How to Space Two or Three Artworks

Measure the complete row.

Start with the outside width of each finished piece, including its frame. Add the gaps between pieces. A pair has one gap; a trio has two.

Total width = number of prints × (print width + 2 × frame allowance) + number of gaps × gap width

Two 12 × 16 in prints, each with 1 in added on each side, become 14 in wide outside the frame. With a 3 in gap, the pair needs 14 + 3 + 14 = 31 in (78.7 cm). Its height is 18 in (45.7 cm).

Without the frames, that same pair would span 27 in. This is why the print dimensions alone are not enough to check the fit.

Try a gap before choosing one.

A 3 in gap is one starting example, not a fixed rule. Cut paper to the outside frame sizes and try different spaces between them. Step back to the doorway, then sit where you normally use the room. A gap that looks balanced from one position may feel too wide from another.

1. Mark the centre of the complete arrangement over the furniture or clear wall area.
2. Place the two outside templates first, then add the middle one for a trio.
3. Keep a consistent gap and decide whether the tops or centres should align.
4. Check switches, furniture movement and the frame hardware before making holes.

What changes when sizes are different?

Add each finished width separately, then add every gap. Our calculator compares equal-size pieces in one straight row. For a mixed gallery wall, make a paper template for each outside frame and lay out the whole group first.

Try your own measurements.

Compare listed sizes, equal-width frame allowances and gaps in a simple front view of your available wall.