Useful Tips
Here you’ll find our useful tips on displaying and hanging your picture frames and wall art
Deciding where to hang wall art, painting or prints
Whether you are hanging photo frames for a family display or turning a wall into a feature with a single piece art, it’s important to know how to hang pictures and painting correctly, in order to make them look their best.
A memorable portrait, piece of art or important oil painting should occupy a strong focal point within a room such as over a fireplace. While other photographic memories and pieces of art can sit happily behind a sofa, be a feature within in a dining room or a collage in a hall way or stair case. A large photograph or painting hung on a staircase will give maximum impact. Do not hang a larger picture frame where it looks squashed or place a small picture in a vast space.
Mounting and framing pictures
If you are framing prints or art the mount is a border that will add that professional finish, you can choose on our web site a mount colour to compliment your picture or home interior. Choose a frame which suits both the style and period of the home and also the image or photograph.
Picture hanging kit
Here’s a list of tools and equipment you may need in order to hang pictures safely and securely depending on the size and weight of your pictures.
- Tape measure
- Painter’s tape (which is more gentle than masking tape)
- Pencil and rubber
- Spirit level
- Hammer
- Drill
- Picture hooks that come in singles, doubles and trebles
- Raw plugs and screws (for heavy weights)
At what height should paintings or pictures be hung on a wall?
Don’t hang a picture too high, you should not have to strain your neck to see them. The general rule is to make the centre of the picture roughly five feet from the ground. You should not end up looking down or up at it. In rooms where people are usually sitting down – such as a living room or dining room – eye-level will be at a seated position so artwork should be hung a little lower. Roughly one hand width above a sofa is a good way of gauging the right height.
Hold your picture up to the wall and place a strip of painters tape above it. Mark each end of the frame/wall product on the tape and put aside the picture. If the picture is small and light it will only need one central hanger. Divide the width of the frame by two and measure the distance from the marks on the tape, double checking it is central. Or, for larger frames mark for two hangers set an equal distance either side of the central point and transfer these to the tape.
Next, take your picture and measure the back from the top of the frame to the point the picture will hang and transfer this to the wall with a pencil down from the bottom edge of the painter’s tape.
In order to choose the right hardware to hang your picture you need to know the weight of your picture and the type of wall you are attaching it to. Your local hardware store will stock picture hangers for all sizes and weight you’re dealing with and labels on the packaging usually gives the maximum weight each one is designed to hold.
Lighter pictures like photos, film posters and general prints are likely require just a nail, or a nail and a rawplug or picture hanger. But larger and heavier frames/wall art may need to be secured to a wall stud behind the plasterboard and need a supporting mounting bracket (hardware stores will advise). And finally, once you’ve attached your fixing to the wall test it by applying pressure by hand to ensure it is secure before hanging your frame or wall art.
How to ensure that a painting or picture is hung straight
This is usually a two person job. Ask someone to guide you while you hold the frame/wall art against the wall. Once mounted double check with a spirit level your picture is straight. Here at S1 Framing we provide you with round cork bumpers, these are around 4mm wide, they allow air to circulate around the back of your frame as well as protecting your walls and prevent your picture from moving. These are fitted on all of our finished wall art products and come as part of the wall hanging kit in our bespoke frames option, each bumper is to be placed in the bottom corners of your frame.
