There are many different options to hang or mount your art print on the wall. The best art hanging system for your print will depend on the print medium you’ve selected and the look you’d like to achieve.
Essentially, you have five options to hang/mount your prints to the wall depending on the medium:
- Museum Back: Fine art quality hidden mount with an internal frame.
- Float Mount: A frameless look that “floats” off the wall by a few inches.
- Standoffs: A frameless look that uses four visible connections to the wall for hanging.
- Traditional Frame: Adds color and texture surrounding your print and are easy to hang with one nail or screw.
- Stretch Frame: Only available for canvas prints that are stretched around a wooden subframe.
Use our convenient art installation hanging chart below to determine which mounting/hanging options are compatible with each of our specific professional print types. Continue reading to learn why you may choose one over the other.
Aluminum Museum Back
A museum back is a hidden mount achieved with an internal 4-sided frame. The hardware is attached to the back of your print that you can’t see when looking at it directly so when it’s hung on the wall it gives the impression of “floating” a few inches from the wall.
This is a durable, long-lasting mount option very popular with galleries and museums because it saves on framing costs and makes the print itself the sole focus visually.
Best For
Most art prints can have museum back or float mount hardware attached to them. The only exceptions are canvas prints, certain types of board prints, and direct to acrylic prints.
If you’re looking for a fine art quality hanging system that achieves a sleek, modern look, the museum back is the way to go.
Float Mounts
A float mount creates the illusion that your print is “floating” off the wall. The print is attached to a sturdy backing like acrylic or metal, and hidden hardware holds it slightly away from the wall, giving it a sleek, modern look.
The effect achieved with the float mount is very similar to the musem back. The main difference is, float mounts do not have the 4-sided interal frame, making them less durable.
Best For
Float mounts are best for board prints and smaller metal prints. Float mounts are not recommended for prints over 12” x 18”. This mount option is also ideal if you want the “floating” effect at a lower price point.
Standoffs
A standoff mount is a method used to display artwork or photographs where the piece is secured to the wall using small metal mounts, or “standoffs,” that hold the print slightly off the surface.
Standoffs are typically composed of four components: screws, caps, wall anchors, and the artwork itself. The standoffs are visible and easily attached at the four corners of the print, adding a modern, industrial touch to the overall presentation.
Best For
Standoff mounts are best suited for modern and contemporary art, photography, and abstract pieces that benefit from a clean, minimalist display. These mounts are particularly ideal for acrylic prints, metal prints, and large-scale artworks.
You need to consider that there will be four holes in the corner of the artwork for the standoffs. You can choose to add a blank border around the image where the holes will go, or you may decide it’s okay to have those holes in the image.
Traditional Frames
The most traditional and classic look for art prints, frames can add color, dimension, and size to your artwork. The style of the frame can greatly enhance the overall look of the artwork and requires a skilled hand to frame properly. ArtisanHD offers composite wood frames in either black or silver.
Best For
Frames are best utilized for HD photo papers; however, you can also frame metal prints, thin board prints, and some acrylic prints. Keep in mind that many of the print mediums we offer are designed for frames to be optional, such as metal, acrylic, and canvas prints.
Stretch Frames
The best way to hang canvas art prints is a stretch frame. The canvas print is stretched over a wooden frame using a milling technique to ensure the canvas lies flat and taut across the frame. Options for frame depth are 9/16 inch, 1 1/2 inches, or 2 inches.
Watch the video below to see this process in action!
Best For
Stretch frames can only be used for canvas prints. At ArtisanHD, you can choose whether you would like your canvas print stretched over a wooden frame or simply rolled for you to install as you please.
Museum Quality Art Installation Made Easy
All the hanging/mounting hardware you need based on your selection will be shipped along with your ArtisanHD print. You will simply need to provide a drill or screwdriver for most print artwork installations.
For helpful instructions regarding hanging your art with either 1? stainless steel standoffs or museum-mounted prints, check out the related FAQ: Is special hardware required to hang my acrylic print?
