How to build a gallery wall with free prints
Planning, spacing and palette: a step-by-step way to hang a group of prints that looks considered rather than crowded.
A gallery wall is simply a group of pictures hung together so they read as one piece. Done well, it gives a room a sense of character that a single print rarely can. Done in a hurry, it can look like a noticeboard. The difference is almost entirely in the planning.
Free prints make the whole exercise easier. You can try ideas on paper, print a test at a small size, and change your mind without having spent anything but ink.
Measure the space
Start with the wall, not the pictures. Measure the area you want to fill and note anything that limits it: a light switch, a radiator, a sofa or sideboard below.
- Above furniture, aim for the group to be roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the furniture’s width.
- Leave about 18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 in) between the top of the sofa or sideboard and the bottom of the lowest frame.
- On a bare wall, place the centre of the whole group about 145 to 152 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor, roughly eye level.
- Keep the gaps between frames even, usually 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in). Slightly tighter suits small frames; slightly wider suits large ones.
Mark the outer edge of the whole arrangement on the wall with low-tack masking tape. It is easier to judge the group as one shape before any nails go in.
Choose a layout
There are two broad approaches. A grid uses frames of the same size in neat rows and columns. It is calm and works well with a strong, consistent set of prints, such as six Khatam posters. A salon hang mixes sizes and shapes around a larger anchor piece. It is more relaxed, but needs more care to look balanced.
For a salon hang, place your largest print first, slightly off centre, and build outward. Keep the outer edges of the group roughly straight, even if the frames inside vary. Mixing portrait, landscape and square frames adds movement; try to keep at least two frames of each shape so no single one looks like an afterthought.
Because every Hilal & Hue print comes in every frame ratio, you can choose the frames first and then pick a file to fit each one. A print you love in portrait can usually be downloaded as a landscape or a square to fill a gap.
Make paper templates
Cut sheets of paper or brown card to the size of each frame, write the print’s name on each, and tape them to the wall. Live with them for a day. Mark the position of each hanging point on the template, then nail straight through the paper and tear it away. It is the single most useful step in the whole process.
Choose a palette first and the collections can mix freely.
Choose a palette across collections
The easiest way to make prints from different collections belong together is to choose a palette first. Three that work well:
Warm earth. Terracotta, sand, clay and moss. Sky Frame from Arches, Open Door from Earth Pigment, Clay Arch on Moss from Originals and Setting from Minimal share the same sunbaked colours, and Fig Leaf from Botanicals & Nature adds a softer note.
Midnight and gold. Deep indigo and black grounds with fine gold line. Crescent and Star from Hilal, Cypress and Rose from Nocturne, North Star from Celestial and Gilt Field from Zellige · Line & Light make a quiet evening group, particularly in a bedroom.
Cobalt and saffron. Bold, graphic and bright. Off the Edge from Khatam, Panel and Border from Zellige · Colour Field and Star Kilim from Kilim carry the same strong blues and yellows, and suit a hallway or a child’s room.
Frames and mounts
Keep frames consistent within a group: one colour, or two at most. Thin black or natural wood frames are the safest choice. A white mount around each print gives it room to breathe and makes small prints look more substantial; if you use mounts, use them on every frame in the group.
Hanging
Hang the anchor piece first, then work outward, checking the gaps with a ruler or a spacer cut from card. Use two hooks for larger frames so they stay level. Step back often. If something looks wrong, it is usually spacing rather than the pictures themselves.
Finally, leave room to change. A gallery wall does not need to be finished in a day, and swapping one or two prints with the seasons keeps it feeling alive.