How to hang prints?

How to hang posters?

Modern Methods

Clips

Bulldog clips are available in a variety of sizes & colours and one in each top corner of the poster print which is then hung onto a small nail or screw is a great easy way & if you find that the bottom of the print is curling up then why not attach a couple more at the bottom as paper weights. You can also use crocodile or alligator clips.

Magnet Clips

Magnetic cable clips can be used in a similar way but another way is to tape something magnetic to the wall like a paper clip or a thin magnet and use something like a notice board magnet to hold the poster on the wall. If it’s a panoramic poster print then just place as many magnets along the wall as required.

Velcro

Self adhesive Velcro tape, need I say more other than make sure it wont damage your wall when removed.

Magnets

Another slightly more involved way to to hang a poster without a frame is to use magnets.

1. Get 4 pieces of wood about 20-30mm wide & about 10mm thick, cut to the length of the top & bottom of the print. You will also need some magnets that are smaller than the bits of wood like about 10mm diameter by 2-5mm deep & a drill bit the same size as the magnet diameter.
2. Measure in from each end about 30mm & mark with a pencil & depending on the weight & size of the print mark one or several points in between making sure they are identical on all of the bits of wood then drill a hole deep enough so that the magnet will sit flush with the surface but not too deep as to go all the way through the wood so the use of a vice or clamp is recommended. Place all the magnets into the wood with a bit of glue to hold them in place making sure that you use the two faces that attract each other & once set take two bits & clamp the bottom of the poster between the two bits of wood.
3. For the top take one of the bits of wood & fit two small screw eyes & attach a piece of cord between them to hang it on then clamp the top of the poster in the same way as the bottom.

A very neat, good looking solution but does require a little bit of DIY.

How to hang picture frames?

Normally the first thing people ask when they receive their parcel from Posterprint is; How to hang picture frames? When you receive your framed picture from Posterprint.co it will come ready to hang with either low stretch picture cord or on larger frames hanging plates.

Before Starting

Warning

Before making a hole in any type of wall look down at the bottom of the wall to make sure that there are no electrical sockets below & up to make sure there are no light fittings on the wall. If there are then the electrical wires for them may come directly up or down the wall. If you are unsure then either move the location of the fixing or purchase a wall scanner that is able to detect electrical cables behind the surface.

Tip

A lot of people make the mistake of drilling the correct size hole & then hammering the raw plug in so that only half goes in before it deforms with the hammer blow then they remove the plug & drill a bigger hole which is then too big and leads to a weak fixing. The way to do it is drill the hole & gently tap the plug in as far as it will go then get your screw, place it in the plug & tap the screw which will in turn push the plug into the wall for a nice tight fixing. I generally prefer to use a red raw plug with a drill size of 6mm for a very hard wall or 5.5mm for softer versions.

Picture frame hooks with hardened nails

These can be purchased with either one, two or three nails and can be used on plasterboard walls for smaller, lighter frames or plastered masonry block but can be difficult to hammer in without causing plaster to chip off or nails to break.

Wall Types

Things to consider

Firstly you will need to consider the overall weight of your framed poster. Second, take a look at the type of wall you will be hanging it on; stud wall with plasterboard, plastered masonry block or stone.

Stud wall with plasterboard

If you have a stud finder then use that or if you have a good ear you can go along the wall tapping the plasterboard and listen for a change in tone which will normally indicates a stud at that location. If you are lucky enough to have a stud then it’s a simple case of either carefully hammering in a suitable nail or use a suitable size screw at the required height. If no stud is available, for smaller framed posters then a simple raw plug & screw is more than sufficient. Make a hole in a downward direction in the plasterboard with either a drill or even a small screwdriver that is slightly smaller than the raw lug. Tap the raw plug gently into the hole & screw in the screw. For larger frames then a metal self drive plasterboard fixing with self tapping screw will be ideal but don’t bother with the plastic versions.

Plastered masonry block

The easiest wall when it comes to how to hang picture frames. My preferred method is the good old raw plug & screw.

Stone wall

If your stone wall isn’t rendered then find a suitable size stone to drill a hole into & use a raw plug & screw. If it is rendered then it can be a little bit of trial & error finding a stone & not a joint. If you do drill into a joint then that would generally not be good enough for a fixing. We hope this answers your questions about how to hang picture frames. And yet again... Happy hanging!

Location

Your canvas photo print will come ready to hang, all you need to do is decide where you want to hang your canvas and fix a suitable place to display your wall art.

Fixings on the canvas

Smaller canvas prints will come with one canvas hanger in the middle at the top so will require one fixing but large canvas prints will come with two hangers placed near the top mounted on the side bars and will require two hanging points.

How to hang canvas

Marking

Once you have decided where to hang your canvas print hold it up against the wall at the required height and with a pencil lightly mark the wall at the top of the canvas taking care not to mark your Canvas print.

Measuring

Next measure down from the top of the canvas to the bottom of the canvas hanger and transfer that measurement onto the wall. If you have a canvas print with two hanging plates then you will also need to measure the distance between the centre of the plates to find the two fixing points on the wall.

Wall Types

Please see our “How to Hang Picture Frames?” above for more information on wall types and fixings.

Fixing to the Wall

The type of fixing you use will depend on the type of wall and the weight of the canvas print but generally they are quite light and only require a light fixing.

Hanging

When you have attached or drilled your fixing to the wall it’s a simple case of just hanging your canvas print over the fixing and making sure its level.

Tip

If you don’t have a proper level but you do have a smart phone then on Apple devices go to the Measure App, tap on level, place your phone carefully on top of the canvas print but don’t let go of it and level away. For Android phones there are several free Level Apps that do the same thing.If your canvas print has two hanging plates and you didn’t quite manage to get the two fixings perfectly level then loosen the screws securing the hanging plates to the canvas frame only enough so that you can move them up or down as required then re-tighten the screws and check again.