Gallery Finish Canvas Framing
Canvas Frames in Any Size for Stretched and Gallery-Wrapped Canvas
Custom Canvas Frames & Canvas Floater Frames
Canvas floater frames, traditional framed canvas prints, and unframed stretched canvas, built to your exact size and shipped from our New Jersey frame shop. Upload a photo and we print, stretch, and frame it for you. Already own a stretched canvas? Frame only: we cut a custom canvas frame to your dimensions and ship it ready to install. 82 wood and metal profiles, gallery-grade construction, half-inch reveal on every floater.
Design Your Canvas Frame
Floater, traditional, or unframed, with real-time pricing
Canvas Frames, Three Ways
A canvas frame finishes the edge of a stretched canvas the same way a picture frame finishes a print on paper. It sharpens the artwork, protects the corners, and gives the piece a wall-ready look. The difference is in how the frame meets the canvas. Three approaches dominate the market: canvas floater frames that surround the canvas with a visible reveal gap, traditional canvas frames with a rabbet lip that overlaps the canvas edge, and unframed stretched canvas prints with no frame at all. We build all three in any custom size, using the same New Jersey-made mouldings and gallery-grade construction across the line.
The mode that's right for you depends on the artwork, the room, and whether you already own a stretched canvas. The breakdown below walks through each option: what it looks like, when to use it, and what you'll pay attention to when ordering.
Canvas Floater Frames
A canvas floater frame (also called a floating canvas frame or canvas float frame) holds the stretched canvas inside a channel that's slightly larger than the stretcher bar. L-shaped offset clips screw to the inside wall of the moulding and grip the bar from behind, pulling the canvas snug against the back of the frame. The result is a uniform reveal gap (typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch) visible between the canvas edge and the inner wall of the moulding on all four sides. That gap is what gives the floater its signature hovering look: the canvas appears suspended inside the frame instead of sitting underneath a lip.
Floater frames are the gallery standard for contemporary art and finished photographic canvases. They show off the painted or wrapped edges of the canvas, they don't obscure any of the image, and they make a one-of-a-kind painting feel intentional and museum-finished. Our floater frame line includes 32 wood profiles from a slim 5/8-inch face up to a bold 2-inch face, plus aluminum profiles in satin black, brushed silver, and gold anodized. Choose the canvas depth (3/4 inch, 1-1/2 inch, or deeper) when you order and we cut the channel to match.
When to choose a floater
You have a gallery-wrapped canvas with finished edges, you want the canvas to be the focus (not the frame), or you're framing an original oil or acrylic painting where the brushwork wraps onto the sides.
Traditional Canvas Frames
A traditional canvas frame uses a rabbet (a recessed lip on the inside of the moulding) to overlap the front edge of the stretched canvas, the same way a picture frame holds a print on paper. The wood wraps over the outside corners of the canvas like a hand cupping a book: snug, with no visible gap. This is the classic look you see in museums for oil paintings, traditional landscapes, and framed canvas prints displayed with a linen liner or fillet between the canvas and the moulding.
Traditional canvas framing is the right call when the canvas has unfinished or stapled edges that you'd rather hide, when you want a more formal or classical look, or when you're matching an existing frame style elsewhere in the room. We build traditional canvas frames in the same 82 wood and metal profiles available across our shop, and we can pair them with linen-wrapped liners in warm or cool tones for a true gallery-cased finish. The minimum recommended profile width for a traditional canvas frame is 1-1/4 inches so the moulding has enough body to carry the weight of a stretched canvas.
When to choose traditional
The canvas has raw or stapled edges, you want a heavier visual presence, you're framing a print-on-canvas reproduction of a classical work, or the room calls for a more formal finish.
Unframed Stretched Canvas Prints
An unframed stretched canvas print is a gallery-wrapped canvas with no surrounding frame. We print your image on archival artist canvas, mirror or color-extend the edges so the wrap looks intentional from the side, and stretch the canvas around a solid wood stretcher frame. The finished piece arrives ready to hang straight from the box: no glass, no moulding, just the printed canvas wrapped over the edges.
This is the most modern of the three options and the most affordable. It's also the most flexible: you can hang an unframed canvas alone, group several together as a gallery wall, or add a floater frame later if your taste changes. We use 1-1/2-inch-deep gallery stretcher bars by default for a substantial profile that holds its shape on the wall, with 3/4-inch standard-depth bars available for smaller pieces or layered groupings.
When to choose unframed
You want the most contemporary, edge-to-edge look, you're building a multi-canvas gallery wall, you're working to a tighter budget, or you want the option to add a floater frame down the road without re-stretching.
Framing a stretched canvas is straightforward once the right frame is in hand. Whether you bought a canvas frame online and need to install your own canvas, or you're DIY-ing the whole project, the process is the same:
Measure the canvas accurately.
Use a tape measure on the outside of the stretcher bars, including the wrapped canvas. Record width and height to the nearest 1/8 inch. Note the depth of the stretcher bar (typically 3/4 inch or 1-1/2 inch).
Choose your frame style.
A floater frame for a finished gallery-wrap canvas, or a traditional rabbet frame if the edges are unfinished. Match the wood or metal finish to the room.
Order the frame to your exact size.
For a floater frame, the inside channel dimensions need to match the canvas with the correct offset built in. We handle that calculation automatically when you order. For a traditional frame, the rabbet opening should match the outside canvas dimensions.
Install the canvas.
For a floater, lay the frame face-down on a clean surface, drop the canvas in face-down, center it, and fasten the offset clips to the back of the stretcher bar with the included screws. A hand screwdriver works, but a power drill on the lowest torque setting is faster. For a traditional frame, drop the canvas in face-down, set offset clips or canvas hangers against the back of the stretcher bar, and screw them into the frame back.
Hang it.
D-rings and braided wire ship with every order. Mount the D-rings about a quarter of the way down from the top on each side, run the wire between them, and use a wall anchor rated for the frame's weight.
The whole install takes 5 to 10 minutes once your tools are out. If you'd rather skip it entirely, choose Print and Frame at checkout. We print, stretch, frame, and ship the piece fully assembled and ready to hang. For the wall side of the job, see our guide on how to hang your framed canvas at the right height with the right hardware.
Canvas comes stretched on different depths of wooden stretcher bar, and the canvas frame channel has to match. The three sizes you'll see most often:
3/4"
Standard depth
Smaller prints under 24x36
1-1/2"
Gallery depth
Contemporary default
1-3/4"+
Deep depth
Oversized & oil paintings
- 3/4-inch standard depth. The most common depth for canvas prints under 24x36 inches and most traditional studio canvases. Slim, lightweight, looks balanced on smaller pieces.
- 1-1/2-inch gallery depth. The contemporary standard for canvas prints and gallery wraps. The deeper bar gives the canvas more presence on the wall and pairs well with floater frames since the deeper canvas reads as more substantial inside the reveal gap.
- Deep canvas (1-3/4" and up). Used for oversized canvases, heavy oil paintings where the paint weight requires extra support, or designer pieces where the depth itself is part of the statement. We custom-cut floater channels for any depth up to 3 inches.
If you're framing a canvas you already own, measure the stretcher bar with a ruler held against the back edge (top of the bar to the wall side) and select the matching depth when you order. If you're using our Print and Frame service, we default to 1-1/2-inch gallery depth and you can switch to 3/4 inch in the configurator.
Canvas frames are built in solid wood or extruded aluminum, and the right material depends on the look you're after.
Wood canvas frames are the traditional choice. Solid hardwoods (ash, maple, oak, walnut, mahogany) take a wide range of finishes from matte black and bright white to natural raw wood, gold leaf, espresso stain, and limed grey. Wood profiles range from a slim 5/8-inch face up to a bold 2-1/4-inch face. The grain shows through most finishes, which gives wood frames a warmer, more handmade feel against canvas artwork.
Metal canvas frames are the contemporary alternative. Extruded aluminum profiles are lighter than wood, hold a perfectly sharp edge, and finish smoothly in satin black, brushed silver, anodized gold, or polished white. Metal floater frames are popular for photographic canvas prints and minimalist modern artwork where the frame should read as a clean rectangle rather than a piece of furniture.
Across both materials, the most-requested finishes for canvas framing are matte black, bright white, natural wood, and warm gold. All four are available in both floater and traditional profiles. The configurator above shows live pricing for every combination of size, depth, profile, and finish.
A uniform 1/8 to 1/4-inch reveal between canvas edge and frame wall creates the floating effect and showcases painted edges.
L-shaped metal clips grip the stretcher bar from behind, holding the canvas securely without visible fasteners on the frame face.
Channel depths accept 3/4-inch standard stretcher bars and 1-1/2-inch deep gallery bars. Select the matching depth when ordering.
Canvas Floater Frames in Action
See real canvas artwork in custom floater frames
Common Questions
What's the difference between a floater frame and a traditional canvas frame?
A floater frame surrounds the canvas with a visible 1/8 to 1/4 inch reveal gap on all four sides, so the canvas appears to float inside the moulding. A traditional canvas frame uses a rabbet lip that overlaps the front edge of the canvas, the same way a picture frame holds a print. Floaters are the gallery standard for contemporary art and finished gallery-wrap canvases. Traditional frames are the right call when you want a more classical look or when the canvas has unfinished edges that need to be concealed.
Can you frame a canvas I already own?
Yes. Choose “Frame your own canvas” in the designer, enter your canvas dimensions and depth, pick a moulding, and we'll build the frame to fit and ship it to you. You install your canvas in the frame yourself using the included offset clips. A screwdriver or low-torque drill is all you need, and the install takes about 5 minutes. We don't need you to ship the canvas to us.
Can you print my photo on canvas and frame it for me?
Yes, that's our Print and Frame service. Upload your image, choose a canvas depth, pick a frame style and finish, and we print your photo on archival artist canvas, stretch it on solid wood bars, build the frame to match, and assemble the whole piece in our New Jersey shop. The finished framed canvas ships ready to hang straight from the box.
Do I need glass or acrylic on a canvas frame?
No. Canvas frames (both floater and traditional) ship without glazing. The textured surface of the canvas is part of its visual appeal, and the varnish or coating applied during finishing protects the print or paint from dust and light contact. Adding glass would flatten the texture and introduce reflections. If the piece will be displayed in a high-humidity or high-pollution environment, non-glare acrylic is available on request, but it's uncommon for canvas.
What canvas depths do your frames fit?
Our floater and traditional canvas frame channels are cut to your canvas depth on order. Standard options are 3/4 inch (most canvas prints and studio canvases) and 1-1/2 inch (gallery wrap, our default). Deeper bars up to 3 inches are available for oversized or heavy paintings. Note the exact stretcher bar depth in the designer and we'll cut the channel to match.
How do I measure a stretched canvas for a frame?
Use a tape measure on the outside edge of the stretcher bars, including the wrapped canvas, and record width and height to the nearest 1/8 inch. For depth, hold a ruler against the back edge of the canvas and measure from the front face to the back of the stretcher bar. Enter all three measurements when you order. We add the offset clearance automatically so the floater channel ends up the right size for the reveal gap, and we cut traditional rabbets to match your outside dimensions.
Can I floater-frame a canvas with raw or stapled edges?
A floater frame leaves the edges of the canvas visible through the reveal gap, so raw or stapled edges will show. If your canvas has unfinished edges, choose a traditional canvas frame instead. The rabbet lip wraps over the edge and conceals it. Another option is to have the canvas re-stretched on a gallery-wrap bar with the image folding over the sides before ordering a floater frame.
How long does it take to make a custom canvas frame?
Orders ship in 3-5 business days from New Jersey via UPS Ground with optional expedited shipping at checkout. Tracking is sent automatically when the order ships.
Are your canvas frames wood or metal?
Both. Our wood canvas frames are cut from solid hardwoods (ash, maple, oak, walnut, mahogany) in over 30 finishes including matte black, bright white, natural raw wood, espresso, and warm gold leaf. Our metal canvas frames are extruded aluminum in satin black, brushed silver, anodized gold, and polished white. Wood reads warmer and more handmade; metal reads cleaner and more contemporary. The configurator above shows live pricing for every option.
What happens if my canvas depth doesn't match a standard size?
Enter the exact stretcher bar depth when you order. We cut the floater channel to that measurement so the offset clips grip the bar properly and the reveal gap stays uniform on all four sides. There's no extra charge for non-standard depths up to 3 inches. If you're unsure of the depth, measure with a ruler held against the back edge of the canvas or send a side-on photo through customer support and we'll confirm before cutting.
Looking specifically for canvas floater frames?
Our dedicated floater hub covers all four profile depths (1.0", 1.375", 1.5", 1.625") with depth-by-depth pairing notes and finish options.
Floater Frames for CanvasDisplaying a print or photograph alongside your canvas? See custom mat boards for coordinated matting cut to any size.