Plan an evenly spaced row or grid of pictures. Enter your wall and outer frame sizes to calculate the arrangement size, gaps and the position of every frame. Works in inches, feet, centimetres and metres.
How much space should you leave between frames?
For three frames that are each 12 inches wide on the outside, these total arrangement widths give the following equal gaps. Measure the gap between the outside edges of neighbouring frames. These are calculation examples, not a rule for every room.
| Total arrangement width | Gap between frames |
|---|---|
| 40 in | 2 in |
| 42 in | 3 in |
| 44 in | 4 in |
To try this, choose inches, set 3 columns and 1 row, enter an outer frame width of 12 inches and your actual frame height, then choose the option to calculate the gap from the overall width. The overall width runs from the outside edge of the first frame to the outside edge of the last. It does not include empty wall space at either end.
If a 48-inch-wide group is centred on a 96-inch-wide wall, the empty space is 24 inches on each side: (96 − 48) ÷ 2. Leave room for switches, shelves and other obstacles when choosing the position.
How to use the gallery wall calculator
- Choose your units. Measure the wall width and height from the floor, then measure the outside width and height of one frame.
- Enter the number of columns and rows. All frames in this layout must share the same dimensions and orientation.
- Choose a horizontal gap, or enter the total width you want the group to occupy. Set the vertical gap separately.
- Center the group on the wall or enter a custom horizontal center. Choose a center height or a clearance above furniture, then select Calculate layout.
The result shows the total size, margins, a scaled wall diagram and a numbered frame table. Numbers run left to right, starting in the top row. Measurements from the left are horizontal. All heights are measured upward from the floor.
Use decimals with a point or comma. For 5 ft 6 in, enter 5.5 ft or 66 in. Changing units converts existing measurements. Editing a setting hides the old result until you calculate again. Changing the unit does not change the physical layout.
How frame spacing is calculated
For equal frames, arrangement width = columns × outer frame width + (columns − 1) × horizontal gap. Arrangement height = rows × outer frame height + (rows − 1) × vertical gap.
If you choose an overall width, horizontal gap = (overall width − columns × outer frame width) ÷ (columns − 1). This applies to two or more columns. With one column, overall width must equal frame width. Zero gap means the frames touch.
A centered arrangement starts at (wall width − arrangement width) ÷ 2 from the left. Its bottom is center height − arrangement height ÷ 2. Above furniture, its bottom is furniture top height + your chosen clearance.
A worked example with six frames
Take a wall 300 cm wide and 250 cm high. Use six frames measuring 40 × 50 cm outside, arranged in three columns and two rows with 5 cm gaps in both directions. Center the group horizontally and set its center 150 cm above the floor.
- The arrangement is 130 cm wide and 105 cm high.
- Its left edge is 85 cm from the wall's left edge. Its bottom is 97.5 cm above the floor and its top is 202.5 cm above the floor.
- The three frame left edges are 85, 130 and 175 cm. Frame centers are 105, 150 and 195 cm from the left.
- The top row has bottom edges at 152.5 cm. The lower row has bottom edges at 97.5 cm.
Load example fills these measurements. Choosing an overall width of 130 cm instead gives the same 5 cm horizontal gaps. If the furniture top is 80 cm high and you want 20 cm clearance, furniture mode moves the group bottom to 100 cm and the top to 205 cm.
How high should you hang a gallery wall?
Framebridge suggests about 57 in, or 144.78 cm, from the floor to the center of a picture or the entire group. Above furniture, it suggests about 7 to 10 in, or 17.78 to 25.4 cm, between the furniture top and the bottom of the artwork. These are starting guidelines, not a requirement for every room. Adjust for the furniture, viewing position and space you have.
The calculator starts with a 57 in center height and an optional 8 in furniture gap. Select the method that fits your wall. For an off-center sofa, choose a custom horizontal center measured from the wall's left edge. The height of the furniture alone does not tell the calculator where it sits horizontally.
How much space should be between pictures?
The default 2 in gap is an editable planning choice. Try the layout with paper templates at full size to judge the spacing in your room. Horizontal and vertical gaps can differ. Measure between the outside frame edges, not between the prints or the mounting hooks.
If you have a fixed area to fill, enter its overall width and let the calculator divide the remaining space evenly between columns. This does not add margins inside the group. The separate wall margins are shown in the result.
Does this calculate nail or drill positions?
No. The table gives frame edges and frame centers. A mounting point depends on the hanger, hook, wire tension and the number of supports. Measure the actual fittings on each frame and follow their instructions before marking fixing points. Select fixings suitable for the wall and frame weight.
Can I use different frame sizes or orientations?
This calculator is for frames with identical outside dimensions and orientation in a complete rectangular grid. For identical landscape frames, swap the width and height. A mixture of portrait and landscape frames, different sizes, missing grid positions or a staircase arrangement needs a separate layout.
What if the arrangement does not fit?
The calculator checks the wall boundary and stops if any frame would extend beyond it. Reduce the frame size, gaps, rows or columns, or change the hanging position. It does not move or shrink your layout automatically. Recheck nearby objects and usable wall space before hanging.
What if the floor is uneven?
The diagram assumes a flat rectangular wall and a level floor reference. Establish one level horizontal reference with a level, and transfer the measurements consistently. Do not measure each frame from a different sloping point on the floor.
Why do the numbers sometimes look slightly different after rounding?
Displayed measurements are rounded to two decimal places. The calculation keeps greater precision. Mark from the same wall and floor references instead of repeatedly adding rounded gaps, which can accumulate error across a row.
Plan the rest of your wall
Preparing a fresh wall? Use the paint and primer calculator or the wallpaper calculator. For other decorative details, explore wall stickers and check their surface requirements.
Hanging-height reference
See Framebridge's guidance on hanging height. The geometry above uses your dimensions. The project photograph is an illustration and is not the scaled output of the calculator.
Choose prints before finalising your layout
Browse wall posters and check the available print sizes before choosing frames. For this calculator, enter the outside width and height of the finished frames, including their mouldings. The paper size or frame opening is not the outside frame size.
Confirm what each product includes before ordering. A poster listing does not by itself mean a frame or hanging hardware is included. If you add a mat, choose the mat and frame first, then update the gallery layout with the final outside dimensions.
