To achieve a gallery wrap edge, the artist must stretch the canvas. She stretches the canvas using a stretcher bar, which will hold the matting and image in place while she stretches the edge to fold over the edge of the matte.
Gallery wrap edges allow an artist to select different "effects" they can achieve by wrapping the canvas. An artist can opt to have a "mirrored" effect on the wrapped edge, where the original print is "cloned" to have a continuous effect. Other options include having a white or black border around the wrapped portion, or different depths of the edge.
Selecting to gallery wrap a print or painting can allow for flexibility in the materials being used, including the type or texture of the canvas. Use textures such as burlap, sandstone, or papier-mache on the canvas to enhance the image.
Some artists may prefer gallery edges for their pictures because they can prevent any part of the image from being lost in the framing process, and they can enhance the images by having the three-dimensional effect of the wrapped edges. This process also allows for options in the canvas, such as a textured or "mirrored" surface, which can be more engaging to the viewer.