38 PFM May 2015

Many frame shops offer delivery andinstallation as part of their service.In many instances, this may

involve installing an entire hanging system,whether it’s for a museum, gallery, office, orhome. Hanging systems offer a professional,clean installation without requiring holes inthe wall, and they are especially suitable forsettings where framed art is likely to bechanged from time to time. These hangingsystems go well beyond the basic hook-and-wire hangers and include a track or rail that is

firmly affixed to theceiling or wall, oftenbehind speciallydesigned crownmouldings. Cables,rods, or suspendershang vertically downfrom these tracks,and hooks or hang-ers are connected,

threaded, or otherwise clipped onto them to supportand hold the framed art.

Weight DistributionChoosing the right system starts with the hangingcapacity. All system parts have a manufacturer cali-brated rating for three times the weight of the framedart. If a rail, cable, or hook is listed as having aweight limit of 100 pounds, it will most likely hold300 pounds. If multiple frames are to be hung on thesame wire, then all must add up to less than theweight rating. Takiya heavy duty rails, for example,will support up to 150 pounds of art weight.

Gallery Hanging Systems

MasteringMounting by Chris A. Paschke, CPF, GCF

For professional,clean art installationswithout holes in thewall, gallery-style

hanging systems arethe way to go

Medium weight rail hold 65 to 110 pounds, andlightweight rails support up to 33 pounds. It is impor-tant to follow these weight recommendations whenselecting a system.

If the safe load of a single rail, hook, and wire is100 pounds, two wires may be able to hold twice that.However, if the load were to become unbalanced dur-ing installation or if all the weight would be applied toone wire, it could exceed the safe load and might nothold. Never exceed the maximum load of a singlewire; opting for two wires also improves balance andreduces art sway.

DisplayOnce a hanging system has been installed, the place-ment of framed art on the cables is an aesthetic deci-sion. The beauty of a non-invasive hanging system liesin its flexibility. On a narrow, horizontal wall above ashelf of small art pieces, a display of several hangingartworks may either be staggered or hung in a com-

Multiple pieces of art are hung from single or double wires, not to exceedweight limitations. These are single wires. The customer opted for a horizontalrail rather than cathedral rail placement.

40 PFM May 2015

mon line. A bottom com-mon line might also be usedto visually showcase smallerworks, like encaustic panelson small easels on a book-case, creating visual continu-ity.

In a sparsely set gallery,consistency of common linemay be important—eithertop, bottom, or midline—but in a studio gallery dis-play, each wall may bedesigned independently to accom-modate the art. In another part ofthe gallery, there might also be twowalls with cathedral ceilings whereheight allows multiple frames perwire. Even then, the arrangementcan vary with, say, stacked 16”x20”pastels per wire on one wall and acombination of vertical commonlines on each side of a 22”x28” focalpiece.

Here, alphabetically, are the pri-mary gallery systems now on themarket.

ArakawaArakawa’s Picture Hanging System iscomposed of an aluminum rail, railclip, cable, and hanger (gripper). Itfeatures innovative hanging displaysusing quick-release cable grippersthat integrate wall or ceiling-mount-ed rails with stainless steel cables,allowing maximum horizontal and

vertical flexibility. Grippers are avail-able as a normal type hook, carabinerhooks designed for more secureearthquake zones, key type with anti-theft with screw-lock closure, andanti-theft hanger with alarm func-tion. The hardware is designed to beminimal and unobtrusive to featurethe art, not the hardware.

AS Hanging DisplaySystemsAS Hanging offers a full line of spe-cialty hanging systems. Click Rail is awall track for business and residential

use with a track load of78 pounds. Tracks maybe mounted behindfinish carpentry, mold-ings, or trim so thetrack is hidden amongarchitectural details.Cables may be insertedor removed along theentire length of thewall track. The CableSystem is for morecommercial strengthand public spaces with

an open-faced wall or ceiling track,which has a maximum track load of300 pounds. The transparent nylonor steel cables are perfect for art dis-plays in galleries and museums.

AS Hanging’s Classic System isthe most heavy-duty of all the line,being based on rods where strength,anti-theft, and convenience are opti-mized. Rods are available in variouslengths and colors and suspend froman open-faced wall or ceiling track,which avoids putting holes in walls.The Contempo System is the mostversatile design of wall track, with amaximum load of 78 pounds, and itadapts to curved and straight wallsequally well. It uses rods, cables, andcords and is mounted from smallstandoffs, making it perfect for hardto fit areas.

Takiya MuSE safety hooks onheavy steel wire.

Vertical common line placement on single wires withhorizontal common line for the three rows.

This small studio/gallery was installed in 2010 forWalker-Strahan Gallery, Redding, CA, using anArakawa rail, cable, and hanger system.

Resources Itemshttp://www.omegamoulding.com/ Takiya (USA), MuSE, Korederhttp://www.lionpic.co.uk/ Takiya, STAS systems UK, Newly, J-Railhttp://staspicturehanging.com STAS systemshttp://picturehangingsystems.com STAS systemshttp://arthangingsystems.com STAS systemshttp://ashanging.com/en/products/ AS Hanging Display Systemhttp://gallerysystem.com/ The Gallery System Concepthttp://arakawagrip.com/ Arakawahttp://larsonjuhl.com Arakawahttp://www.walkerdisplay.com Walker

Diagram 1

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and steel cable will each support upto 20 kg (44 pounds), but ratingsneed to be chosen for the hooks andcables.

Newly has a wide assortment ofvariations, including squeezeadjustable, self-locking, screw-lock-ing, solo hangers, and sloping stop-pers. Push the top of the hook downto slide, then release to firmly relockin place. Twister suspenders andsqueeze hooks are rated at 20 kg, and

NewlyNewly is a system with speciallydesigned Twister suspender rails. TheTwister head fits into Click Rails,then twists down to lock, leaving thebarrel inside the rail. Rails are avail-able to support 20, 30, or 50 kg (44,66, or 110 pounds), Twister perlon

The Omega Moulding booth featured Takiya HangingSystems at the 2015 WCAF Expo.

Takiya LinePro mediumweights aredesigned tostabilize theirhangingcables to pre-vent art sway.

Two-wire installa-tion with safetyhangers and TakiyaLine Pro mediumweights to stabilizethe hanging cablesand prevent artsway.

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44 PFM May 2015

plus Zipper hanger is not as strong,rated at 10 kg/22 pounds, while steelplus Zipper is rated at 15 kg/33pounds per hook. The Zippers areeasy to install, squeeze to adjust, andrelease to self-lock. It is a flat shape,which allows the frame to hang clos-er to wall. The patented STASZipper pro is equipped with an extratheft-delaying bracket, which alsohelps hold art if bumped or duringearthquakes.

STAS J-Rail Max is designed forheavy paintings, professional displays,and offers a range of security options.Rails are installed using preset coun-tersunk holes about every 10 inchesfor flathead screws. Steel or alu-minum gallery rods are used ratherthan cables. Hooks vary for requiredpicture weight with small basic steelJ-Hooks rated for 5 kg/11 pounds toJ-Security Hooks at 40 kg/88pounds. All slide onto the 4mmsquare rods and self-lock at desiredheights.

Takiya The Japanese Takiya MuSE--Museum Supporting Equipment--ispatented superior quality stainlesssteel and aluminum hanging hard-ware designed for museums but isused by galleries around the world.Takiya's rails are firmly attached towalls or ceilings, making these prod-ucts safe for earthquake prone areasor public installations where art mustbe secured for safety concerns. Thereare two basic hook types: the openhook, where the cable is hung ontothe hook using an eyelet, and theone-touch hook, where the steelcable is pressed into the bottom ofthe hook and held by a method thatdoesn’t dent or damage the cable.

The Koreder Line is a high qual-ity system that displays paintings in asafe, flexible, and aesthetically pleas-ing manner. The system is character-ized by the possibilities for eitherrecessed or surface mounted rails inwalls and ceilings. For all Takiyaproducts, the indicated load capacityis set at a third of the actual safe test-ed load. If a rail, cable, or hook reads100 kg (220 pounds), it is actuallysafe for 300 kg (660 pounds). If mul-tiple frames are to be hung on thesame wire, then all must add up toless than the total weight rating. Railsalso have weight bearing limitations.

The STAS Zipper onSTAS Cobra cable willsupport 33 poundsand is easy to installand adjust as needed.Perlon and Zipper onlysupport 22 pounds.

The aluminumSTAS Cliprailsnaps onto but-tons screwed intothe wall and willsupport 55pounds permeter.

Newly’s SqueezeAdjustable HookH100S has asecurity clip andis rated at 44pounds.Squeeze downon the top, slideto locate, andrelease to lockin place.

STAS J-Rail hooks slide onto 4mm square rods thatself-lock at desired heights. Basic steel J-hooks arerated for 11 pounds.

The STASZipper Prosecurity hang-ers lie flatteragainst the walland are easy toinstall, squeezeto adjust,release to self-lock, asneeded.

the lightweight screw hooks are only5 kg/11 pounds. Cables are availableas perlon--two synthetic polyamidefibers similar to nylon--translucentsteel cable, silver steel rod, and white.

STAS The patented STAS Minirail wallsystem is the thinnest picture hang-ing system, with its 16mm wide railavailable in white or aluminum. TheSTAS Cliprail Pro is a heavier railthat is a suspension system for ceil-ings rated at 45 kg/99 pounds anduses the STAS Cliprail clip and israted at 25 kg/55 pounds per meter.The aluminum STAS Cliprail snapsonto buttons screwed into the wall.

STAS Cobra is a unique patent-ed wire that can be placed directly inthe Cliprail Max and is available asperlon nylon cord or Cobra steelcable in white or black. STAS Cobrasuspenders have a specially shapedmetal head locked onto the end ofthe cable, which hooks and locksinto any STAS rail. There are a num-ber of Cobra hooks and cords are forloads of 8 pounds, 22 pounds, 33pounds, and 44 pounds. The perlon

PFM May 2015 45

Displaying framed art the way amuseum would will provide the rightfinishing touch to any professionalcustom framing installation. Agallery-style hanging system can pro-vide the perfect installation solutionyou’re looking for. n

Chris A. Paschke, CPF, GCF, CMG,mounting editor, owns Designs Ink inTehachapi, CA, featuring custom framing,fine art/graphic design, and consulting.Specializing in mounting, matting, design,and fine art, she teaches at The NationalConference. She has written four bookson mounting including The Mounting andLaminating Handbook (third edition) andCreative Mounting, Wrapping, andLaminating, available from PFM PubCo.She can be contacted viawww.designsinkart.com.

feet above the floor. Track sectionscan be mounted end-to-end to spana long wall or may be cut. Hangersare stainless steel cables inserted intothe track that hang close to the walland slide horizontally along the trackto any position. Hooks attach to thehangers and slide up and down toany height. When locked in place,they are ready to securely hold theart.

Final ThoughtsWhen you’re framing with rag mats,Museum Glass, Tyvek dust covers,and premium or angled strap hang-ers, it stands to reason that otherdetails should also be upgraded,including the wall mount system.

Heavy duty rails support up to 150pounds. Medium weight holds up to66 to 110 pounds. Lightweight railssupport up to 33 pounds.

Cable wires are available as1.2mm and 1.5mm gauge steel wirenylon coated clear, gray, yellow, blue,and brown to blend with assortedwall colors. Heavier 2.5mm cableswill handle loads up to 150 pounds.As with any wire or hanger, it isadvised that two cables be used forvaluable or heavy items, and eachshould have a load capacity higherthan the weight of the frame.

Takiya Line Pro TCW-01 medi-um weights are designed to stabilizehanging cables placed at the bottomof the cable for ground level supportto help to prevent art sway. These arefrom the Line Pro series and areavailable for 66, 110, or 150 pounds.The bottom weighted two-wirehanging solution for large art wasdisplayed at the WCAF Expo.

The Gallery SystemConceptLike the previous systems, there arethree components: tracks (rails),hangers (wire), and hooks. Eachcomponent has several options tomatch all display needs. Tracks areavailable in white or aluminum andare mounted on the wall, 8’ to 15’