Gallery wall planner
Plan a gallery wall of frames: a scale plan with every nail height worked out, and true-size paper templates to tape to the wall. Free A4 PDF.
Your printable
3 frames, 99.1 × 42 cm overall
The plan at 1:10 and 12 sheets of true-size templates, 13 A4 sheets in all. Top of the arrangement 166 cm and bottom 124 cm above the floor.
| Frame 1, 29.7 × 42 cm | Nail 14.9 cm from the left, 161 cm high |
| Frame 2, 29.7 × 42 cm | Nail 49.6 cm from the left, 161 cm high |
| Frame 3, 29.7 × 42 cm | Nail 84.3 cm from the left, 161 cm high |
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Free to use. A free WallKiwi account downloads and prints it.
Gallery wall planner
A gallery wall planner works out where every frame and nail goes before you drill. This tool prints a scale plan of your arrangement with a table of nail positions and heights, then a true-size paper template for each frame, marked with its number and a crosshair where the nail goes, to tape to the wall.
Last reviewed 3 October 2026
How to make it
- 1Choose a layout, such as a row of three, a grid or a salon wall, then the frame size, the gap between frames and how high the centre of the group should sit.
- 2Measure the hanger drop on the back of your frames, from the top edge down to the hook or the taut wire, and type it in.
- 3Press Make it and print at 100%. Tape the templates to the wall at the heights in the table, check them with a spirit level, then nail or drill through each crosshair.
How it prints
Page 1 is the plan, on landscape A4. It draws the whole arrangement to a stated scale, usually 1:10, so 10 cm on the wall is 1 cm on the paper, with every frame numbered and the overall width and height marked. Beside it, a table gives each frame's nail position twice: its distance from the left edge of the arrangement, and its height above the floor. The heights come from one number, the height of the centre of the group, which galleries usually set at about 145 cm so the middle of the pictures sits at eye level, and from the hanger drop, the distance between the top of a frame and its hook.
After the plan comes one paper template per frame at its true size. Each shows the frame's outline, its number and size, an arrow to the top, a ringed crosshair on the centre line at the hanger drop below the top edge, and the nail height and distance in words. Frames up to about 19 x 27 cm fit on one sheet, and small ones share a sheet; bigger frames print across several sheets with a 1 cm glue strip and named parts, such as A1 and B2, so an A3 frame takes four sheets and a 50 x 70 cm frame takes eight. If you would rather not print the templates, untick the option and you get the plan alone.
Questions people ask
How high should a gallery wall be hung?
Most galleries hang the centre of a picture, or of a whole group, about 145 cm above the floor, which is roughly eye level for an adult standing. Above a sofa or a sideboard, keep the bottom edge about 20 to 30 cm above the furniture instead, which usually puts the centre between 135 and 150 cm.
What is the hanger drop and how do I measure it?
It is the distance from the top edge of the frame down to where it hangs on the nail. For a hook or a sawtooth hanger, measure from the top of the frame to the hook. For a wire, pull the wire up tight towards the top with one finger, as the nail will, and measure from the top of the frame to the top of the wire.
How big a gap should I leave between frames?
Between 5 and 8 cm suits most walls. Small photo frames look tidy at 3 to 5 cm; large frames and a wide wall can take 8 to 10 cm. Keeping every gap the same matters more than the exact number, which is why the planner holds one gap for the whole arrangement.
My frames have two D-rings, not one hook. What do I do?
Measure the drop to the rings and the distance between them. Use the crosshair on the template as the centre point, and put a hook on the same level line either side of it, half the ring spacing out. Two hooks also stop a frame tilting.
What fixings should I use?
On plasterboard, picture hooks with angled pins hold most light and medium frames; for heavy mirrors use plasterboard fixings rated for the weight. On brick or block walls, drill and use a wall plug and a screw. Always check for hidden cables and pipes with a detector before drilling, and avoid the area straight above and below sockets and switches.
Are the sizes the frame or the picture?
Frames are usually sold by the size of picture they hold, so a 30 x 40 cm frame is bigger on the outside. Measure your frame's border and type it as the frame edge, and the templates and spacing use the outside size. Leave it at 0 if your sizes are already outside measurements.
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