Canvas Wraps
Canvas prints are commonly made into what's called a "canvas wrap," which, as its name implies, wraps the canvas around wood stretcher bars, eliminating the need for glass, mat and frame. Canvas wraps are a contemporary way to display your artwork, with or without a frame.
Although there are decent UV protection qualities in canvas wraps, I would advise against placing them on a wall with a lot of direct sunlight.
One of the decisions with regard to canvas wraps is what to print on the sides of the piece.
Typically, a canvas is wrapped around the outside of a 1 1/2" wood frame (known as a stretcher bar).
Sounds simple, but each option has its ramifications....
The white line in the images that follow represent the edges of the artwork,
with the area outside of the white line wrapping around the sides of the stretcher bar.
Folded Edge
The obvious choice might be to just extend the print, as it is, around the side and on to the back of the frame where it is stapled to the wood. But then the outside of the print is essentially lost from view, and if there are important details there, it changes the impact of the picture.
This picture of Maroon Bells for example... wrapping the outside of the photograph around the bottom of the frame causes most of the lake to be lost from the picture.
Mirrored Edge
Another option is to mirror the outside 1 1/2" of the photograph on to the edge. While the image to the left looks a little funky from that effect, it is a flat view of the print, and after the canvas is wrapped around the stretcher bar, the effect is not apparent to those other than the folks who make this product every day.
The major benefit is that there's no loss of the outside edges of the print.... preserving the integrity of the photograph.
Stretched Edge
A third option is to stretch the outside of the photograph on to the edge. Like the mirrored edge, there's no loss of the picture at the outside of the canvas print.
Solid Color Edge
Black Edge
Print black on the sides of the canvas wrap.
Custom Color Edge
Choose a color to match the wall
where the canvas will be placed, or a color from the picture.
White Edge
Leave the edge with no ink, so that it's the color of the canvas.
Add a Float Frame
Float Frames are made with a space between the frame and the canvas wrap so that your print appears to be floating within the frame.
They are quite often a thin wood frame, but can be more.
