Part 1 shows how to choose a frame on the Canvas Floater Frames page. Part 2 shows how to set it up on the frame's own page, using the 7mm Worn Black Foil frame as the example.
Example canvas: 500 × 400mm, 40mm deep. Recorded 17 October 2026.
Part 1: Choosing a canvas floater frame
How to use the Canvas Floater Frames page to price a frame for your canvas, make sure it suits your canvas's depth, and compare your shortlist side by side.
Video: choosing a floater frame on the Canvas Floater Frames page.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “How To Measure And Order Canvas Floater Frames” on YouTube.
1. Enter your canvas size
Every frame on this page is made to your canvas size, so the first thing to do is tell the page how big your canvas is. Measure the stretched canvas itself, not the picture on it.
Leave Units on mm . You can switch to inches or pick a popular size instead.
Type 500 in Canvas width .
Type 400 in Canvas height .
The line under the results heading changes to “To fit a 500 × 400mm canvas with a 5mm shadow gap on each side” to confirm your size. Every price updates too. The 10mm natural barefaced frame goes from £17.62 at the default 261 × 261mm to £30.37.
Width and height entered. The summary line and prices update straight away. You don't need to press a button.
2. Shadow gap and pre-drilled holes
Next to the size fields are two options. Each has a ? icon that explains it.
5mm shadow gap (ticked by default)
This gap is what gives a floater frame its look. The canvas sits in an open tray with a small space all round, so it appears to float. With the gap on, the frame opening is made about 10mm bigger than your size, giving 5mm on each side.
“We make the frame opening about 10mm bigger than your canvas, leaving a 5mm gap on each side. Untick for a closer fit.” (help text for the shadow gap option)
Untick it if you want the frame to sit tight against the canvas edges. In this demo the price stayed the same either way.
The shadow gap is on by default, and the results line repeats it so you always know which opening size you're pricing.
Pre-drilled holes (optional extra)
Floater frames hold the canvas with screws from the back of the frame into the canvas stretcher bars. If you tick this, the frame arrives drilled and comes with the screws, so all you have to do is drive them in.
“We pre-drill the frame and supply screws to fix your canvas in place.” (help text for the pre-drilled holes option)
It adds a small charge to every frame. For a 500 × 400mm canvas it added £2.40, taking the cheapest frame from £30.37 to £32.77.
With pre-drilled holes ticked, every price goes up. The cheapest frame goes up by £2.40.
3. Use the depth guide
Canvases come in different depths, from thin 18mm stretchers to deep 40mm-plus gallery wraps. Floater frames also vary in how deep their tray is, which the page calls internal depth . Matching the two decides where the front of your canvas ends up compared with the front of the frame.
In Depth guide on the left, type 40 (your canvas depth in mm).
Only show frames within 5mm of my canvas depth ticks itself.The list narrows from 32 frame profiles in 99 colours to 11 frame profiles in 31 colours . These are the frames with an internal depth between 35mm and 45mm.
A second summary line appears: “Your 40mm deep canvas will sit within approx 5mm of the front of the frame.”
Does it have to be exact?
No. Clicking Is this important? under the checkbox shows this:
“Only as much as you want it to be. There is no rule that a canvas must sit flush with the front of the frame, and in practice few do. A difference of around 5mm either way is acceptable to most people. Floater frames are not made with an internal depth of less than about 22mm.”
That's why the filter allows ±5mm. If you want to see every frame again, untick the box or click Clear depth .
① Enter 40. ② The 5mm filter ticks itself. ③ The list drops from 32 to 11 profiles. ④ A summary line explains what that means for your canvas.
Read the depth on each frame
With a depth entered, each frame shows its depth in three places. The black badge on the image (“42mm deep” ), the Internal depth line in the specs, and a new coloured note that tells you exactly how your 40mm canvas will sit in that frame.
The depth badge, internal depth and fit note highlighted on each frame. Green notes mean the canvas sits flush or slightly below the front. Amber means it stands slightly proud.
The 11 frames shown for a 40mm canvas
Frame Internal depth How a 40mm canvas sits Price
15mm natural barefaced 42mm ≈2mm below the front £36.66 7mm noir 45mm ≈5mm below the front £42.28 16mm stained 40mm Flush £43.55 16mm painted 40mm Flush £43.55 16mm umbra veneer 40mm Flush £52.70 38mm painted 37mm ≈3mm proud £55.34 15mm metallic, deep 45mm ≈5mm below the front £61.86 28mm stained 40mm Flush £64.18 16mm stelvio, deep 40mm Flush £71.04 7mm foil, deep 45mm ≈5mm below the front £77.92 9mm real wood veneer, deep 36mm ≈4mm proud £105.89
Prices are for a 500 × 400mm canvas with the 5mm shadow gap and without pre-drilled holes, as shown on the day this was recorded.
4. Compare up to four frames
Once you have a shortlist, put the frames side by side to compare their full specs.
Tick Compare under each frame you're interested in. This demo picks the 15mm natural barefaced, 16mm stained, 38mm painted and 28mm stained frames.
A bar appears at the bottom of the screen showing how many are ticked. Four is the maximum (“4 frames ticked to compare (the most at once)” ).
Click the green Compare button in that bar.
Four frames ticked (1–4). The bar at the bottom keeps count and holds the Compare button.
The comparison view shows just your four frames with extra details not shown in the main grid: Total depth , Material , Finish and number of Colours . The summary line updates for this set: “Your 40mm deep canvas will sit within approx 3mm of the front of the frame.” You can still add to basket, order a sample or view the profile from here. Back to all frames returns you to the full list with your settings kept.
The comparison view. Your size, shadow gap and depth summary sit above four frames laid out side by side.
Found your frame? Click it to open its page, then carry on with Part 2 below.
Part 2: Customising your floater frame
How to use a floater frame's product page to confirm your canvas size, check the depth, choose your options, preview your artwork, save or share the design and add it to your basket. The example is the 7mm Worn Black Foil frame.
Video: customising a floater frame on its product page.
1. Check your canvas size
If you arrive from the Canvas Floater Frames page, the size you entered there carries over. In this example 500 × 400mm, and the 40mm depth, were already filled in when the page opened.
Check Width and Height under Canvas size against your own measurement of the stretched canvas.
If either is wrong, click in the box and type the correct number.
The preview, the price (£77.92 for this size) and the bar at the bottom of the screen all update to match.
The sizes carried over from the previous page. Re-type them if your measurement is different.
2. Use the depth guide and the 3D view
Each floater frame has a fixed internal depth. This one's is 45mm (1¾"), shown just under the size boxes: “This is fixed for this frame and cannot be customised. Please check it suits the depth of your canvas.”
The frame's internal depth is fixed. The depth guide shows how your canvas will sit in it.
Click the Depth guide bar (marked optional ) to open it. The bar already shows a summary, here “40mm canvas: 5mm below the front” .
With a 40mm canvas the guide says “Your canvas will sit approx 5mm below the front of this frame.” The cross-section diagram shows the canvas set slightly back inside the frame.
As an example, change Canvas depth to 25 . The message changes to “Your canvas will sit approx 20mm below the front of this frame” and the diagram redraws.
This is a guide only. Entering a depth doesn't change the frame.
40mm canvas: sits about 5mm below the front.
25mm canvas: sits about 20mm below the front.
See it in 3D
Above the preview, click 3D and AR .
Click and drag the model to rotate it and look at the edge. At 25mm the canvas sits deep inside the frame.
Change the depth back to 40 , then reopen 3D and AR (click Front first, then 3D and AR again). Now the canvas sits much closer to the front, just 5mm back.
On a phone, the same button lets you see the frame on your own wall in AR.
25mm canvas in 3D: it sits about 20mm inside.
40mm canvas in 3D: it sits about 5mm below the front.
3. Shadow gap
Under Options , Shadow gap is ticked by default. It leaves a 5mm gap on each side of the canvas, so the canvas seems to float in the frame. The page shows the opening size this gives: “A 5mm gap shows on each side. The frame opening will be about 510mm × 410mm.”
Untick it for a close fit: “The frame opening will be 2 to 4mm larger than your canvas overall.” When you change it, watch these three things:
The cross-section diagram in the depth guide redraws the gap between frame and canvas.
The description under the checkbox changes.
The bar at the bottom changes from “500 × 400mm, shadow gap” to “500 × 400mm” .
The price stayed at £77.92 either way. For the floating look, leave it ticked.
Shadow gap on: an opening of about 510 × 410mm.
Shadow gap off: a close fit, and the diagram redraws.
4. Pre-drilled holes
“We drill the back ledge and include screws, so the canvas is locked in place. Best for larger or heavier canvases.” (pre-drilled holes option)
It's an optional extra. At 500 × 400mm it took the price from £77.92 to £80.32, and the bottom bar adds “pre-drilled” . It was turned off again for the rest of this demo.
With pre-drilled holes ticked, the price goes from £77.92 to £80.32.
5. Preview your artwork in the frame
Below the preview, click the Upload your artwork to preview it box, or drag a file onto it. JPG, PNG or PDF files are accepted.
A message reminds you it's a preview only: “WE DO NOT PRINT THE IMAGE.” Click I understand – upload image .
Your picture now fills the canvas in the preview. You can switch between Front, Corner, On a wall and the other views, or use Change image and Remove image .
This demo used a sample landscape graphic. If you also want the canvas printed, use the “I want to order a printed canvas as well” link under the preview.
Confirm the preview-only message.
The artwork shows in the frame.
6. Save design or email design
Under the price there are two links for keeping or sharing your design.
Save design adds it to your Design Gallery (“This design has been added to your Gallery” ). You can type a title and click Update Title , open the gallery, or click Continue to carry on.Email design opens a form. Enter the recipient's email address, edit the personal message, type the verification word, then click Submit . It's useful for checking with someone before you order.
The email form was opened in this demo but nothing was sent.
The two links sit under the price and dispatch date.
Save design, which goes to your Design Gallery.
Email design: recipient, message and verification.
7. Check the spec and add to basket
Scroll down to Specification and check it before ordering. In this example it read:
Frame style 304243814 · 7mm Black Foil Frame size 500 × 400mm + Shadow Gap Included Fitting kit and hanging fixtures Face width 7mm Internal depth 45mm Total depth 55mm Material / finish Fir wood, Black Painted Foil Glazing and backing None (for stretched canvases only)
The specification confirms the size and that the shadow gap is included.
Then click Add to basket . The confirmation repeats the key details: “Your £77.92 Custom Canvas Floater Frame has been added to your basket. Frame to fit canvas size: 500 X 400mm with a shadow gap of approx 5mm on each side.” From there, choose Continue , Basket or Checkout .
Added to basket, with the size and shadow gap confirmed.
Screenshots taken from the live site on 17 October 2026. The orange outlines and labels were added for this guide and aren't part of the site. The demo stopped at the basket, and no order or email was sent. Prices and ranges may change.
To order a canvas picture frame or a canvas floater frame , you need accurate measurements of your stretched canvas: its width, its height and its depth. This short guide shows how to take them.
You'll need a metal tape measure, and a pen and paper.
How to measure a stretched canvas
Video: how to measure a stretched canvas, step by step.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “How To Measure A Stretched Canvas” on YouTube.
Step by step
1. Lay the canvas flat
Put the canvas face up on a clean, hard, level surface, such as a table or worktop, and make sure there's nothing on it that could scratch the front. Not a bed, sofa or carpet: a soft surface lets the canvas and the tape sag. Use a metal tape measure : fabric and plastic tapes stretch, and can be several millimetres out. Work in millimetres .
A firm, flat surface.
2. Check it's square
Measure both diagonals, from the top left corner to the bottom right, and from the top right to the bottom left. If they're within a few millimetres of each other, the canvas is square. A bigger difference means it's out of square: measure it carefully at every point in the next steps, and use the largest sizes.
650mm and 649mm: square.
3. Measure the width
Hook the end of the tape over the left edge, including the folded side of the canvas, run it straight across, and read where the right edge falls. Measure across the top , the middle and the bottom , and use the largest .
Reading the tape at the right edge.
Top, middle and bottom: use the largest.
4. Measure the height
Do the same from top to bottom, at the left , the middle and the right , and use the largest.
Left, middle and right: use the largest.
5. Measure the depth
Measure the depth of the canvas at its side, from the front of the canvas to the back of the wooden stretcher bars.
Canvas floater frames Canvas picture frames
A 38mm deep canvas.
Never go by the packaging. The sizes printed on labels are often approximate, or rounded from inches. The canvas in the video is sold as 20 × 16 inches (508 × 406mm) but measures 507 × 405mm. Always measure the canvas itself.
The label, and the canvas's real size.
6. Write it down, check it, then order
Write the sizes down clearly: width, height and depth . On the frame's page, enter the exact sizes you measured , and don't add anything for the fit:
for a canvas floater frame , the shadow gap round the canvas is added for you;
for a canvas picture frame , the size you enter is the largest canvas that will fit.
Then check everything again, or ask someone else to check it. Frames are made to your measurements, so they can't be refunded or exchanged.
Width, height and depth.
Enter the sizes as measured.
Still not sure? Send us a photo of your canvas with the tape measure across it, by email to sales@easyframe.co.uk , or call 01234 856501, and we'll be happy to advise.
A floater frame leaves a narrow gap round your stretched canvas, so the canvas appears to float. This guide shows how to fit your canvas with the Velcro dots supplied, and how to add screws for extra security.
How to fit a canvas in a floater frame
Video: fitting a canvas in a floater frame.
Prefer our earlier video? Watch “How To Fit Your Canvas Into A Canvas Floater Frame” on YouTube.
Before you start
Your canvas must already be stretched.
Choose a floater frame with an internal depth to suit your canvas.
Work on a clean, flat surface.
Each frame comes with self-adhesive Velcro dots : how many depends on its size. If you chose pre-drilled holes when you ordered (recommended for every canvas), it also comes with screws.
The frame, ready to fit.
The canvas on the back ledge, seen from the side.
Fitting with Velcro
Join the coins : push one hook coin and one loop coin together, leaving the protective cover on both sides .Stick one side down : peel the cover off one side only, and press that side onto the ledge inside the frame. The top cover stays on for now.Place them all : do the same all round, starting with the corners, then evenly along every side.Covers off : peel off all the top covers.Fit the canvas : drop your stretched canvas carefully into position, then press gently round the edges so it sticks to the Velcro.
Pressed together, both covers on.
One cover off, stuck to the ledge.
Coins all round, top covers on.
Top covers off.
The canvas in, floating.
Velcro lets you lift the canvas out gently and reposition it if you need to.
Securing it with screws
Screws up through the back ledge of the frame into the stretcher bars hold the canvas securely. Velcro and screws together give the most secure fixing.
Pre-drilled holes: recommended for every canvas, and essential on larger canvases , to make sure the canvas is held securely. Choose Pre-drilled holes on the frame's page when you order: we drill the back ledge and include the screws.
Or drill them yourself: drill through the back ledge only, before you fit the canvas, with a drill bit to suit your screws. Space the holes as in the picture below: one in the middle of each side.
Pre-drilled holes: when you order, or drill them yourself.
Check the screw length first
Before you put a screw in, hold it against the side of the frame and canvas , with its head level with the back of the ledge. It must go through the ledge and a little way into the stretcher bar, but stop well short of the front of the canvas. A screw as long as the ledge and the bar's full depth would come straight through the front of your canvas.
In the example, the ledge is 10mm thick and the bar 38mm deep: a 50mm screw would come through the front, while a 25mm screw goes 15mm into the bar.
50mm: too long. 25mm: right.
Screw it in
With the canvas in place, turn the frame over onto a soft surface. Drive a screw through each pre-drilled hole, one in the middle of each side, into the stretcher bars. Don't overtighten.
Screws through the back ledge, into the stretcher bars.
Hanging fixtures, and hanging it
With the frame still face down, screw a D-ring to the back on each side, a third of the way down from the top, then tie the cord between the two D-rings.
A D-ring a third of the way down each side.
The cord tied between them.
Then lift your framed canvas onto the hook on the wall, and stand back to check it's straight. For where to put the hook, see how to hang a picture .
Hung, and checked.
Tips
Work in a clean, well-lit area.
Wear gloves to keep fingerprints off the edges of the canvas.
Check that every Velcro dot is making good contact.
Use Velcro and screws together for the most secure fixing.
Fitted, and floating.
Questions? Our team is always happy to help: email sales@easyframe.co.uk , or call 01234 856501.
