The print arrives. You unroll it, hold it up against the wall, and then it goes back in the tube — because you rent, or the wall was painted three weeks ago, or you simply don't own a drill. It is the single most common reason a poster never makes it up.
You don't need a drill. Almost everything below leaves no hole, and most of it leaves no trace at all. Here's what works, what it works on, and the three things worth avoiding.
First, weigh the problem
An unframed print weighs almost nothing. A 50×70 cm poster on 250gsm paper comes in under 100 grams — less than a bar of chocolate. That's the good news: paper alone needs very little to stay where you put it.
The weight problem only starts when you add a frame. A 70×100 in a wooden frame with glass can easily reach three or four kilos, and that is a completely different conversation. So decide first: are you hanging paper, or paper plus frame? Everything else follows from that answer.
Unframed: five methods that work
Removable adhesive strips. The default for a reason. A strip in each corner holds a poster flat and comes away cleanly when you pull the tab straight down. Two caveats: they need a smooth, fully cured surface, and they are stronger than the paper — press them to the poster gently, and take the poster off the wall before you take the strips off the poster.
Washi tape. The lowest-commitment option there is. A short piece over each corner, or a full frame of tape around all four edges if you want the tape to be part of the look. It holds light paper well, peels off painted walls without a mark, and costs almost nothing to redo when you change your mind. It is also the only method on this list you can do at midnight with what's already in the drawer.
Magnetic poster hangers. Two slim wooden rails that clamp the top and bottom edge, hung from a single small hook or even a loop of string. They add a warm, considered finish — closer to a frame than tape — while still costing a fraction of one, and they never touch the surface of the print. If you buy one thing to hang posters with, buy these.
A picture ledge. A narrow shelf takes one hole to fit and then holds an unlimited number of prints, in any arrangement, forever. If you like rearranging, this is the method that pays for itself. Lean prints against the wall, overlap them slightly, swap them out seasonally.
Bulldog clips. Two clips along the top edge, a length of twine or a thin dowel between them, one hook. Cheap, quick, and it suits bold graphic prints — typography especially — better than it has any right to.
Framed: without a drill
Adhesive wall hooks — but read the rating. Most removable hooks are sold with a maximum load printed on the pack, and most people ignore it. Weigh the framed piece, then choose a hook rated for at least double. Two hooks spaced apart carry a large frame far better than one in the middle, and keep it level.
Lean it. A 70×100 on the floor against the wall, behind a plant or beside a sofa, reads as deliberate rather than lazy — and it is the only method with zero risk. On a mantelpiece, a shelf or a chest of drawers, a leaning frame does the same job with more ease than a hung one.
Picture rails. If you live in an older building, look up. Many pre-war flats still have a moulded rail near the ceiling, designed for exactly this. Hooks and cord turn it back into what it was built to be, and the height is fully adjustable.
Three things to avoid
Poster putty. The blue tack that lived on every student wall leaves oil behind. It migrates into the paper as a translucent stain that will not come out, and it darkens paint over time. It is the fastest way to ruin both the print and the wall at once.
Double-sided foam tape. It holds beautifully and then takes a coin-sized piece of paint with it when it comes off. Whatever it saves you in the moment, it costs at the end of the tenancy.
Pins and thumbtacks. A hole in the wall is easily filled. A hole in the artwork is permanent, and it is always in the corner you look at.
The freshly painted wall rule
Paint feels dry within hours but takes considerably longer to fully cure — often two to four weeks depending on the paint and the room. Adhesives applied before then bond to a soft surface and will lift it. If the wall is new, wait, or test a single strip somewhere hidden — behind a door, low in a corner — and pull it off after a few days to see what happens.
The same goes for textured surfaces. Woodchip wallpaper, rough plaster and matte chalk paints give adhesives almost nothing to grip. On those walls, use a ledge or a hanger on a hook.
Height still matters
However you attach it, hang art so its centre sits roughly 145–150 cm from the floor. That's gallery standard and about average eye level. The most common mistake by far is hanging too high — when in doubt, drop it a few centimetres. Above a sofa or a bed, leave 15–25 cm between the furniture and the bottom edge so the two read as one group rather than two.
Paper worth hanging
All of this assumes the print can take it. Every Auralis poster is produced on 250gsm acid-free archival paper with a natural, uncoated matte finish — heavy enough to hang flat without curling at the corners, and made to stay true rather than yellow after a season in daylight. Our prints ship unframed and rolled, so whichever method above you choose, you're starting from a sheet that's built to last longer than the wall you're renting.
Where to start
If your wall is still empty, start with one 50×70 at eye level and adhesive strips — it's the lowest-risk version of the whole exercise. Browse New Arrivals, or find your mood in Typography, Japanese Art or Everyday Moments. And if you're not sure what size to buy, our poster size guide covers that first.
Less wall. More soul.