Stretching bars are primarily used by artists to make wooden stretcher frames to mount their canvases. An artist usually fastens a piece of canvas to the bar which acts as a wooden framework support to stretch the canvas. Apart from this, stretching bars are used in minor embroidery to stretch the fabric before sewing and in theatres for framing material backdrops. They are also used by photographers when they digitally transfer their photos onto a canvas.

The readily available bars are found in sections with corners which interlock with each other and can be fitted together. They usually come in the shape of a rectangle, but other shapes are also available.

Canvas stretcher is widely used to stretch the canvas while fixing to distribute the pressure evenly, all over the art-work to avoid warping. The corners of a stretcher should never be pasted or fixed in a permanent way; rather it should stretch the canvas in a non-adjustable but fixed way. The edges of the canvas stretcher are preferred to be carved in such a way so as to avoid cracking of canvas in case of roll over as well as to help the framer to see and have clear edges of images that have accurate borders.

Canvas stretchers are cut from one single piece of quality wood with no joints or crinkles in between. Although they are light in weight, they are sturdy enough and do not bend or twist while the artist stretches the canvas making it a perfect support for stretching.