Rolled vs Stretched Canvas: Which Should You Buy?

What is the difference between rolled and stretched canvas?

Stretched canvas is already mounted on a wooden frame, so it arrives ready to hang. Rolled canvas is the same painting shipped in a tube, without the frame, which costs less and weighs far less to send. If you want to hang it the day it arrives, choose stretched. If you plan to frame it yourself, or you are shipping overseas, choose rolled.

How rolled canvas is prepared

We let the paint cure fully, then take the canvas off its working frame and roll it outward around a rigid tube. It travels in that tube. Nothing touches the painted surface, so it cannot rub against itself in transit.

How stretched canvas is prepared

The finished canvas is mounted on a wooden stretcher frame and the edges are folded and secured at the back. It arrives as a solid object you can hang directly. It also costs more to ship because it is bulky and cannot be folded.

Which one should you choose

Choose stretched if the painting is going straight onto a wall and you would rather not deal with a framer. Choose rolled if it is travelling a long distance, if you intend to have it framed to match a room, or if you want the lowest shipping cost.

Do both versions look the same on the wall

Yes. The painting itself is identical and painted the same way. The only difference is whether the wooden frame is already behind it. A framer can stretch a rolled canvas in a few minutes, and the finished result is the same object.

Where to see it

• See the sizes we offer on every painting
• How our canvases are made

Questions about this? Get in touch.