ensures the canvas is held securely in place. As a result of the rabbet's placement, the frame’s lip slightly overlaps the canvas, covering a small portion (approximately 1/4") of the artwork. While open back frames are designed to hold stretched canvas, they can also be used for photos or flat artwork by adding glass and backing.

Floater Frames

Floater frames are another common style of canvas frame and are most commonly used for thicker pieces of artwork, such as deep edge canvases and wood panels. These frames are also open back, but give the illusion that the artwork is floating inside the frame by leaving a small “gap” between the canvas and frame. Unlike traditional open back frames, the canvas is loaded from the front of the frame rather than the back. The canvas is then secured to the frame using screws that attach the canvas stretcher bars to the frame. A key benefit of a floater frame is that the artwork is fully visible, unobstructed by the frame itself.

How to Frame & Hang Your Canvas

1. Measure the height and width of the canvas to find a frame that is compatible in size.
2. Measure the depth of your canvas. The frame's depth should accommodate the depth of the canvas to ensure the canvas does not protrude from the frame. It’s recommended that the canvas depth is either very close or slightly less than the frame’s depth.
3. Choose your frame style and secure your canvas to the frame:
   Traditional open back: Position the canvas within the back end of the frame and secure it in place using specialized canvas offsets or clips. The clips are attached to the back of the frame and gently bent over the stretcher bars and then screwed into place to keep your canvas secured to the frame.
   Floater Frames: Load the canvas from the front of the frame and ensure the positioning of the canvas has even gaps around the edges. To temporarily secure the canvas, you can add cardboard spacers to hold the canvas in place before flipping the frame over to secure the canvas stretcher bars to the frame’s back with screws.
4. Next use hanging hardware, such as D-rings or hanging wire, to hang your artwork. Make sure the hardware is durable enough to hold the weight of the canvas and frame.