This picture hanging calculator will give you the locations where the nail(s)/screw(s) should be fastened on the wall. It will also calculate the horizontal spacing needed between pictures for gallery hangings.
If you just want to calculate horizontal spacings for a gallery, skip to the gallery wall calculator here.
To see standard heights of light switches, outlets, and other things around the house, check out the standard heights calculator.
PICTURE HANGING CALCULATOR
How To Use This Calculator
Viewing Height
First, enter the desired viewing height of the center of the picture you are hanging. Typically, this measurement is ~57-63″. This is where galleries and museums aim to have the center of their art because it is near eye level for the average person.
If you’d like, you can adjust this slightly up or down if your family is shorter than average, taller than average, or if you have high ceilings.
Next, choose how your picture will be hung.
Hanging Hardware
There are generally three types of hardware that pictures and art come with fastened to the back. They are:
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- A wire strung from side to side
- One bracket in the center
- Two brackets spaced evenly from the center
You also have the option of hanging your picture directly on the frame. This is more common with canvas art that has a wood frame built in.
If you have a picture with a wire strung across, pull the wire taught towards the top of the frame. Then, measure and enter the distance from the center of the wire to the top of the frame.
If you have a bracket(s), measure and enter the distance from where the screw/nail will sit in this bracket(s) to the top of the frame.
For pictures and art with two brackets on the back, measure and enter the distance between them. Additionally, make sure they are both the same distance to the top of the frame. If they are different than this must be taken into account to ensure a level picture.
Picture Location – Left to Right
Finally, select yes if you decide to hang your picture in the middle (width wise) of a wall. Enter the width of the wall. This step will figure out the location horizontally where your fastener(s) should go in the wall.
If you are not hanging the picture in the center of the wall, the measurements given will be in reference to the center of the picture.
Gallery Wall Calculator
If you are hanging multiple pictures, aka a gallery, you can use the calculator below to calculate the spacing between pictures or between the first/last pictures and the edge of the wall.
For more tips on gallery hanging, check out Family Handyman’s gallery hanging article.
GALLERY WALL CALCULATOR
How To Use This Calculator
First, enter the number of pictures you are hanging in your gallery.
Next, enter the width of each individual picture.
Choose if you’d like to have your pictures evenly spread across the entire wall or if you’d like to enter your own spacing between pictures.
Finally, enter the width of the wall in inches and hit calculate.
Whether you are hanging a single picture or a gallery of pictures, hanging is no problem if you take a few simple measurements. The most important measurement to take is the distance between the top of the picture and the hanging hardware. This will ensure a picture hung at the optimal viewing height.
