How to hang a picture with two D-rings
Two D-rings hold a frame level and tight to the wall, but only if the two nails are exactly as far apart as the rings and at exactly the same height.
- Measure from the frame's top edge to the top inside of each ring: the drop.
- Measure the distance between the rings, center to center.
- Both nails go at frame top − drop, that distance apart, centered on the frame.
- Check the two marks with a level.
Step by step
- Measure the drop. With the frame face down, measure from its top edge to the inside top of each ring, where the ring will rest on the nail. On most frames both rings have the same drop.
- Measure the spacing. Measure between the two resting points, center to center.
- Find the frame's center on the wall from your layout.
- Mark two points. Both at frame top height − drop; one at center − spacing ÷ 2, one at center + spacing ÷ 2.
- Level and hang. Check the two marks with a level before drilling.
A worked example
Frame 24 in wide (61 cm). Rings 2 in (5.1 cm) below the top edge, 16 in (41 cm) apart. Frame center 50 in (127 cm) from the left reference; top edge at 70 in (178 cm).
Nail height = 70 − 2 = 68 in (173 cm) for both nails.
Horizontal: 50 − 8 = 42 in and 50 + 8 = 58 in (107 and 147 cm) from the left.
The painter's tape trick
Stretch a strip of painter's tape across the back of the frame, over both rings, and mark the two resting points on the tape. Peel it off, stick it to the wall at the right height, level the tape, and drill through the marks. It copies the spacing exactly without any arithmetic.
If the rings aren't level
Sometimes rings are mounted at slightly different heights. Measure each ring's drop separately and use each one for its own nail, so the frame still hangs level.
Questions
How far apart should the nails be for D-rings?
Exactly as far apart as the rings' resting points, measured center to center, and centered on the frame.
Where do you measure the drop of a D-ring?
From the top edge of the frame to the inside top of the ring, where it rests on the nail or screw.
Are D-rings better than wire?
D-rings keep a frame level and flat to the wall because it hangs on two fixed points. Wire is quicker to adjust. For heavy or large frames, two D-rings are usually steadier.