& CANADA 
Welcome to the educational “How to ….” part of the website. Please browse the following topics and follow the links to the sections that are of interest to you. If you need further information, please contact us directly by email or telephone at 1-800-561-4944.
You might think choosing a canvas is as simple as knowing the finished size you want but there are actually a lot of different factors that go into selecting the right canvas or stretcher frame for a particular purpose. Our guide will walk you through everything you need to consider.
What do I need to consider when choosing stretcher bars for my canvas art? How much bracing is required? Our guide will assist you to make that decision.
Step by step instructions (in both video and written format) showing how to put together a canvas stretcher frame, with and without braces, including how to install the canvas corner wedges/canvas keys…
Step by step instructions on how to assemble an Upper Canada Stretchers’ Gallery Stretcher Frame, including using the unique single-key-per-corner design to easily stretch your photo print or painting drum tight in minutes.
Upper Canada Stretchers’ Universal Braces can be used to strengthen any existing frame or replace a broken brace without having to remove the canvas from the frame. Find step-by-step instructions on how to install them here!
Step-by-step directions on the how to assemble aluminum stretcher frames from UCS with or without braces.
Step-by-step directions on the how to assemble floating frames for paintings using dovetail keys. Floater frames are quick and easy to put together and make your canvas painting look fantastic.
How do you stretch a canvas? Watch as Bob Nadon of Upper Canada Stretchers shares tips and best practices for stretching cotton or linen canvas on a stretcher frame. Step-by-step instructions are also pictured below.
You’ve bought a beautiful painting while on vacation or had a favourite photograph printed on canvas… but now, how do you get it ready for your wall? Here are a few questions and options to lead you through how to stretch and finish it to get it looking its best.
This video will walk you through the process of how to prepare a canvas for painting, using acrylic gesso.
Step-by-step instructions on how to assemble large round strainer frames from Upper Canada Stretchers.
Surprisingly, the durability of the oil painting on canvas is a popular myth. Its survival has depended on good construction, good luck, and regular conservation attention. A properly prepared, keyable stretcher frame is basic to the long life of a painting, given the vicissitudes of travelling, storage, and viewing space to which it will almost certainly be subjected
Here are some of the features that help make Upper Canada Stretchers some of the best and most trusted canvas stretcher bars in North America and keep our clients coming back again and again.
The larger the canvas, the more important it is to have it supported by a professionally made stretcher. For a large work to last over time, it needs a foundation that is light, strong, and skillfully constructed – qualities unlikely to be supplied by anyone other than experts.
What are the differences between linen and cotton canvas and which one is best for your usage? This article looks at many of their differences and similarities so you can make that decision.
You may not even be aware that there are numbered and ounced cotton canvases but they are manufactured differently, resulting in different qualities. Learn about those differences here.
Watch the following video to get an idea of what Upper Canada Stretchers does and what makes us unique.
You’ve purchased a giclee print or even had one made of your own work – giclees are beautiful but they can be easily damaged if you don’t know how to properly handle and care for them. Learn the ins and outs of giclee prints here
Displaying photos around the home is nothing new. However, with the ubiquitousness of digital photography, transferring these images to canvas has become increasingly common place. Digital prints on canvas share a number of benefits with more traditionally framed photos, but have additional advantages of their own. Here we consider the main benefits of using digital photographs in this way.
Upper Canada Stretchers offers onsite stretching assistance and service for large canvases. Watch this rapid-motion replay of the assembly, stretching and installation of one such painting at a commercial building in Toronto, Ontario…
Watch in rapid-motion as artist, Forrest Formsma, paints the entirety of his 11’x24′ canvas mural, “Hope Around the Bend”, which is then disassembled for shipping, then restretched and installed at the IU Health Saxony Hospital in Fishers, Indiana…