Framing Tips After choosing how an artwork is to look on the wall – wood frame, metal frame, no frame – it is important to apply a proper hanging system to the artwork such that it will hang securely, easily, and straight. The best option is to affix a wire to the back of the frame, as described below for wood and metal frames as well as for unframed stretched canvases. For any of these options, a wire and eye hooks bring a minimal additional cost, yet the quality of the framing far exceeds any free hooks that may be included with the frame. Other options include affixing stick-on teeth bars to the backs of lightweight artworks, using plastic frames or clip frames (cheaper alternative, although not as good), or creating custom hanging systems. Wiring frames: Wires are the best method for hanging wooden and metal frames (more on these specific frame types follows). The wire will most often be attached with eyes on either side of the frame, either eye screws for wooden frames or eye brackets for metal frames. These eyes should be placed along the sides of the frame roughly 1/3 to 1/4 of the total frame height from the top. Much lower and the frame will not hang flush to the wall, and any higher might cause the wire and nail to appear above the top of the frame. Cut a wire that is at least 8-10 inches longer than the distance between the eyes in order to leave room for some angle in the wire as well as extra length such that the ends can extend 3-4” beyond the eye for security. When attaching a wire through the eyehooks, it is most secure to loop the wire through each eye twice then twist the ends along the length of the wire. The finished wire should have enough play/looseness to angle up in the middle about 2-3” above the straight line between the eyes. Not too much such that it nears the top of the frame, but also not too tight such as to make putting the frame on a nail hook and straightening it difficult. Corner pads added to all four corners will help protect walls as well as the frame from scuffing and damage. Wood Frames: Wood frames work best and most securely with eye screws. These eye screws are screwed into either side of the frame at the placement mentioned above for wiring.  Eyes provide a much stronger, straighter, and easier to hang option than the “teeth bars” which may come with the frame. Depending on the eyehook size and hardness of the wood, pre-drilling may be helpful. As with all wiring, looping the wire through the eye twice and then twisting it along the length of the wire with a 3-4" extra end provides the most security and ease of hanging. Metal Frames: Metal frames usually come with spring-clip eyes that pop into the sides of the frame. These eyes are okay for small frames, but are not nearly strong enough nor secure enough for larger and heavier frames. They are not recommended for frames over 8x10” or 11x14” in size. In replacement, screw-locking eye brackets can be purchased from most frame stores. These are much more secure and even easier to place accurately within the frame channel. These screw-locking eye brackets can be slid within the frame track for exact placement and then locked in place by tightening their screws. Additionally, they can easily be removed or repositioned if necessary, which is difficult with the less reliable spring-clip eyes. As with all wiring, looping the wire through the eye twice and then twisting it along the length of the wire with a 3-4" extra end provides the most security and ease of hanging. Using corner pads with metal frames is especially important, as the sharp corners of the frame will very quickly scar walls. Less-expensive frame alternatives: Cheaper plastic frames or poster frames are mediocre. They generally have holes in the back for hanging on a nail and can be used in both horizontal and vertical configurations. However, these nail holes are not ideal, since they are very difficult to place, rarely hang straight, and do not work well with nail hooks – which are significantly more secure and longer lasting than bare nails. Clip frames are similarly mediocre. They have holes built into the metal clips that hold the backing board, artwork, and glass together, but these holes very rarely allow the artwork to hang straight. Additionally, they only work on bare nails and can sometimes fall off. Hanging art without a frame: Hanging a lightweight artwork without a frame is possible, but be sure that the artwork itself or what it is mounted to is quite rigid and strong such that it will not bend, warp, sag, or tear off when on a wall for a long period of time. Foam-core and panel mounting boards work very well, as they are light, stiff, and easy to mount an artwork on. For a lightweight mounted artwork, attaching a self-sticking tooth bar is the best option. Although not as easy for hanging as a wire, these cheap accessories – which can be purchased at most framing shops and craft stores – hold much more securely than most taped or glued hanging systems. And holding securely to the back of a mounted but unframed artwork is paramount, since often tape, glue, thread, etc. will fall off too easily for an artwork to stay up on a wall for any reasonable period of time, especially when exposed to heat or sunlight. For applying a self-sticking tooth bar, measure accurately the middle of the piece from side to side and place the piece roughly 1/4 of the height down from the top of the artwork. Stretched canvases can also be hung without a frame, with the best option being to affix eye screws and wires as mentioned above for wooden frames. Again, “teeth bars” are not ideal and should be avoided if possible. If a teeth bar is to be used, though, be sure to accurately measure and mark the middle of the width of the frame where the bar is to be affixed, and affix the bar enough below the top of the frame such that a nail hook will not be seen. Custom hanging systems will be required if your artwork just doesn’t quite fit with any frame or the above hanging methods. The key is to create something that is strong, secure, easy to hang, and that will keep your artwork hanging straight. For a uniquely shaped artwork, it will be necessary to find the center of balance for the artwork instead of the actual horizontal middle. It is still often best to attach your hanging system around 1/4 to 1/3 the height from the top of the artwork. If the piece is a wood or plastic artwork, it is quite possible that the same eye screws for wood frames will work. Or maybe there are places where holes can be drilled through which to attach a wire.  Ceramic pieces meant to hang on a wall generally have to be constructed with a nail hole or notch molded into the piece itself. Fabric or quilt pieces will usually need a wooden slat, dowel, or other structure in order to stay flat and hang. String or wire would then be attached to this structure for hanging. Metal artworks work well to have hooks or eyes affixed to the back as part of the artwork, often welded or soldered on. Either include a well-balanced single hanging hook or two eyes through which a wire can be attached for hanging. HomeEn EspañolWhere's My Art?CalendarFraming TipsReception Info Tour Venues & MapGalleryWeb VideoLinksEvaluation FormContact Us Sponsored by CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC ARTS COMMISSION web design by uniqueorn enterprises