Art Consultants Offer Tips on Hanging Pictures

Art consultants, interior designers and wedding photographers all recommend using professional methods for hanging art and photos.

Before hanging a frame, it is important to take into consideration the size and weight, the various hanging options and the wall material. For lighter weight prints, picture hanging hooks and standard nails generally work well. However, most experts recommend using anchors when hanging artwork on drywall that does not go into a stud. Medium-size prints generally require two nails or hooks for more security and help the picture stay centered. Large prints with heavy frames need an anchor to hang into the drywall, especially if there is no stud. Generally, professionals recommend plastic wall plugs or heavy-duty toggle bolts. While toggle bolts are designed to carry a heavy load capacity, they also cause the most damage to drywall.

For brick walls that feature lightweight prints and frames, a heavy-duty plastic hook or Velcro strip works perfectly, allowing homeowners or renters to now drill into the walls.

Picture placement is the most difficult task, as any interior designer can attest to. It is important to center pictures, which means measuring across the center and marking it with painter’s tape or a pencil. The center of the print should hang at eye level, which most experts agree is approximately 60 to 65 inches.

Gallery walls offer more flexibility and creativity. Gallery walls do not have to centered horizontally, but the middle of the gallery should be at eye-level. Frames should be evenly spaced from one another. Sometimes it is best to cut out the entire gallery of pictures and hang them on the wall using painter’s tape. This makes it easy to move pieces of paper around without the commitment of placing nails in the wall.

Enlist some help and determine the center of each picture. Mark the top of each picture using painter’s tape. Even if using oval picture frames, it is easy to approximate the center by measuring the widest point, dividing it in two and marking that number on top of the frame.

Measure and mark the exact placement for all nails or hooks. If using two nails to hang a picture, divide the amount into thirds.

Once all the aforementioned numbers are marked, measure down on the back of the picture itself where the nail or hook will be hanging. If the picture has d-rings or sawtooth hangers, measure to exactly where the nail will sit. If the picture has a wire, pull it taut before measuring. Once the picture is hanging, always use a level to make sure it is even.

Many unique frames capture attention, including oval wood picture frames, domed glass or black oval picture frames.