There are six diverse ways to frame or display a canvas. Although the design possibilities are nearly endless, here are some of the most popular and unique ways to frame your canvas art:

Use A Single Frame

When custom framing your canvas art with a single frame, make it count! For example, if you frame artwork on paper, the option of mats and fillets is available to add color, scale, and texture to the design.

When using a single frame on canvas art it is necessary to chose a frame that has a contrasting lip, wider profile, and perhaps some texture or ornamentation.  As in the example to the right, the frame is proportionate, the color contrasts, and the texture compliments the theme of the painting.

Use a Liner and Frame

Liners are to canvases what a mat is to a print on paper. Both serve as a border that provides a breathing space and guide into the art itself.  Picture frame liners also help prevent the art from blending in with the frame, while helping compliment the painting at the same time. With access to thousands of colors, textures and materials, fabric liners can be manufactured in just about any profile to best fit your custom framing design.

The Stacked Frame Combination

They say two is always better than one! Well, at least with picture framing, one frame stacked on top of another really helps enhance your canvas artwork.  Because canvas isn’t usually framed with glass and mats, stacking two frames often helps achieve the compliment and style that is just right for the art.

For hundreds of years, two or more mouldings have often been combined to create one frame. Be sure to ask our designers what 2 or more frames will do for your canvas art.

Use A Canvas Floater Frame

Don’t cover it up! A float frame allows you to present the art without covering the edge as a standard frame will. When used alone, a float provides the most minimal frame design.  Literally just a boarder around the art. However, you can add other frames around the float to add scale and personality to your design.  Float frames are always recommended when the edge of the painting has detail or artist signatures that you don’t want to have covered by the lip of the frame.

Stack Canvas Art on top of the Frame

Thick gallery wrapped canvas art is popular today. This means the art continues down the outside edge of the canvas. A typical stretched canvas fit into a picture frame would hide this gorgeously wrapped edge.

If you just hang up a gallery wrapped canvas it can look unfinished like a house without landscaping or a car without tires. By placing the gallery wrapped canvas on top of a frame, you provide the finishing touch without covering any of the art.

Stack Canvas on a Mat in a Frame

Use mats to enhance your canvas art! We typically do not recommend using mats with art on canvas, but this is an exception.

As a backboard of texture, your canvas art whether gallery wrapped or framed can be mounted on top of a matboard.  The matboard can then be framed to give your art a unique look and feel  We recommend this technique to increase overall size and present a fresh look.

A little Tip From The Experts:

Art on canvas is rarely covered with glass or acrylic. Exceptions may include canvases that are valuable, fragile, or when hanging in high risk areas where they might be touched, bumped, or subject to airborne pollutants such as smoke or grease.