Picture Hanging Height Calculator

Work out picture hanging height instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Picture Hanging Height Calculator

The frame top sits at the desired centre height plus half the artwork height, and the hook goes below that by the slack in the hanging wire. Gallery practice puts the centre at about 145 cm, and forgetting the wire drop is why pictures hang several centimetres too high.

Formulas

Frame top

top = desired centre height + artwork height / 2

Hook height

hook = frame top - wire drop

Worked example

With the default values below, Picture Hanging Height Calculator returns Height for the hook or nail of 170.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Artwork heightminimum 1 cm: 80 cm
Centre height wantedminimum 1 cm: 145 cm
Drop from the frame top to the hanging wireminimum 0 cm: 15 cm

Results

Height for the hook or nail: 170.00 cm
Height of the frame top: 185.00 cm
Height of the frame bottom: 105.00 cm
Height of the artwork centre: 145.00 cm

Step by step

1Values used
2Frame top
3Hook height
4Height for the hook or nail= 170.00 cm
5Height of the frame top= 185.00 cm
6Height of the frame bottom= 105.00 cm
7Height of the artwork centre= 145.00 cm

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Picture Hanging Height figure worked out?

top = desired centre height + artwork height / 2. The frame top sits at the desired centre height plus half the artwork height, and the hook goes below that by the slack in the hanging wire.

Why does this matter?

Gallery practice puts the centre at about 145 cm, and forgetting the wire drop is why pictures hang several centimetres too high.

What do I need to enter?

Enter artwork height, centre height wanted, drop from the frame top to the hanging wire. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.