Picture Hanger Height Calculator

Units

60 in is the recommended eye level for the center of a picture.

How to use it

Measurements are in inches and eighths of an inch: whole inches in the box, and the eighths from the list beside it. To work in metric, set Units to Centimeters: each measurement is then one number in centimeters (decimals allowed), anything already entered is converted, and the results are given to the nearest millimeter.

  1. Enter the height of the art piece as inches and fraction of inches.
  2. Enter the distance between the top of the artwork and the hook (with the wire or hanger pulled taut) as inches and fraction of inches.
  3. Enter the height you want the center point of the art to be located as inches and fraction of inches. A common rule of thumb puts the center of a picture at eye level, about 60 in. above the floor. You can use that height or choose your own.
  4. The hook height appears in the results, and updates as you type.

If you also enter the artwork's width, the results add the centerline dimension and the artwork in thirds.

Where to put the hook

Enter the picture height.

Rounded up to the next ⅛ in; the exact value is in brackets.

Diagram of a hung picture: the hook height is measured from the floor, and equals the height of the picture's center plus half the picture height, less the distance between the top of the picture and the hook

This calculator finds where to put the hook so that the center of a picture lands at the height you choose.

Methodology:

Artwork hung too high or too low can disrupt the space's design aesthetic. A common rule of thumb puts the center of a picture at eye level, about 60 in. above the floor. This easy-to-use calculator has you enter the height of the artwork, the distance between the top of the artwork and the hook, and the height you want the center of your artwork to be located (60 inches is the usual rule of thumb). The calculator returns the height of where the hook should be located.

Formula: hook height = center height + picture height ÷ 2 − distance from the top of the picture to the hook.

Example: a picture 24 in high, with the wire pulling to 3⅜ in below the top, centered at 60 in: 60 + 24 ÷ 2 − 3⅜ = 68⅝ in.

Metric example: a picture 61 cm high, with the wire pulling to 8.5 cm below the top, centered at 152 cm (60 in): 152 + 61 ÷ 2 − 8.5 = 174 cm.

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