The centre of the poster should sit 145-152 cm above the floor. That is eye level for an adult of average height, and it is the standard museums and galleries hang to. If you use one number, use 145 cm.
If the poster hangs above a sofa, a different rule applies: the bottom edge 15-25 cm above the back of the sofa.
How to find the nail height
You hang by the centre, but you put the nail in near the top. The calculation is:
Nail height = 145 cm + (poster height ÷ 2) − distance from top edge to hanger
The distance from top edge to hanger is typically 3-6 cm on an ordinary frame with a wire. Measure it on your own frame — it is the only unknown in the calculation.
| Size | Height | Centre at 145 cm | Nail height with a 5 cm hanger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30×40 cm | 40 cm | bottom edge 125 cm | 160 cm |
| A3 (29.7×42 cm) | 42 cm | bottom edge 124 cm | 161 cm |
| 40×50 cm | 50 cm | bottom edge 120 cm | 165 cm |
| A2 (42×59.4 cm) | 59.4 cm | bottom edge 115 cm | 170 cm |
| 45×60 cm | 60 cm | bottom edge 115 cm | 170 cm |
| 50×70 cm | 70 cm | bottom edge 110 cm | 175 cm |
When the rule does not apply
- Above furniture. Sofa, sideboard, headboard: bottom edge 15-25 cm above the furniture. The artwork and the furniture have to read as one group.
- High ceilings. Above roughly 3 metres you can raise the centre to 155-160 cm, otherwise the wall looks empty at the top.
- The children's room. Hang at the child's eye level, not your own — typically 100-120 cm. See posters for children.
- Gallery walls. The 145 cm applies to the centre of the group as a whole, not to each individual poster.
One caveat
145-152 cm is a convention, not a law of nature. It is built on an average eye level of around 155-165 cm, and it is set for a standing audience. If people mostly sit in the room — a dining room, a reading corner — you can go 5-10 cm lower. Updated 5 August 2026.