Picture To Hang Straight
1. Have an assistant hold the picture against the wall. It is worth spending some time considering placement, taking into account furnishings and the general environment and lighting. A good height is often when your eye level is about a quarter of the way down the image, although this is a matter of taste. See the Tips below for more advice.
2. With a pencil, lightly mark the top center of the picture. If you have trouble detecting where the center is by just looking at it, use a tape measure and make sure you make your mark halfway across the top of the picture.
3. Put the picture face down on a flat surface. Measure the distance from the top of the picture to the hanging device(s) - this may be the crossbar of a painting or the distance to the picture wire when taut.
4. Measure the same distance down from the mark you made on the wall. When you make this measurement, try to keep the line as vertical as possible.
- If your picture only requires one fixing implement, now you know where it will sit.
- If there is more than one fixing implement, measure the distance that your fixing implements should be apart.
- If using strap hangers this distance will have to be fairly precise so that the screws line up with the hanging device perfectly.
- If hanging from a hanging/stretcher bar, it does not have to be so accurate.
It's a good idea to leave a space between the fixing implement and the edge of the picture so that you can adjust left and right if need be.
5. Once you know the distance your fixing implements should be apart divide this by 2. Now measure this distance to the left and then to the right of the mark you just made. Use a spirit (bubble) level to make sure your fixing implements will be level (but adjust if your hanging devices are not level on the artwork itself).
6. Drill a hole and screw in the screw(s). If you are are using nails, hammer these into the correct position. Make sure the fixing implements are sticking out from the wall a proper amount for the piece to be hung - not too long or too short.
7. Carefully position the artwork on the screws/nails.
8. Carefully paint or cover any pencil marks.