How to Hang Photography

Hang the photographs at eye level. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a good starting point. When there is not an overriding reason not to, hang the center of your photograph 57 inches from the floor, which is eye level for the average person. You need two measurements to do this: the height of the framed photograph, and the distance between the hanging mechanism and the top of the frame. Imagine the hanging wire on a 20-inch frame stretches to 3 inches from the top of the frame. You would add half of the frame's height to 57 to determine that the top of the frame should sit at 67 inches. Subtract 3 inches from that because that is where the wire stretches to, and you hammer in a nail at 64 inches.

Attach the appropriate fasteners to the wall when you hang your photography. If you have masonry walls, you will need a drill with a masonry bit and plastic anchors. Drill a hole, drive the anchor into the hole, then drive a screw into an anchor. Anchors also help when hanging larger pieces on plaster or drywall. Place masking tape over plaster walls before you drive a nail or screw into them. This prevents the plaster from crumbling around the hole. Nails work fine for small to medium-sized photographs hung on drywall.

Align groups of photographs. Hang rows of photographs with the tops of the frames aligned on a straight horizontal line. When you hang a column of photographs next to a door, the sides of the photographs nearest the door should form an imaginary horizontal line that parallels the door frame. In both cases, measure to assure that the photographs are all the same distance apart. Hang the photos in a way that works with the space available. If you have a long horizontal wall, hang the photos in rows. If you have a tall narrow space, hang them in columns.