Diving deep into the world of picture hanging, you will know by now the most important part of the picture hanging process — that is, selecting the best picture hangers for your project!

To connect a picture to the wall, you need picture hangers. But there is more to it than just rummaging for the old whatever-works nail and calling it a day. 

Which hanger is right for the wall you’re hanging your picture on? What’s the most amount of weight your go-to screw can support? Do you need a hanger on your frame, too? And are you using hanging wire or not?

There are all kinds of picture hanging needs, and luckily, there’s a picture hanger for each situation, too. In this guide, we’ll lay out every category of picture hanger, their basic purpose, proper use cases, and where you can learn more about each type. By the end, you’ll gain a general understanding of all picture hangers have to offer. Read on!

A picture hanger is a piece of hardware designed primarily for hanging pictures on a wall. It is a main component in the picture hanging process for installation either on a picture or the wall. Some picture hangers cover both the picture and the wall, with one such type of hanger expanding into a picture hanging system.

A picture hanger is the right choice for a picture hanging need given it satisfies three aspects: wall type, weight rating, and a frame’s material or hardware. 

Our picture hanger selection offers hardware for a variety of hanging scenarios, whether you’re a homeowner, a designer, an artist, or an installation specialist:

Starting to feel overwhelmed by how many picture hangers are out there? Don’t be! Let’s get you introduced to them one by one in the next section.

Art hangers are picture hangers installed on a frame or picture and attached to wall hardware such as screws or hooks. Much of this category is also known as frame hardware because a number of art hangers are designed for various picture frame materials.

The art hanger selection offers four types of hardware for frames:

Metal frame hangers  - Art hangers for metal frames with the industry standard #11 profile. These hangers snap, slide in, or clip onto the open channel of a metal frame. Metal frame hangers include the euro hanger, solid hanger, snap hanger, light profile cleats, and wall buddies, and the weight rating for most of them depends on a frame’s weight.

Sawtooth hangers - Sawtooth hangers are so called because of their saw-like design. They’re straightforward to use and are great for quickly hanging light decor. Sawtooth hangers for wood frames are fastened using screws, while a nail–prong design is available for canvas and a snap-in mechanism for metal frames.

Foamboard hangers - Art hangers for mounting art with foamboard backing. These hangers support the most lightweight of pictures, up to only 3 lbs, and there are three in the collection: sawtooth foam hangers, the kwik hanger, and adhesive picture hangers.

Wall hooks are the counterparts of art hangers, but for the wall instead of picture frames. Unlike art hangers, wall hooks are much more versatile and are not exclusively for wall art. Their wide range in weight capacity makes them excellent for hanging a variety of pictures and even everyday items.

For picture wall hooks specially designed for picture hanging, there are traditional wall hooks and specialty hooks for more niche hanging needs. Traditional wall hooks are grouped based on wall compatibility, and the whole wall hook collection comes in either a brass finish, zinc-plated steel, or a nickel-plated finish.

Brick and concrete hooks - Picture hooks for brick, concrete, and block substrates. Meant for hard wall types, these hooks are quickly installed, with most of them requiring just a tap with a hammer or a quick snap.

Drywall hooks - These are traditional picture hooks for hanging on drywall and plaster walls that are considered essential for any basic hanging kit. A notable point (pardon the pun) for these hooks is their needlepoint nails, which have negligible impact and minimize wall damage.

Picture rail hooks - Rail hooks are a component of gallery systems that you attach to picture rail moldings and connect with hanging cords. These simplify the process of mounting many pieces of art at once while avoiding additional drilling.

Courtesy hooks - Courtesy hooks are drywall hooks prepackaged for artists or art dealers and others in the business for complimentary purposes. 

Specialty & museum hooks - Specialty hooks are designed for specific hanging needs, such as in commercial settings, making pictures adjustable, or hanging pictures from the ceiling.

A security kit is a picture hanging package that takes secure picture hanging to the next level. On top of mounting hardware, a security kit is equipped with the innovative T-head security screw. This screw provides a unique security mechanism that locks a picture to the wall after it is hung.

This kit is highly effective in protecting pictures from physical disruptions, falling (especially during earthquakes), and theft, making them ideal solutions for commercial establishments and public areas with wall decor and art.

Each security kit has:

1. Wall brackets (or French cleats)

2. Mounting plates

3. T-head security screw

4. #6 and #10 screws

5. Red and blue anchors

6. Security wrench

For wood frames, each set of French cleats has two identical beveled strips of metal, one installed on the wall, and the other on the back of a picture. Both cleats then interlock together to create a secure and clean display with almost no visible standoff from the wall. For metal frames, one light profile cleat is installed on the wall and the channel of the metal frame hangs directly onto the cleat.

Cleats are known for their incredible weight capacity, with the most heavy-duty pair of French cleats able to carry as much as 750 lbs. As it’s said in the picture hanging world, if you’re hanging something heavy, cleats are the way to go.

French cleats come in three profile types: light, Z-bar, and flare cleats. All of them are compatible with wooden frames, but only light cleats also work with metal frames. 

Think of an art exhibit in a museum or gallery. Do you picture many of the art pieces on display hanging from cables perched at the top of the ceiling?

What you’ve honed in on is a picture hanging system called a gallery system. A gallery system is an industry-standard method of picture hanging for extensive art displays built with the following parts:

• Wall channel, track, or molding - the hanging system’s base, built in (traditional ogee molding) or installed with screws

• Hanging rods/cords - hung on the wall track, channel, or molding to align multiple pictures together 

• Hooks - adjustable picture hooks attached to the rods or cords that pictures hang from

Gallery rods- Rods in brass or white with a special S-profile for ogee molding. The brass gallery rod kit, on the other hand, includes a wall track and matching hanging rods.

Wall track kits - Hanging systems that use wall tracks and hanging cords. These kits come in two types: Track 101 kit and Track 100 kit. The cords are offered in steel or nylon.

Gallery kits with rail hooks - Hanging systems for ogee molding that use hanging cords connected to the molding via rail hooks.

Standalone gallery system - Also known as bullet hangers, this gallery system does away with wall tracks and molding and instead uses a compact swivel design that firmly holds a single hanging cord.

Visit the Picture Hang Solutions Glossary for a quick and full run-through of our entire picture hanger and hardware collection:

It’s a big picture hanging world out there, and with this handy overview of picture hangers, you’re now a step closer to navigating it with confidence.

So pick up your measuring tape, hold on to your drill, keep your bubble level close, and happy hanging!