Q: I've heard that placing staples at an angle rather than parallel to the weave gives greater strength to a stretched canvas. Is this true?

A: Placing staples at a forty-five-degree angle to the weave of the canvas rather than parallel to it will tend to prevent the weave from separating at the point where the staple penetrates the canvas. When positioned at this angle, the two prongs come into contact with a greater number of threads than they would if the staple were placed in a parallel manner.

Staggering the placement of each individual staple in varying distances from the edge of the stretcher bars will decrease the likelihood of any separation of the weave during stretching. Using a close, tightly woven fabric also prevents separation of the weave.

Comments

This is very good advice to follow for the preservation of paintings. Many times artists try to save time and money by spreading tacks or staples too far apart. This results in a scalloping of the canvas which distorts the image as well as weakening the structure.They should be place every one to two inches apart.