Renting, plasterboard, concrete, or simply not wanting to make holes — there are good reasons to hang art without a hammer. Most of the alternatives work. The one thing that decides whether they hold is weight, and it is worth knowing the numbers before the frame is on the wall rather than after it is on the floor.
What each frame size actually weighs
Weight is what the fixing has to survive, and it climbs faster than people expect as formats get larger. A framed 70×100 with glass is not a little heavier than a 50×70 — it is roughly double.
| Format | Unframed print | Framed with glass |
|---|---|---|
| 21×30 | under 20 g | roughly 0.4-0.6 kg |
| 30×42 | under 40 g | roughly 0.8-1.2 kg |
| 50×70 | under 100 g | roughly 2-3 kg |
| 70×100 | under 200 g | roughly 4-6 kg |
| 100×140 | under 400 g | roughly 8-12 kg |
These are approximate and vary with frame profile and whether the glazing is glass or acrylic. The formats themselves are set out in the poster size guide.
Adhesive strips: good to about 2 kg
Removable adhesive strips are the obvious answer and they work well within their limits. Two things decide whether they hold: the surface and the paint.
They need a smooth, clean, fully cured surface. Textured wallpaper, chalk paint and anything painted within the last four weeks will fail — not immediately, which is the problem, but a few weeks later. Wipe the wall with alcohol rather than a damp cloth before fixing, and press for the full time on the packet.
Realistically that puts 21×30 and 30×42 comfortably in range, and 50×70 at the limit with several strips. Do not hang a framed 70×100 on adhesive.
Solid oak frame 21x30 cm
Black wooden frame 50x70 cm
Black wooden frame 30x42 cm
Black wooden frame 21x30 cm
Solid oak frame 30x42 cm
Solid oak frame 50x70 cm
Unframed, and the weight problem disappears
The simplest way past a fixing limit is to remove the weight. An unframed 50×70 is under 100 g — a thirtieth of the same print behind glass. At that weight one adhesive hook is more than enough.
It is the honest answer for a rented flat, a child's room where glass is a bad idea, or a bathroom where you would rather replace the print cheaply in a couple of years than protect it forever. Every print we sell comes unframed as standard, so this costs nothing extra.
Two caveats. Unframed paper curls at the edges over time, particularly in a humid room. And tape on the print itself will tear it when removed — fix along the very top edge only, or tape to the back.
Leaning, and picture ledges
A large frame leaning on a shelf, sideboard or the floor makes no holes at all and suits the formats that are hardest to fix — 70×100 and 100×140. Lean at a shallow angle against the wall, and put a strip of rubber or felt under the bottom edge so it cannot slide.
A picture ledge takes two fixings and holds any number of frames, which makes it the efficient choice for an arrangement: one set of holes rather than eight. It also lets you rearrange without re-drilling, which is the real argument for it.
Height and spacing still apply
None of this changes where the art goes. Centre at 145 cm on an open wall, as set out in how high to hang art, and keep 4 to 8 cm between frames in an arrangement, as in the gallery wall guide.
If you do decide to frame, all five sizes come in oak and black — see the frames. We also stock a wall hook rated for the heavier formats.