The centre of the picture should sit 145-152 cm (57-60 in) 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 want a single number, use 145 cm measured from the floor. The rule is the same whether you are hanging a poster, a framed photograph or an art print.
If the picture hangs above a sofa, a sideboard or a dresser, a different rule applies: the bottom edge 15-25 cm above the furniture.
How to find the nail height
You hang to the centre, but you drive the nail at the top. The calculation is:
Nail height = 145 cm + (picture height ÷ 2) − distance from top edge to the hanger
The distance from top edge to hanger is typically 3-6 cm on an ordinary frame with wire. Measure it on your own frame — it is the only unknown in the calculation.
If you buy the poster framed, the hanger is already mounted on the back — that is the distance to measure.
| Size | Height | Centre at 145 cm | Nail height with 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 |
Above a sideboard, a sofa or a dresser
When furniture sits below, the eye-level rule stops applying. You then measure from the furniture, not from the floor: the bottom edge of the picture should sit 15-25 cm above the top of the sideboard or the sofa back. The picture and the furniture have to read as one group, and beyond 25 cm the picture starts to float.
The picture may well be narrower than the furniture — aim for it to cover two thirds to three quarters of the width. On a wide wall, three smaller pictures often work better than one large one.
When the rule does not apply
- High ceilings. Above roughly 3 metres you can raise the centre to 155-160 cm, otherwise the wall looks empty at the top.
- Above the bed. Hang to the headboard, not to the floor: the bottom edge 15-25 cm above the headboard. With no headboard, measure from the top of the mattress.
- Children's rooms. Hang at the child's eye level, not your own — typically 100-120 cm. See posters for children.
- Gallery wall. The 145 cm applies to the combined centre of the group, not to each individual picture.
A caveat
145-152 cm is a convention, not a law of nature. It rests on an average eye level of around 155-165 cm, and it is set for a standing viewer. If the room is mostly used sitting down — a dining room, a reading corner — feel free to go 5-10 cm lower. Updated 17 August 2026.