Measuring Up: How to Get the Perfect Fit for Your Custom Floater Frame

When it comes to presenting your artwork in a canvas floater frame, it's important to take accurate measurements to ensure a good fit. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to measure for a custom floater frame:

1. Measure the height, width, and thickness of your canvas/stretcher bars or panel.
2. For a standard floater frame, add ¼" to the width and height of your artwork when determining the frame size to achieve a ⅛" space between the edges of your artwork and the walls of the frame.
3. For stepped-floaters, add ⅛" to each dimension (1/16" along each edge) to ensure a good fit.
4. Measure the dimensions at the corners of your stretched canvas to account for any slight warping.
5. Choose a floater frame with a rabbet depth that matches the thickness of your artwork, so that the surface of your canvas will be flush with the frame. If the rabbet depth is shallower than your artwork, you can add strips of mat board or foam board underneath to lift it until it's nearly flush. For a canvas that has a ¾" thickness, choose a floater frame with a rabbet depth of ⅞" to 1". For a canvas that has 1 ¼" thickness, choose a canvas floater frame with a rabbet depth of 1 ⅜" to 1 ½".

By following these steps, you can ensure that your custom floater frame fits your artwork perfectly and achieves a beautiful floating effect that showcases your art to its full potential.