How to Hang a Framed Print or Canvas Straight and Safely

What You Need Before You Start

The toolkit is short: a tape measure, a pencil, a spirit level, and whatever fixing suits your wall, such as a hook, nail or wall anchor. What actually differs is the print itself, because preparation changes with the format you have chosen.

Only the framed poster includes a frame. The poster with hangers comes with two wooden hangers, and the canvas comes already on its own wooden frame, so each one hangs in a slightly different way.

Before you pick up a pencil, confirm which format you have:

• A framed poster in a solid wood frame, ready to hang the day it arrives, with the frame 20 mm deep and wide.
• A poster with two wooden bars that grip the paper with magnets, one at the top and one at the bottom.
• A canvas printed on canvas and stretched over a wooden frame, with no glass and no mount.

If you are still comparing formats before buying, the full range is in the All products collection of prints and canvases, where each product page lists its own specifications.

Measure the Wall and Mark the Spot

Measure the wall before you buy or hang anything. The store advises picking a size that leaves some space around the print, so a print that fills a wall edge to edge will look cramped while one with breathing room sits more comfortably.

Work in the units your product page shows. Customers in the US and Canada see sizes in inches, while everyone else sees them in centimeters, so your tape measure may need a quick conversion if you are cross-checking a size from another source.

Marking the spot takes a minute:

• Hold the print, or a paper cut to its size, against the wall at the height you like.
• Draw a light pencil line along the top edge and a short vertical tick at the centre.
• Check the line with a spirit level before you mark the fixing point below it.

If you are unsure what size suits your wall, the guide to measuring for a print walks through wall dimensions and the space to leave around each format.

Step by Step: Hanging Each Format

The three formats hang differently, so find yours below and follow its steps. The table summarises how each one arrives.

Framed poster:

• Mark the fixing point on your levelled pencil line.
• Fit the hook or anchor to the wall, not to plasterboard alone.
• Hang the framed poster, which comes ready to hang the day it arrives, and check level again.

Poster with hangers:

• Fit one fixing for the top bar at your marked point.
• The two wooden bars hold the paper at the top and bottom with magnets inside, so there are no pins or holes, and the print can be swapped whenever you like.
• Hang the top bar, seat the magnets, then check level.

Canvas:

• Fit a fixing suited to the canvas frame at your marked point.
• Hang the canvas, which is stretched over its own wooden frame with no glass and no mount, and check level.

Whichever format you use, the level check at the end is the step people skip. A millimetre of tilt is invisible on the wall but obvious on the pattern lines once you sit down.

Where to Hang It: Light, Damp and Everyday Wear

Where a print lives matters as much as how it is hung. The store advises hanging prints out of direct sunlight and away from damp walls, so avoid spots above radiators or in bathrooms where steam settles, and think twice about a wall that catches strong afternoon sun.

Everyday care is simple. Dust with a soft dry cloth, and never use water or cleaning spray on the paper or canvas. If you want more detail on keeping each format in good condition, the care guide covers it in depth.

Common Mistakes When Hanging a Print

Most hanging problems come from skipping one of the steps above. These are the four the preparation prevents.

• Skipping the wall measurement, so the print arrives too large for the space or leaves no room around the edges.
• Hanging before checking level, which leaves a tilt you notice every time you sit down.
• Placing a paper poster in direct sunlight or on a damp wall, which shortens its life.
• Expecting an exact match to your screen. The store states that printed colors match the screen very closely but not exactly, because screens show color differently and matte paper and canvas reflect light more softly than a backlit screen.

The colour point is the one that surprises people most. If you judge a print against a bright screen, the softer reflection of matte paper or canvas can look darker than you expected, even when it is printed accurately.

Quick Checklist Before You Hammer

Run through this before the fixing goes in and the job takes two minutes instead of two attempts.

• Wall measured, with space left around the print.
• Hanging spot marked and checked with a level.
• Correct fixing for your wall type, fitted to the wall rather than the frame alone.
• Position away from direct sunlight and damp.
• Format confirmed: the framed poster hangs the day it arrives, while the unframed poster suits a frame of your own, a clip, or a pin board.
• Level checked one last time after hanging.

If you are still deciding between sizes or formats, the guide to buying a Morris poster covers frame, size and format choices before you get to the wall.