How to hang a wall portrait gallery in 9 simple steps

A portrait gallery makes a dramatic statement in your home.  Grouping portraits with a similar theme, color scheme, or frame style will have a striking impact.

LAYOUT

STEP 1
Before you begin to assemble your gallery you must first decide where you would like to hang it.  The size of your available space will determine what print sizes will fit.  There are countless display options.  Deciding which configuration is best is really just a matter of deciding which design fits your needs and taste.

STEP 2
I recently designed a display for a family room wall. The homeowner selected their favorite shots from their photo shoot and I created a template based on the images they wanted to showcase and the frames and matting they chose.

STEP 3
Using the template as my guide, I arranged the frames on top of a sheet of 4×6′ bulletin board paper which I rolled out on the floor.  I measured the spaces between each frame to make sure the spacing was uniform. Once I was happy with the layout I traced the outline of every frame. I ended up with 10 squares, one for each frame.

HARDWARE MEASUREMENT

There are many different types of picture frame hanging hardware. For larger frames I prefer to use wire. For frames 11×14 or smaller sawtooth hangers will suffice.

STEP 4
To determine where the nail hole should go begin by finding the center of the frame. Measure the width of the frame and divide that number by 2. Make a light pencil mark on the back of the frame.  For wire hanging measure the distance between the top of the picture wire (when stretched) and the top of the frame at that center mark. For sawtooth hangers measure the distance from the top of the frame to the space between the center two teeth.

STEP 5
Take your hardware measurement and make a mark inside the square outline at the spot where it intersects with the center measurement.  Repeat these steps for every frame.

STEP 6
When you are done tape the tracings sheet to the wall. Adjust the sheet as needed, using a level, to make sure your lines are straight.

HANGING

STEP 7
Begin hammering in picture hanging hooks just above the pencil marks so the hook lines up with your mark.

STEP 8
Hang your first frame to make sure it lines up with your outline. Continue placing all the hooks, hanging each frame as you go to ensure placement is correct.

STEP 9
Remove the bulletin board paper, careful not to loosen the hooks. Hang all your frames and voila! You’re all done!