In lieu of screw eyes
Hi Joan,
I work as a picture framer, and have been for over five years. I've framed many paintings stretched on canvas, so I thought I'd give you some insights.
The offset clips are great because they're acid-free and don't damage the stretcher bars. I'm a visual person, so there's an attachment of what an offset looks like and how it fits over the bar. There are a couple of things I'd like to add though.
Instead of using screw-eyes, I'd suggest using strap hangers (see attachment, and forgive the crude "mouse" drawing). They lay flat against the frame moulding, and look a lot cleaner. Plus,the wire you use should be plastic coated to protect clients' walls.
Also, the way the back is finished is just as important as the finish of the front side. The cleaner the back of the frame looks the better. Especially if it's for a client. The back of a frame left unfinished looks just that way - unfinished. Yes, it's true that you want to let the canvas breathe, so a hole is necessary. But, I would definitely cover all the unsightly bars and unfinished moulding. Yet, the worse backing you want to use is the kraft paper. It's terribly acidic. There is a paper product available by Lineco that comes in rolls which is acid-free (it's a light blue color). That's what you should use (or something similar).
One final thing. If you're looking to keep your portrait as protected as possible, use aluminum tape to line the rabbet of the frame that the painting will set into. This will help protect your painting from the acids in the wood. Lineco also makes this product. They call it Frame Sealing Tape (no, I'm not a Lineco rep.).
Hope this fills you in,
Ramon
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