12 Inch Classic A1 Stretcher Bar 3/4" Deep #A1-12

Classic™ 3/4" Deep Bar • 1/16" Canvas Clearance

This Stretcher Bar is the standard in the industry for Stretched Canvases and works with standard picture frames. It provides 1/16" Canvas Clearance on both sides, you can stretch either side of the Bar.

• Produces a 3/4" deep stretched canvas (Actual depth is 11/16")
• 1-5/8" wide Stretcher Bar
• Precision machined corners
• Solid Ponderosa Pine or Fir from the Pacific Northwest
• The ends are mirror images of each other, so they naturally fit together; no other parts are needed
• Corner Keys may be purchased separately to expand the frame, only if needed to increase the tension after the canvas has been stretched

Finger Jointed Wood is not meant for Stretcher Bars

Solid wood makes the most dependable Stretcher Bar, because one homogeneous wood member is going to behave similarly across the entire length of the Bar. Whereas, with finger-jointed wood is made-up of multiple pieces of wood, sometimes on the actual joint itself, presenting multiple points of failure which no one can control.

We only use Solid Wood to build our Stretcher Bars because a solid piece of wood will last indefinitely. When we speak of archival value, it's not just the paint you use and the quality of your canvas and ground, even the wood choices manufacturers add or reduce value to your final painting. The fact is, you don't want problems, and finger joints only increase that risk of the wood falling apart in the future.

The glue used to bind finger joints is a water based adhesive and when that wood is exposed to high humidity environments, particularly with exterior walls, the glue joints can give-up. As a manufacturer, Masterpiece® does its part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality product that will out-perform any other in the marketplace.

Sustainability Promotes Social Well-Being

The forests of the world are a precious resource that must be protected for future generations. By using lumber from sustainably managed forests in our products, we can help to ensure that these valuable resources are preserved and protected. This is not only important for the environment, but also for the social and economic well-being of the communities that rely on these forests for their livelihoods.

Canvas Size Needed for this Stretcher Bar

Most artists will stretch the canvas and attach the staples or tacks onto the back side of the frame. Doing so allows you to paint on the edge and hang your art without needed a picture frame. Generally speaking, you should allow 4 Inches of canvas beyond the size of your frame.

For example, if you were to stretch a 12'' x 6y frame size, which happens to be a custom proportion, your canvas should be about 4 x 16. This allows you ample room to stretch and attach the canvas on the back. Should you ever need to remove the canvas from the frame and re-attach it, it still serves that purpose too. Should you want to attach the canvas from the edge of the stretcher frame, then you can reduce the size of your canvas about 3/4" all the way around the frame.

With deep family ties and a legacy spanning since 1965 in California, Masterpiece® has been the epitome of unmatched quality in Stretcher Bars across North America. Our commitment to pioneering excellence has crowned us as the forerunners in the world of professional fine-art canvases. Bolstered by our patented innovations, our products exude a caliber that's in a league of its own. One touch, and the unparalleled quality becomes palpable, leaving an indelible impression on your clients and all future admirers of your art.

Love those who smile in trouble, gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ♦ Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci's multifaceted genius extended far beyond the confines of his celebrated artworks. His notebooks reveal a thinker deeply engaged with the intricacies of human nature and the broader cosmos. Through this quote, Leonardo underscores a profound appreciation for resilience, a quality that he, as an artist and inventor, embodied in many facets of his life.

The path is seldom smooth. We encounter critiques, self-doubt, and a myriad of challenges. Yet, as Leonardo suggests, it is in confronting these adversities that we often discover our true mettle. Those of us who face difficulties with a smile, who use setbacks as a catalyst for growth, exhibit the very spirit that da Vinci admired. Through introspection, we refine our vision, allowing our art to evolve in tandem with our personal growth. Leonardo's words serve as a poignant reminder that in the crucible of challenges, character is forged and greatness emerges.

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We hope to inspire your art with this wonderful quote and our interpretation along with our own one-of-a-kind portrait of Leonardo da Vinci..got to love it!

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

One of our most celebrated products helps make your canvas tighter! Assembling Stretcher Bars and Stretching your own canvas can present some challenges. While your canvas may seem tightly stretched, the tension may vary from staple to staple creating lines of tension across the canvas in a grid like pattern. The trick is to maintain balanced tension across the canvas.

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Re-Tensioner is a great way to redistribute the tension in a canvas across that grid-like pattern of tension as well as increase the tension on the entire canvas. While you can can add tension by keying-out the corners of the frame, it may produce an hour-glass effect by expanding the frame in the corners, and not the center.

With Tight'n'Up™, you can add tension to just a small area, or a large area. Simply spray it lightly on the back and brush it into the canvas, and within seconds, your canvas becomes tighter and stays tighter. The more you use, the tighter it gets. Recommended for acrylic primed cotton or linen canvas. We do not recommend it for oil primed canvas because there are simply too many different types of oil primed canvas, but used conservatively at your own risk, it will tension any canvas.