How to Buy a Gallery Wall Frame Set (Kit Checklist)

A gallery wall frame set is one order that contains everything for the wall: matched frames, prints of your photos cut to each frame, a 1:1 template for the layout, and the hangers. This guide lists what a kit should include, when loose frames are the better buy, and what a Framky kit adds. If you already know you want a matched set, start with gallery wall kits.

What a gallery wall frame set should include

A frame kit has five parts. Check each one before you pay.

1. A layout with sizes. The set should state the width and height of the whole composition on the wall. The frame formats alone do not tell you whether it fits. That footprint is the number you hold against the sofa or the hallway. Gallery wall layouts with sizes list Framky sets by frame count and footprint.
2. Prints of your photos. A frame set without printing is a box of empty frames. The kit should print each photo to the exact size of its frame, so you crop nothing at home. Ask how the print is made. Framky uses pigment printing with a set of 12 inks on matte photographic paper, mounted on a rigid cardboard plate.
3. Matched frames. The same profile, the same colour, and the same depth across every size in the set. Framky frames are MDF frames with a 15 x 16 mm profile, FSC MIX certified for responsible forest management.
4. A 1:1 template. A paper sheet at full scale that shows where every hanger goes. You tape it to the wall, mark the points, and peel it off. Without it, you measure each frame on the wall by hand.
5. Hangers. The kit should include the mounting. Framky ships self-adhesive hangers. If you prefer nails, every frame takes 2 nails in the inner corners (not included). The full method is in hanging photo frames without drilling.

Check the returns terms as well. Framky sets come with 60-day returns and a 10-year warranty.

Sizes, colours, and frames without glass

Gallery wall frames from Framky come in any size from 15 x 15 cm to 55 x 55 cm in 5 cm steps, plus 50 x 70 cm and 55 x 70 cm. A set mixes formats. Portrait, landscape, and square frames sit in one composition because the template holds the gaps for you.

There are six frame colours: black, white, rustic oak, beech, silver, and gold. A set uses one colour or a deliberate mix. Optional mounts in white, ecru, or black add a border of 2 to 7.5 cm inside the frame.

Every Framky frame is without glass. The matte print is the surface you see, so a lamp or a window does not put a reflection across the photo. A 50 x 70 cm frame weighs up to 900 g, which is light enough for self-adhesive hangers on a sound wall. Do not hang a set where water can splash it, and keep it above the reach of small children, because fingerprints land on the print itself. The reasons are on the quality without glass page.

Frame set, Mixtiles, or loose frames

The three ways to put a photo gallery wall up differ in how much work is left at the wall.

	Framky frame set	Mixtiles frames	Loose frames
What arrives	Matched MDF frames, prints of your photos, a 1:1 template, self-adhesive hangers	Frames with your photos	Empty frames; you order prints elsewhere
Print	Pigment printing with a set of 12 inks on matte photographic paper	Varies by product line	The lab you pick
Glass	Without glass	Without glass	Usually glass or acrylic
Layout on the wall	The template carries the whole layout in one move	You arrange the frames on the wall yourself, then stick them up	You measure, level, and mark each frame
Hanging	Self-adhesive hangers, or 2 nails in the inner corners	Stick up frame by frame	Nails, screws, or hooks

Mixtiles sells regular frames today, not the 20 x 20 cm tiles it started with. On the wall its frames look similar to Framky frames. The difference is mounting. A Mixtiles box has no template for the whole composition, so you set the gaps and the centreline yourself. The brand comparison is on Framky vs Mixtiles.

Loose frames are the traditional route. You buy frames one by one, order prints from a lab, and hang each frame with a level and a pencil. Nothing is wrong with that path. It is a full mounting job, and every gap is yours to get right.

When loose frames are the better buy

A kit is not always the right purchase. Buy frames separately in these cases.

One frame. A single 30 x 40 cm print over a desk does not need a layout, a template, or a set of matched hangers. Buy the frame you like and one print.

Vintage or inherited frames. If the point of the wall is a mix of old frames from flea markets and grandparents' houses, a matched set removes that mix. Buy prints to fit what you own and accept the measuring.

You want to design the layout yourself. Some people enjoy the tape, the level, and the pencil marks. If the composition is the hobby, a fixed template takes the fun out of it.

In each case a lab print and a frame from a furniture store cost less and arrive sooner than a full kit. The trade is your time at the wall and the holes you make if the first attempt is off.

When a Framky kit wins

Choose a frame set when you want the wall to look like the design without assembling it on site.

The frames match in colour and profile. The prints are your own photos, made with pigment printing with a set of 12 inks and cut to each frame. The 1:1 template moves the layout from the screen to the wall in one step. The self-adhesive hangers put the set up in about 15 minutes with no drill.

Self-adhesive hangers do not damage the wall only if the paint is firmly bonded to the plaster and the plaster is stable. On peeling paint, weak plaster, or fresh paint, use 2 nails in the inner corners of each frame instead (nails are not included). Test one hanger on a hidden patch for 24 hours if you are unsure.

A gallery wall kit replaces separate purchases of frames, prints, and hangers, plus an afternoon of measuring, with one order.

Replacement prints for the frames you own

The frames stay on the wall for years. The photos do not have to. Framky sells replacement prints sized to the frames you already own, so you order new photos without remeasuring or rehanging.

Swapping one print takes about 90 seconds. Turn the metal clips on the back panel, lift the panel, take the old print off the rigid cardboard plate, put the new one in, and close the clips. Leave the frame on its hanger while you do it. The hanger is made for one strong adhesion, and its grip drops each time you peel and restick the frame. A six-frame set takes 15 to 20 minutes. The rotation routine is in seasonal photo gallery rotation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a frame set and buying frames separately? A frame set arrives as one designed composition: matched frames, prints of your photos sized to each frame, a 1:1 template, and hangers. Buying frames separately means you pick each frame, order prints elsewhere, design the layout, and measure every position on the wall yourself. The set takes less of your time at the wall. Separate frames give you full control over each piece.

What is in the box? A Framky kit contains MDF frames without glass, prints made with pigment printing with a set of 12 inks on matte photographic paper, a rigid cardboard plate behind each print, self-adhesive hangers, a 1:1 hanging template, and instructions in your language. Nails and screws are not included.

Can I change photos later? Yes. The back panel opens with metal clips, and a swap takes about 90 seconds per frame. Framky also sells replacement prints cut to the frames you already own, so the frames stay on the wall and only the photos change.

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Shop gallery wall kits with frames, prints, a 1:1 template, and self-adhesive hangers in one box.