Display / Hanging systems

[Dave]

New gallery getting closer and now getting down to detail.

Am trying to source a hanging system. Have seen a nice one called locator, anyone out there know of any alternatives?

Also have seen some plastic panels which are fixed to the wall, they have "tee grooves" moulded into them and allow you to locate picture hooks in them, have also seen perspex shelves slotted in which allow you to display prints browser style, anyone know of a supplier of these.

Thanks in advance?

[Merlin]

Hi Dave
Not realy sure from your thread what size wall you have or what style you want to present.

We use these slat wall boards. They come in 8ft x 4ft sheets and the plastic inserts can be coloured to your choice. The slats are about 6inches apart.



Due to the downturn in 'moving' the framed pictures, we changed the lower half to shelves for the 'ready mades' which are flying out of the door and put the prints into the browsers. They move quicker that way we have found.

[Roboframer]

My walls are not a very good example, not that you can see any wall!

BUT - my windah - my windah is cool!

I use the tensioned wire system from Lion - invisible practically - pictures seem to float in mid air, and you can hang pictures both sides in any sort of sequence. Knocks spots off easels etc, the whole display is only 4" thick max!

Don't see why you could not use the system against a wall either.

[Dave]

Took me a long time to find Windah system, got there in the end. Hav a large amount of windah to go at so will have a look at this.

The slats were what I was trying to describe, any contact details?

Dave

[ross]

In a gallery environment, there are two systems I am familar with in Brisbane, so not sure who markets them in UK:

Gallery System - uses an aluminium track (available in 2 or 3 metre lengths) that is attached to the wall near the ceiling and from which hang either plastic tape or steel droppers. Hooks are attached to the droppers to enable items to be hung - this system is used by a lot of galleries around Brisbane

Arti-Teq hanging system - also uses an aluminium track in 2 or 3 metre lengths from which either perlon or steel droppers hang. The special hook attached to each dropper makes it very easy to insert, and remove at any location within the track. I have a page dedicated to this system on our website (www.framecraft.com.au)

I understand Arti-Teq is manufactured in the Netherlands, so I imagine it would be available in UK

Finally, by installing a system available in your local area, you create another product to sell within your gallery, for you can fully demonstrate the advantages of such a system to anybody seeking to acquire it. A very useful marketing tool!

Regards

Ross

[ross]

I wanted to treat this as a separate comment, so hence a second go at this subject

John (Merlin Framers) - thanks for posting the images of your shop - the idea of re-utilising part of the wall space for ready made frames catches my eye as does the comment that you are moving such ready made frames

To this date, I haven't got involved in making/selling ready made frames, mainly from the point of view that we are custom framers, and we don't want customers to come in and spend time looking for the cheaper option as opposed to us trying to market a custom made product to them. Having said that , there has definitely been an increase in people coming in and looking for ready made frames!

Do you always market your ready made frame units with all the ingredients for such frame. I notice in your images there are also matt-boards cut to specifed sizes - are these all single, or are there some doubles?

Can I make a comment on what appears to be your front window - by using wire mesh and hanging as much as you can in the window, and on the internal side as well, haven't you effectively stopped passers-by from getting a good look into your gallery? It seems to me you have a wonderful side wall that could provide much for potential customers to view, if only they could see inside! One further comment would be to space your framed units as evenly as possible to make the wall more eye appealing to your customers

Regards


Ross

[kev@frames]

Im just in the next town down the road from John at Merlin - we have ditched almost all our mounted prints browsers for ready made frames and mounts, as we find them whilstling out the door as well.

even cleared out some bundles of prints as job lots on ebay to get rid!

tbh life is a lot easier concentrating on making frames -either for stock or bespoke or internet orders, to paraphrase a topic on the Grumble "a frame shop is a frame shop is a frame shop" I guess time will tell whether we have took this too far, but at the moment it seems the more ready mades we have, the more we sell.

[Mary Case GCF]

Hi. I'm the mother of Grahame who posted on the subject of Regeneration of business. Got looking at your subject and the subsequent move to talking about readymades. We sell readymades in our shop and have for 10 years. In our area we have the 2nd highest concentration of millionaires in Britain. They are notorious for not liking to spend their money. We find that ready mades work well for us, though we do have to set aside time to make them. It helps get rid of mouldings that didn't work for us on a custom framing level and all those awkward bits of glass and backing board that accumulate. We also offer another service that I'm sure a few of you will view with horror. We offer a DIY service where we make a frame of the customer's choosing and leave them to put the picture in themselves. We charge 2/3rds of the custom framing price, still make a profit and the customer goes away happy thinking they have got a bargain. We also sell readymade mounts, again using up scraps of mountboard. We sell on the fallouts from small to medium mounts in packs, again cutting the cost of waste. Customers use these for painting on and other craft projects. We are having to compete with Ikea who are on the outskirts of Edinburgh, but we sell a better quality product. Our customers seem to appreciate having the choice and it hasn't affected our custom framing business at all. In fact we often get people who have bought a readymade frame coming in for the proper job on something special.

[Roboframer]

I don't like slatboard, to me it looks like planks nailed to the wall, but we have some. I don't like rods against the wall either, visually or practically, not for the amount of stuff I want to bung up there!

I don't like pegboard either, but that's what we use for pictures I'm afraid, looks quite good when you paint it terracotta though! Also hanging positions are limitless. The only hanging system I like is the tensioned wires I mentioned, but only for the window.

It does fill the window/you can't see inside easily, but then we have another window where you can. I like a bit left to the imagination.

Anyway - I've had a brainwave, was thinking about making changes and how we display pictures as I was having my dinner, so I looked at what our pictures were hung on in the dining room..........





Just a wall - wouldn't it be nice to have 'Just a Wall' at the shop ........ full of hooks. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm NO!! Of course you could not always use the same hooks - ah well.

Then I looked closer at our wallpaper....




Now - imagine if those smaller rectangles were wooden - or metal and about half an inch proud of the wall with a lip at the top. Each one held with two screws - no - blow it - nails! Then the screws/nails covered.

The actual wall decoration would be your hanging system.

OK - rip it apart now

[osgood]

John,

Unlike you, I do like slatboard, and I do like gallery hanging systems that consist of wires, tapes or nylon lines.

I do not like your idea at all. It would be a wall of thousands small frames with other frames hanging randomly over the top. It would be a total clutter of frames which would detract from the frames you wanted your customers to see - ridiculous!

It's back to the drawing board for you, I'm afraid. Either that or just develop some normal, tasteful appreciation like the rest of us! ;o)) ;o))

[John]

Click on image for a panoramic view of the gallery. (Requires Quicktime)
Be careful not to swing the camera round too quickly - you could get dizzy.

Having tried the slotboard and about 3 different hanging systems over the years, we have reverted to Pegboard.

For flexibility, ease and speed of use, and price, there is nothing to touch it, too bad it doesn't look a bit more upmarket.

After 3 years in a shop completely fitted with slotboard, fiddling and fussing, adjusting the picture cord to get the bottom (or top) edges of the frames to line up just so, I decided - never again. But that was back in the day when we actually sold a few images off the walls, so we seemed to be forever rearranging to keep the place looking smart. Perhaps today, when sales off the wall are at an all time low, we wouldn't find it such a hassle.

[Roboframer]

Well I think this ....................



Looks fine - (otherwise it wouldn't be in my dining room!) only difference would be the tiny squares would be more proud of the wall, not enough to be called 'frames' or anything - they are only two inches by half an inch. Head on or from normal viewing distance, it would look pretty much just like above.

I'm talking about using just the centre rectangle pieces, not the 'frames' that they are in, in fact they could go altogether maybe. Just an idea of a three dimensional wallcovering that doubles as a hanging system.

Slatboard is 3D - so are rods, but they look like what they are - inentional, functional, you couldn't call them 'decorative'

I've seen more 3D wallcoverings like that, not restricted to square shapes either.

You saw it here first! I'm just so ahead of my time!

If you hate my wallpaper I don't mind!

[Roboframer]

Hey John - that's great - who cares about pegboard - who even sees it with what is hanging on it grabbing the eye so well.

Nice floor too, and counter, and lighting, and ......

[John]

Robo, I do see potential in your idea, however it might prove horrendously expensive to manufacture.

Look at the price of slotboard - even though making the slots must be a trivially simple process.

[Roboframer]

it might prove horrendously expensive to manufacture.

True, but it could be a very easy, but also very time consuming DIY project.

Bad word there for me - 'time' Still - I could be making a start now, etc etc!

Sort of thing I'd look at as part of a much bigger change around, or a move. It would be absolutely great if replacing little holes with little squares was the sum total of my problems!!

[osgood]

John,

I like your wallpaper, but I like it as wallpaper, not as protruding wooden blocks or frames which in my opinion would provide interference with the ability to view displayed art.

Americans might like the idea as they seem to like more clutter and detail in their surroundings, but I think that art should be viewed on walls that are plain and clutter free.
Down here we have a couple of gallery hanging systems that have very clear nylon (heavy fishing line) droppers, that are hardly visible at all and in my opinion they intrude the least of all the options and if I had a display of framed art, thats what I would use.

The "KISS" principle is one that I firmly believe in - "Keep It Simple Stupid".

Nice bit of lateral thinking on your part though.

[Roboframer]

Americans might like the idea

OK - LET'S SEE

[Roboframer]

Cogs whirring here.

See my first photo - see the more reflective shapes?

OK - you use EXACTLY this wallpaper - to start with at least.

But ...... BUT .... you're gonna love this, that shiny portion is removable, repositionable self-adhesive, a box of spare peel offs of course.

What is behind it when you peel it off?

PEGBOARD - ..............HOLES!! Just only peel off the ones you need, out of sight behind each picture

YEEHAH!!!

Anyway I think it's about time someone invented a system that is invisible - not see through or have to look hard - invisible.

But I won't give up my day job just yet!

[osgood]

But ...... BUT .... you're gonna love this, that shiny portion is removable, repositionable self-adhesive, a box of spare peel offs of course.

What is behind it when you peel it off?

PEGBOARD - ..............HOLES!! Just only peel off the ones you need, out of sight behind each picture

Good idea! Much better than the other one, but -
It would look great for a while then later it might be a bit tatty with dags of dust and grime sticking to the little bits if adhesive around the tear off strips and the openings where they go.
Then there could be bits that would curl slightly at first then more as time goes on. I suppose you could just peel the whole lot off and do it afresh. It's only money!!!

[ross]

Through all the waffle of late I return to John's notes about having experimented with three different hanging systems and found them wanting

I see from the photo image of your gallery there are a number of curved walls, and these are certainly not suitable for straight lengths of 2 or 3 metre track! But John, what other issues caused you to discontinue using the systems you trialled

How many of us have galleries in our own area - what do they use the hang artworks? Most here use droppers coming out of hanging system tracks!!!

Are you finding people/customers are enquiring at all about hanging systems for their own homes, or their investment units. If yes, then why not display systems available in your local area so customers can gauge for themselves what such systems look like and how they operate?

The initiator of this thread indicated he wanted a new way to hang artwork in his gallery - I think he ought to be looking along the lines of using something that might make a future sale

Regards


Ross