TL;DR — To hang a six-menu wall, lay it out on the floor first, pick a grid or a balanced salon arrangement, keep a consistent 2-3 inch gap, and hang from the centre outward. Use paper templates and a level so the whole group lands straight the first time.
By The Menu Press · Published September 2026
Plan on the floor, not the wall
Never start with a hammer. Lay all six prints on the floor and move them until the arrangement balances. A grid (two rows of three, or three rows of two) is the safe, formal choice; a salon arrangement around one larger anchor is looser and more personal. Decide before anything touches the wall.
Keep the spacing consistent
The single biggest factor in a tidy wall is even spacing. Keep a consistent gap — 2 to 3 inches works for most rooms — between every frame, horizontally and vertically. Consistent gaps make even a mixed-size group read as one composition.
Template and hang from the centre
Trace each frame onto paper, mark the hanger position, and tape the templates to the wall to preview the layout at full size. Adjust, then hang from the centre piece outward, checking each with a level. Working centre-out keeps any small drift symmetrical rather than piling up at one end.
Tools for a clean hang:
- Kraft or newspaper templates cut to frame size.
- Painter’s tape and a pencil.
- A spirit level (or a phone level app).
- A consistent 2-3 inch gap, measured not eyeballed.
Pick a six-piece set and frame them as one wall. Browse the archive →
Frequently asked questions
Grid or salon style?
A grid is formal and foolproof; a salon arrangement around one anchor is warmer and more personal. Both work with six menus — choose by room.
What gap should I leave?
2 to 3 inches between frames, kept consistent throughout. Even spacing is what makes a group look composed.
How high is the centre?
Aim for the centre of the whole group at about 57-60 inches from the floor at home, lower in a seated dining space.
Further reading
The Menu Press curates, digitally restores, and reformats public-domain menus from the Buttolph Collection of Menus, The New York Public Library, for archival-quality printing as wall art. Browse the archive · Read our story.