Canvas Rolled In Tube

Hi Bob, Probably an extension of whatever it is printed on.

so what is the cost approximately with a local framer? including frame?

Be sure to factor in the cost of stretcher bars...you don't really have that much savings to spend on stretching....particularly at that size.

I know from personal experience that $138 doesn't go very far when you are framing art even if you do your own. I have purchased many of my own paper prints from faa and had them delivered in a tube. One order had five prints in a tube, that starts to make the shipping costs insignificant. The type of presentation I was hoping to duplicate is stretched canvas on a 1 1/2" wrap which can be done with materials that are far less expensive than the wood used in regular framing...almost free as a matter of fact. So it seem that all I have to do is put together a sturdy wood frame of the right size and then (this may be the hard part) stretching the canvas evenly across the frame and stapling it to the back.

The type of edge on the border is not too important for the first order because I do not want the additional challenge of perfect alignment where photo fades to black, white or mirror-image border all the way around my home-made frame the first time I attempt this. However, if all goes well, I could see trying the mirror-image wrap on future orders.

I know I can find a local printer to do the whole thing but I came to faa looking for a good printer and have found them to be excellent in quality and customer service, I'd like to use them as my personal printer for the art that I hang in my home so that when someone compliments me on a piece I can tell them that faa printed it and by the way here's my card with a link to the site.

In considering everything, plus time and labor, I am thinking FAA is priced really well for doing that. I can see that if you have the skills, then you do save money on shipping, but considering gas to drive to the framers, and the cost of time, labor, stretcher bars (thanks Marlene!), skill, FAA gives a good bargain.

But more power to you Bob, if you can just do it on your own! :)

Rebecca

take a good look at a stretcher bar....it has a lip, so that the canvas is not flat on the wood...a big nono. they also have corners that fit together to form perfect right angles...unless you have a mitre box, i wouldn't go there with jst cheap wood....just a few recommendations. above all else, make sure your wood is cured...green wood will ruin the torque when it dries out.
There is a special tool for stretching and a special way to do the stretching...read up!

Special tool?!?!?! Oh noooo...my budget is going down along with my chances for a successful outcome. All of what you said about the frame is true and I am aware as a retired home builder with a background in finish carpentry. I built my house and am working on a wooden boat in my garage so I'm ok with the carpentry and have a lot of seasoned wood to use but have never stretched a piece of canvas. OK, I'm off to see my friend Google and delve into this mystery of the art of canvas stretching a bit deeper before I worry too much about what my canvas border will have on it. Thanks for the advice Rebecca & Marlene.

@Marlene - not every print shop uses frames with a lip as you mentioned. Some of my prints that I purchased from a company that I do not use anymore are perfectly flat/flush even with the cross pieces on a large canvas. Every frame piece can be seen pushing against the back of the canvas so I have a good example of how not to do it on hand. I also noticed that not all corner folds are created equal so that may be another challenging part of this project.

to be correct, they are stretcher bars, not frames....if there's no lip, you're gonna run into issues down the line...the lip keeps the canvas off the wood.
and yes, not all corner folds are created equal!
best of luck!

@Marlene - won't be needing that good luck.

I did a bit of on-line research and learned all about assembling bars and stretching canvas and I can now state with perfect confidence that I am not qualified for the task, don't own a canvas pliers much less a good quality one that won't mangle the canvas, and have lost all desire to pursue this "new career" as canvass stretcher.

In the words of the late great Rosanne Rosannadanna - "Nevermind".

Bob, I retired mine long ago. I used to get bloody knuckles.