How to Display Unframed Prints Without Drilling

Renting in the UK usually means two constraints at once: no new holes in the wall, and a deposit you want back. Our prints arrive unframed on matte paper, so the display method is yours to choose. No adhesive method is guaranteed damage-free on every wall, so pick a mount rated for the weight and follow its instructions.

Why drilling is often unnecessary

Drilling made sense when wall art meant a heavy frame behind glass. A lightweight paper print on its own, or a print in a slim frame, can hang from an adhesive strip rated for its weight. Skipping the drill also lets you move the piece: most people hang art slightly too high on the first attempt.

The simplest option: a shelf or picture ledge

A print resting on a shelf, picture ledge or console needs nothing on the wall at all. Choose a frame made to stand, keep it away from doorways and anywhere it could be knocked, and lean it back against the wall. This is the only method with no wall risk whatsoever.

Adhesive strips, on a frame rather than the print

Picture-hanging strips work when they are rated for the complete frame weight and for the wall surface. Fix them to the frame, never to the paper: ordinary tape and most adhesives will mark or tear a matte print, and that damage cannot be reversed.

Strips suit smooth, sound finishes — painted plaster, tile, laminate and sealed wood. Chalky paint, fresh emulsion, textured plaster and wallpaper are all poor substrates. Follow the pack's guidance on cleaning, curing time and removal, and wait the full period before hanging.

Poster hangers

A wooden or magnetic poster hanger grips the sheet along its top and bottom edge, so the print hangs without a frame and without adhesive touching the paper. Check that the hanger matches your print width: A3 is 29.7 cm wide in portrait, A2 is 42 cm and A1 is 59.4 cm. A hanger sized for A3 will not hold an A2 sheet cleanly.

Prepare the wall

• Clean the spot with the method the strip manufacturer specifies, and test any cleaner somewhere hidden first.
• Let the wall dry fully: adhesive does not bond to a damp surface.
• Wait for fresh paint to cure, not just to feel dry. Most paint instructions give a curing window in days.
• Skip textured and wallpapered walls, and anywhere within reach of a shower or a hob.

Get the height right the first time

Centre the print around 145–155 cm from the floor for standing eye level. Above a sofa or bed, work from the furniture instead: 15–25 cm between the top of the back or headboard and the bottom of the frame. Cut a paper template to size and tape it up for a day before committing.

Removing it later

Release adhesive strips slowly, supporting the frame as you go, following the removal method on the pack. Heat and solvents can lift paint, so do not improvise. A poster hanger needs a single fixing to hang from, and a shelf leaves only the shelf's own fixings.

If something arrives damaged

Prints are made to order, so tell us within 30 days of delivery if a piece arrives damaged, defective or different from what you ordered, with a photo and your order number, and we will replace or refund it. That sits alongside the 14-day change-of-mind right on fixed designs.

Still choosing the piece? The size guide covers A5 to A1 in centimetres, and Classic framed prints arrive assembled if you would rather not mount anything at all.

Ordering from the UK

The UK range is unframed matte paper prints on 200gsm fine art paper, supplied without a mount or hanger, plus assembled Classic framed prints in A4, A3 and A2. Metal posters and desk mats are made in our Pakistan studio and are not sold in the UK.

Prints are A-series: A4 is 21 x 29.7 cm, A3 is 29.7 x 42 cm and A2 is 42 x 59.4 cm. Classic frames use the same sizes.

Prints are made to order and delivered in 5–10 business days. Delivery costs £5.95, or is free on orders of £55 and above. Pay by credit or debit card. Prices are in pounds.

Fixed-design prints can be cancelled for any reason within 14 days of delivery. Custom prints made from your own image cannot be cancelled. If an order arrives damaged, defective or incorrect, tell us within 30 days and we will replace or refund it.

Shop matte paper prints or Classic framed prints, or print your own artwork. Delivery and returns are set out in full on their own pages.