Work out picture hanging height instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
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.
Frame top
top = desired centre height + artwork height / 2
Hook height
hook = frame top - wire drop
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.
Gallery practice puts the centre at about 145 cm, and forgetting the wire drop is why pictures hang several centimetres too high.
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.