An original painting on canvas from the VanArtHub gallery at 1242 Davie Street in Vancouver.

By size · Vancouver

Oversized & Large Format Framing

Past a certain size everything changes: the glazing, the bracing, the hardware, and how it gets through your door.

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Past roughly a metre and a half on the longest side, framing stops being the same job at a bigger scale and starts being a different job. The glazing changes, the structure changes, the hanging changes, and how the piece gets into your home becomes a real question rather than an afterthought.

Acrylic instead of glass

Glass at this size is heavy and genuinely dangerous, both to handle and on the wall. Acrylic is a fraction of the weight and does not shatter, which is why most large pieces are glazed with it. It scratches more easily than glass, so it is cleaned differently, and we will tell you how.

Structure

Long frame sections flex, and a long stretcher bows inward under the pull of the canvas. Both are solved by bracing across the span, in one direction or in both depending on the proportions. Without it, a large piece slowly deforms and the problem shows up as a wave along the longest side.

Hanging

Two hooks and a wire are not the answer at this scale. A large framed piece hangs on a cleat spread across two studs, which distributes the load along a line rather than at two points and also holds the piece flat against the wall. The hardware is chosen for the actual finished weight, which we work out rather than estimate.

Getting it there

Measure your doorways, your stairwell and any turn between the door and the wall before committing to a size. A framed piece is rigid and cannot be angled the way a rolled canvas can. This is the single most common thing people forget, and it is much easier to plan around than to solve afterwards.

braced both ways cleat across two studs, not two hooks acrylic, not glass: lighter, and it does not shatter
Past roughly a metre and a half everything changes at once. The stretcher gets braced in both directions so the long bars cannot bow, the glazing usually becomes acrylic because glass at that size is both heavy and dangerous, and the piece hangs on a cleat spread across two studs rather than on two hooks.

How it works

  1. 1

    Bring it in, or send photographs

    Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.

  2. 2

    We look at the actual piece

    What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.

  3. 3

    It is made by hand and fitted

    Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.

Common questions

At what size does framing change?

Roughly a metre and a half on the longest side. Past that the glazing, the structure and the hanging all change, and how the piece gets into your home stops being an afterthought.

Why acrylic instead of glass on large pieces?

Glass at that size is heavy and genuinely dangerous, both to handle and on the wall. Acrylic is a fraction of the weight and does not shatter. It scratches more easily, so it is cleaned differently, and we will tell you how.

Why does a large frame need bracing?

Because long sections flex and a long stretcher bows inward under the pull of the canvas. Bracing across the span stops both. Without it a large piece slowly deforms, and it shows up as a wave along the longest side.

How should a large framed piece be hung?

On a cleat spread across two studs, not on two hooks. A cleat distributes the load along a line rather than at two points and also holds the piece flat against the wall. The hardware is chosen for the finished weight, which we work out rather than estimate.

Will it fit through my door?

Measure before committing to a size. A framed piece is rigid and cannot be angled the way a rolled canvas can, so doorways, stairwells and any turn between the door and the wall all matter. This is the most common thing people forget.

Can a very large piece be framed in sections?

Sometimes, as a diptych or triptych with a deliberate gap. It solves the access problem and can look better than one enormous frame. See framing a diptych or triptych.

Other things we frame

Where to find us

VanArtHub Gallery 1242 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1N3
Canada
Monday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Get directions Call (604) 401-9499

Not sure what yours needs?

Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.

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