Picture Hanging Height Calculator

How it is calculated

Enter the height of the framed picture, the height from the floor where you want its centre, and the wire drop, all in centimetres. If the centre height is empty or zero it defaults to 145 cm, and if the wire drop is empty or negative it counts as 0.

top edge = centre height + frame height ÷ 2

hook height = top edge − wire drop

The top edge is where the upper side of the frame will sit, measured from the floor. The wire drop is how far below that top edge the taut wire peaks when it is pulled up onto the hook. Subtracting it moves the nail down, so the centre of the picture ends up at the chosen height rather than the frame top. All three results are shown to one decimal. Frame height must be greater than zero, and the tool assumes a single hook on a wire.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the wire drop at 0 for a wire-hung picture. The wire sags below the hook point, so without the drop the picture ends up lower than planned by that amount.
• Measuring the wire drop with the wire loose. Pull the wire taut towards the hook, as it will sit on the wall, and measure from the frame's top edge to the wire's peak.
• Entering the frame height as the visible artwork height. Use the outside height of the frame, since that is the size whose centre is being aligned.
• Entering inches or feet. All fields are in centimetres, so 57 inches must be typed as about 145.
• Applying the same centre height in a room where people are mostly seated or in a very high hallway. The 145 cm default suits standing eye level; change it to suit the room.