If you have bought a split panel canvas print you may be wondering about the best spacing to give the canvases when you hang them on the wall. Attaching a normal printed canvas picture is very easy, but when your image is split across 3 or more wooden frames, it becomes a little trickier. Here at Fotoviva Art Prints we have been making triptych canvases for many years and are considered by some as the leading canvas manufacturer in the UK, so before you go drilling holes in the wrong places we thought we’d share some tips to ensure your multi panel canvas has the most impact in your home or office space. A set of three canvas prints is not cheap, so let’s make sure you get it right!
Split panel canvases are a great way to add impact to your rooms.
What is a Triptych canvas?
Also known as triptych canvas art prints, multi panel canvases are an ideal way to make the most of a large wall space. Triptychs are usually larger than standard canvas pieces as homeowners buy split panel canvas art to create a feature piece in their rooms. The way a triptych wall print is made is that the printed image is mounted across three box canvas frames rather than a single wooden frame. This creates a wonderful effect as the picture is seen to be flowing across the frames to produce an artistic piece of wall art for interior designs. Triptych art is not constrained to prints on canvas, and multi-panel wall art has been seen for hundreds of years. One of the most famous triptych paintings is by Francis Bacon, entitled ‘Triptych – August 1972’ and can be seen here in the world famous Tate Galleryin London. These days with the advent of canvas stores the triptych format has been revived and can now be seen in many homes and businesses across the world.
So what canvas spacing should I use?
The effect of the image flowing across the wall will depend somewhat on the spacing you make between the box canvases. At Fotoviva Art Prints we suggest spacing your split canvases between two and three inches apart. This is enough for the separation effect to show whilst not creating too much of a gap, thus dissolving the flow. The gap does depend to some extent on the image and the size of the canvases. For smaller canvases, it would be best to decrease the gap. Consequently, increase the spacing for larger canvas splits. With regards to the image style, this is hard to quantify as it becomes an individual preference, but if the picture has obvious flowing elements then you can afford to hang the canvas a little further apart if you prefer. Without image elements that do not stretch across the breaks, it would be best to keep the frames a bit closer together.
The best way to determine your perfect spacing for your multi panel canvas print is by laying them out on the floor and playing around with the spacing. Try looking at the artwork from different angles and ask someone else for their input. When you have decided on the ideal spacing, measure the gap and use this measurement to accurately reflect the layout on your wall. Make sure you have a tape measure and pencil to mark out the correct fit before drilling. This may sound silly, but measure twice – you’d be surprised how many times you can measure something wrong and regret it afterwards! Ideally, it’s best to have another person to help you with alignment and hanging the 3 piece wall art.
Triptych canvas art is fairly lightweight due to the wooden frames, compared to heavy traditional frames prints with glass fronts. This means you can use a relatively smaller screw to hang each canvas panel. Use a rawl plug to ensure a good strong grip in the wall, especially if it is a larger canvas picture.
Three part pictures on triptych canvas
Additional Tips
- Hang your triptych wall art at eye level. This is known as ‘museum hanging’ and is a tried and tested method for getting the right level.
- Make sure your wall has enough space for a large canvas print. The image needs to look balanced in the room and have space to breathe.
- If hanging a multi panel canvas over a sofa, leave at least 15cm (6″) gap to ensure it doesn’t get knocked.
- Align your canvas artwork with any furniture in the immediate vicinity to maintain a design balance.
This guide for hanging triptych canvas art can also be applied to other multi panel canvases, whether the artwork is split across 2 frames or 10 frames! Just use the tips we have provide here and add your personal taste to the mix to ensure you get the right result for your room. Multi panel canvas prints are one of the best ways to enhance a living space so by taking a little time to hang it right you will get the maximum enjoyment from your new canvas purchase.
For more information about triptych canvas wall art, visit our special page which features some stunning examples of our artworks printed as multi panel canvases www.fotoviva.co.uk/triptych-canvas-prints
Here is a great video teaching you how to hang a triptych art print from the folk at NeverMeasure…
