How to do canvas wrap correctly?

[aaronchan]

Dear all,

I've been printing on canvas for quite some time already.
But currently, I bought my first air compressor, miter saw and a canvas stracher plier.
I'm using Q-image to prep my image for canvas wrap.
But once I tried to wrap the frame, which it's in a correct size and right angle,
I can't get the frame correctly sit on the back of the print, which the final result came out a bit skew or moved.
Is there any tips for me to make it perfect?
I have tried a few times already and kind of unhappy right now

Thanks
Aaron

[mikev1]

It can be challenging but like anything becomes easier with practice.  I used to make a light pencil mark on the back of the print on the corners.  Maybe a half inch cross.  Served as a good guide for me.  I'd staple one side in the centre, flip it around to the other side staple it, then slowly start stapling most of those two opposite sides before working on the other two.  I tried to keep it somewhat even on each side the number of staples, constantly checking for skew.

I think there is a video on this site somewhere and I am sure there are resources on YouTube.

[Peter McLennan]

I'm doing exactly what you're doing.  Qimage prints and making my own stretchers from 1X3.  I do a  manual stretch with canvas pliers.

I put a pin right through the image side of the canvas at the mirror edge corners and then mark where the pin emerges on the back side of the canvas with a small cross.  With the canvas image side down, I align the frame with those marks and staple the centers of each side, moving outwards towards the corners, monitoring for alignment as I go. 

It's not always perfect, but it's close enough for me.  People love the image wrapping (mirroring) around the edges.

[smjphoto]

I hold up the canvas with light coming thru from the front to the back and mark the back lightly with pencil at the edge of the image and the mirror image. It's easy to do by holding the canvas image side to a large window or sliding glass door for example. I also print registration marks on the front margins to help locate the edges. My canon printing software does this. Then I stretch similarly to what the others have suggested.
Stuart

[Jantórur Emil Joensen]

Hi.
I bought a plade of clear plexiglass, and under the plade i have light so i clearly can see the printing, and this makes it easy for me to mount the canvas on the frame, i use bubbleplast under the canvas to protect the printing from getting scratched.
JEJ

[Ernst Dinkla]

With my wrap actions several lines are printed at the edges that show at the back of the frame. When equally distributed at the back and the lines more or less straight the image should be correctly placed at the front.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

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