HOW TO HANG PRINTS

So you have this beautiful print, or collection of prints, and now you want to get them up on your wall. How do you go about it? There are actually many ways to put art on your walls, and in this post I thought we'd explore some of the creative possibilities you have when hanging art.

How do you hang a print? The easiest answer: However and wherever you like! There are no rules, only lots of creative options.

FRAME OR NO FRAME?

In my post How to frame an art print, we look at some different ways to frame an art print, including what materials and colors to choose. You don't have to put a frame around your print, although it helps to know that a frame is a good protection for your art. It prevents it from bending and other damage. The frame can also add to or complement the artwork. However, there is also much to be said for the clean look of an unframed print.

SINGLE OR COLLAGE?

Are you planning on hanging the pieces by themselves, or together? Some art works best by itself, while other pieces might work well in symphony. You could arrange the prints together on a wall to create a collage. One way to experiment with this is to lay your prints out on the floor and try out different compositions there before hanging them on the wall. You could also search for terms like "arranging wall art" or "art collage" online to get ideas.

HANGING OR STANDING?

Now we arrive at the part where you get the pieces up on your wall. What options do you have here? For starters, you don't actually have to hang a print, you could also put it on a shelf or a ledge. This works well for framed pieces with enough weight to stay firmly in place. Try putting your prints side by side on a ledge in a corridor, or maybe mount several ledges on a wall and arrange the art together with candles, plants and other decoration.

For unframed prints you might want to hang them on the wall with clips, to avoid damaging the paper. Or use adhesive tack to fix them to the wall. Use two clips and maybe some adhesive tack to stabilize the print. Or use only adhesive tack if you feel the clips are distracting from the art.

Another fun way to hang unframed prints is to use a line of string or wire and use clips or clothing pegs to hang the pieces along it.