Everything You Need To Know About Foam Board Hangers

All products mentioned in this article are linked below.

Looking for an easy way to hang your prints, posters, and other foam board art?

We’ve got the perfect solution: foam board hangers.

There is an overwhelming amount of different types of picture hanging hardware available and we have already discussed several types to hang larger and heavier pieces, but what about those lightweight, unframed pieces?

They deserve some attention, too, and we have a few different picture hangers that will help you get those movie posters, photo prints, or acrylic paintings hanging on your wall in no time.

Let’s talk about the different and unique foam board hangers we have available.

Foam board, also known as foam core, has been around since 1957. These are framing materials commonly used as a backer or dry mount support for artwork, posters, prints, etc. 

They are also widely used for the following purposes:

• Home decor
• Architectural models
• Exhibits and kiosks
• Framing and mounting
• Digital and screen printing
• Sets and props
• POP displays
• Archival purposes

Foam core may be closely associated with GatorBoard, but they are two different materials. The latter is made of plastic and is much more rigid than foam core. GatorBoard is not for framing but instead used as a water media support to work on.

If you look closely, a foam board consists of three layers: polystyrene or polyurethane foam and an outer layer of clay-coated paper, archival cotton paper, or kraft paper on both sides.

Foam boards are used for many different purposes because they are easy to fabricate and can be cut, printed, painted, mounted, and laminated. Foam boards can also be embossed and debossed without heat, for 3D effects. 

Now that we know more about foam board let’s come back to the first two common uses: backing and home decor. The bottom line is a lot of folks use them. Like posters, artwork, and photographs, you’d want to display them to liven up empty walls in a particular space.

So the question is, how do you hang foam boards on the wall?

Foam board hangers are your best bet for hanging unframed, foam-mounted artwork. They are inexpensive hanging hardware for the backside of foam board. They are so easy to attach you’ll be done hanging your pieces in seconds.

Here are three types of foam board hangers you can get at Picture Hang Solutions:

Looking for a way to hang foam boards on walls without using nails or screws?

The sawtooth foam hanger is the answer. They are square-shaped hangers with rounded corners and a hollow center with jagged edges pointing down. It has two sharp claws at the bottom, which are designed to puncture into the back of the foam board.

The serrations make it easier to hold onto wall nails or screws, thus making them the perfect choice for hanging foam boards. 

Just be sure to use this sawtooth hanger on a foam board not less than 3/16” or else the prongs will penetrate through the front surface. Aside from that, remember that you can only hang something that weighs one lb. (with one hanger) and 2 lbs (with two hangers).

1. Lay the foam board face down on a clean, hard surface. 
2. Position the hanger prongs towards the top edge of the board.
3. Push the hanger slightly down and forward simultaneously until the prongs penetrate completely into the foam board.
4. To remove, pull the hangers out in the opposite direction.

Another type of foam board hanger is the kwik hanger. 

Kwik hangers are rectangular metal strips with four small prongs on the underside of the hanger and an arrow-point anchor in the center. Like the sawtooth foam hangers, they also have a hollow part with serrated edges pointing down.

Aside from the design, they have lots of things in common with the Sawtooth Foam Hanger, such as:

• Having the same weight capacity (1 lb with one hanger and 2 lbs with two hangers.)
• Installed by pressing the hanger into the foam board (Pressing allows the prongs to puncture through.)
• Hangs on nails or screws (Its serrated edges on the hollow part of the hanger allow for easy hanging.)

However, one thing differentiates the two – kwik hangers are perfect for using hanging wire. 

You can hang them directly on the nail or screw without hanging wire, or you can use kwik hangers in combination with picture hanging wire.

1. Lay the foam board face down on a clean, hard surface. 

• Push the kwik hanger down and forward simultaneously.
• Use your thumb and forefinger to press down the hanger.

2. Push only until the underside is flush against the board surface

3. Hold down the locked section of the hanger with one finger.

4. Bend the upper portion back slightly

• It should be raised about ¼” off the surface of the board.

5. If you’re using picture wire in combination with kwik hangers, place a 2-3” length of tape crossways over the locked section of each hanger to help hold it in place.

6. To remove, wiggle it to loosen and then pull it out.

• Discard the used hanger and do not reuse.

The last type of foamboard hangers we offer are adhesive hangers. They are high-density clear plastic, self-sticking hangers used as temporary hanging solutions. Although foam boards are lightweight items, these hangers have pressure-sensitive foam backed with a strong adhesive that can support 1-3 lbs.

We have two types of adhesive hangers:

• Adhesive Picture Hanger | Zigzag Hanger
• Economy Plastic Hanger | Hang Tabs

Both adhesive hangers are very similar except for the slight difference in weight capacity. The Zigzag Hangers can support up to 3 lbs, while the Hang Tabs can hold up to 1 lb or 2 lbs if you use two hangers.

They can be used on other types of smooth surface boards (cardboard, poster board, illustration, etc.) as long as the object weighs no more than 1 lb.

When using adhesive hangers, always remember that they are for light-duty applications only. So make sure not to hang anything heavier than they can support. Allow the adhesive to further strengthen its grip on the wall by waiting 24-48 hours before hanging.

Don’t use wire in combination with foam board plastic hangers.

• Picture wire can eventually slice through the plastic over time.
• Should you want to use wire, use the Kwik Hangers instead.

Remove slowly with care.

• Avoid pulling it off the wall abruptly as to not tear away any more substrate material than necessary.

Plastic foam board hangers are for one-time and indoor use only.

• Do not reuse.
• Extreme cold or heat may cause the adhesive to fail.

1. Wipe the surface clean.

• The surface of what you’re hanging should be clean, dry, and free from grease/oil.

2. Peel off the adhesive backing and press the hanger down firmly.

• Adhesive strength will improve if the bond is allowed to age at least 24 hours before hanging.

3. Hang the foam board on picture hooks.

Simple. Straightforward. Reliable.

That’s a summary of what foam board hangers are. Now you know what picture hangers to use when it comes to your foam-mounted prints, pictures, posters, and other artwork. Your lightweight items will finally get the attention they deserve!