Stretched Canvas or Canvas Board, Framed or Unframed: Which to Choose

Product pages for paintings list a surface and a framing option, and buyers often skip past them. They matter. They decide how the piece sits on the wall, whether it arrives ready to hang, how much it weighs, and what it costs to ship. Here is what the terms mean.

Stretched canvas

Canvas fabric is pulled tight over a wooden frame, called stretcher bars, and fixed at the back. The painting has depth, usually two to four centimetres, and the canvas has a slight spring when touched.

• Ready to hang. A stretched canvas can go straight on the wall without a frame.
• Light for its size. Large paintings are almost always on stretched canvas.
• Painted edges. When the sides are painted, the piece looks finished from every angle. This is often called a gallery wrap.
• Care. Do not lean objects against the front or back; a dent in the canvas can be hard to remove.

Canvas board

Here the canvas is glued to a rigid board. The result is thin, flat and firm.

• Very stable. A board does not sag or dent, which helps with heavy texture and fine detail.
• Best in a frame. Because it is only a few millimetres thick, a board looks finished once framed, and needs a frame or a stand to display.
• Good for smaller sizes. Boards are usually chosen for small and medium pieces.
• Easy to ship. Thin and rigid, a board packs flat.

Framed or unframed

• Unframed stretched canvas. Clean and modern. The most common choice for contemporary rooms, and the least expensive to ship.
• Classic frame. A moulding that overlaps the edge of the painting. It adds formality and protects the corners. Suits traditional rooms and gifts.
• Floating frame. A frame that sits around a stretched canvas with a small gap, so the canvas appears to float inside it. It gives a crisp, gallery finish without covering any of the painting.
• Glass. Acrylic paintings on canvas are normally displayed without glass, which would add weight and reflections. Works on paper do need glazing.

How to decide

• For a large statement wall: stretched canvas, unframed or in a floating frame.
• For a formal room or a gift to parents: a framed piece looks complete the moment it is unwrapped.
• For a shelf, desk or small niche: a framed canvas board.
• For shipping abroad: an unframed piece costs less to send, and you can have it framed locally to match your room. Read our guide for overseas buyers.
• For heavy texture: ask which surface the artist recommends; see our guide to textured art.

Choosing a frame colour

Match the frame to the painting first and the room second. Gold frames suit warm palettes and black and gold work. Black frames sharpen pale and colourful pieces. Natural wood is relaxed and suits floral and earth-toned art. A frame should be quieter than the painting inside it.

What InkByHand lists

Every product page states the surface and the framing for that piece, and framing can be discussed for any order before you pay. If a page does not answer your question, message the studio. You can also filter the shop by framing, and compare surfaces and prices in the price guide.

Once you have chosen, read how to hang a canvas painting, and for telling a painted original from a printed canvas, see handmade or printed?.

Sources

• Terms as used by art suppliers and framers; see also the InkByHand calligraphy glossary.