In Focus Vol. 4 No. 11

Sunset Stretcher Bar Kits Can Be Customized for Wraps Up to 8 ft. Wide

One reason wide-format inkjet printing continues to gain popularity for art reproduction and custom décor is because it allows artists and interior designers to order prints one at a time in whatever size is needed for a specific wall space in the client’s home or offices. But until now custom-size prints usually required the added time and expense of a custom-built frame or display system.

 To help you sell ready-to-hang art prints and photo enlargements (especially in non-traditional sizes), LexJet is pleased to announce a new collection of Sunset Stretcher Bar Kits. Each kit comes with everything you need to make one, sturdy, ready-to-hang wrap in minutes with no leftover hardware Plus, each kit can be ordered in custom sizes, with bars up to 8 ft. long (96 in.). 

Each kit includes:    

• Four 1-in. wide poplar-wood stretcher bars, in depths of either 1.5 or 2.25 in.;
• Back (or corner) braces for long-term durability;
• Industrial-strength corner clips;
• Glue; and
• Hanging wire.
  

A technical data sheet on LexJet’s website illustrates the two methods that can be used to make the wraps. Both methods involve positioning the bars on the back of printed, coated canvas and using the custom-made, durable corner clips to hold the canvas in place.  

The Pro Method (shown here) creates a drum-tight stretch and is recommended for wraps intended to hang for years. It requires a staple gun and involves stapling the canvas to the back of the bars.  

The Return Method is a fast, convenient option for wraps intended for short-term use. In this method, you trim the canvas to the depth of the printed return (the borders show on the outside edges of the wrap). Then, you simply use the double-sided tape and glue supplied with the kit to adhere the printed returns to the outside edges of the stretcher bars.  

 LexJet’s website lists just some of the sizes in which Sunset Stretcher Bar Kits are currently available (e.g. 16 x 20 or 36 x 40). Note that the 2.25-in. bars provide the structural stability recommended for larger-size prints. 

Call your LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538 for information about additional options, including custom sizes up to 96 in. long and kits for popular sizes of panoramic prints.

Sunset Stretcher Bar Kits don't require any special tools to make professional gallery wraps in your studio.

 “Sunset Stretcher Bar Kits enable everyone who owns a wide-format inkjet printer to produce professional-quality, sag-free gallery wraps without having to buy additional equipment,” notes LexJet Product Manger Alex Ried. “The kits are an excellent way to boost the selling price of your prints on canvas or fabric. They also give you the flexibility to create and display panoramic prints in almost any size you want.”

Although Sunset Select Stretcher Kits are ideal for use with prints that have been output on LexJet’s Sunset Select Canvas and protected with Sunset Coatings, the kits can be used with any art canvas, as well as decorative fabrics.  

If you want to show your clients something fresh and different, try creating a wrap with one of the other inkjet-printable fabrics from LexJet.  Call your account specialist at 800-453-9538 to learn more about fabrics that other LexJet customers have used to create wraps.   

The 12 x 40 in. panoramic wrap shown below was created using the Return Method with 1.5-in. LexJet Sunset Stretcher Bars. The image was output on Sunset Select Matte Canvas and protected with Sunset Coating.