How to hang a poster without damaging the walls

Okay, so you want to know how to hang a poster without damaging the walls, paint or poster itself. We hear you loud and clear. 

Whether you’ve used our poster printing services or simply want to hang a standard film poster, we’ve put together some expert tips and tricks to help you hang posters the right way. 

This is our complete guide on how to put posters on the wall, including everything from prepping the wall to choosing a sticky adhesive!

What you’ll need

How to hang a poster without damaging walls or paint

Step 1 - Clean the wall space

Posters will stick better on clean walls. Simple. 

Adhesives just don’t stick as firmly to dirty walls, so we always recommend wiping your walls down before hanging your poster. Simply use a damp, clean cloth to wipe the area with warm water (or a cleaning spray, if required), remove any dust or debris, and then wait for the wall to dry. 

Squeaky-clean walls make it easier to put your poster up and, just as importantly, make your posters easier to remove without damaging the paint. It’s really important to wait until the wall is completely dry, otherwise your chosen adhesive can leave marks on the wall (which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid here). 

Step 2 - Flatten the poster

If your posters have arrived rolled up, you’ll need to flatten them out and give them plenty of time to uncurl. 

Put your poster prints on a flat surface, gently flatten any curls, and weigh down each corner with a heavy object (big books are perfect for this). Simply wait an hour or two, remove the weights from the corners, and ensure it now lies completely flat on your tabletop.

No curling on the table = no curling on your walls. Easy. 

Please note: most poster prints ordered from Max Spielmann won’t need to be flattened, as these don’t usually arrive rolled up. 

Step 3 - Plan your layout

Before sticking posters to the wall, you should spend some time planning the layout, especially if you’re hanging multiple posters together. 

Use a ruler or tape measure to position each poster perfectly, and then simply use a pencil to mark where each poster needs to go. To really visualise the layout, you can then use colourful painter’s tape to join up your pencil marks and mark the exact position and size of each poster. 

This step helps avoid any mistakes when putting your posters up, so you won’t need to keep removing posters from your wall and risk damaging the paint. 

Step 4 - Choose and apply adhesive

Choosing the right poster adhesive is the most important step in this list. When you use the wrong adhesive, hanging posters without damaging the walls becomes much more difficult (or even impossible).

You need to use a damage-free sticky adhesive that’s hidden from sight, easy to remove, and suits the size and weight of your poster. So, here are the 3 best ways to hang posters on the wall without damaging paint or anything else:

1. Double-sided tape

Double-sided tape is our favourite adhesive for hanging lighter posters, like these square posters or our smaller photo posters. 

This tape has a really gentle adhesive layer on both sides, which firmly secures your poster to the wall without damaging the paint (when applied correctly, at least). From masking tape to washi tape, there are a bunch of double-sided tape options to choose from, but they’re all super quick and easy to apply. 

2. Adhesive hanging strips

Damage-free hanging strips (such as Command strips) are a particularly good option for larger posters, such as our panoramic poster prints. These are specifically designed for easy application and removal without damaging the walls.

Working in a similar way to double-sided tape, hanging strips come in pairs that lock together like Velcro, so that there’s a sticky side on both the wall and the poster. You simply need to press both strips together to firmly secure your poster in place. 

Hanging strips are also great for hanging framed posters on the wall, but you may prefer to use picture hooks instead. 

3. Sticky putty

Adhesive sticky putty (like Blu Tack) is another quick, cheap and easy option, but not necessarily our favourite. You’ll need to simply need to break off pieces and break them into balls, add them to the corners of your poster, and then press them against the wall. 

However, hanging large posters usually takes a decent amount of putty, so you’ll likely see some ugly lumps under the corners of your poster. Blu Tack can often leave residue behind on the poster itself, so we actually recommend adding a strip of tape to the corners of your poster, and then applying the putty on top of that. 

We actually wouldn’t use putty at all for our larger poster sizes, but this is still a really easy solution for anyone hanging smaller posters on the wall. 

Step 5 - Remove your poster without damage

Hanging your poster is now really easy - simply apply the adhesive, press your poster firmly against the wall, and run your fingers down the edges to ensure it’s totally smooth against the wall. Easy. 

The real moment of truth comes when it’s time to remove your poster from the wall, and you’re praying there’ll be no damage to the paint. Depending on your poster adhesive, there are techniques you can use to remove your poster without damaging the walls or the poster itself. 

For double-sided tape: Slowly peel your poster from the edges. If the poster’s been up for a long time, use a hairdryer to apply some heat and soften the adhesive, as this makes it much easier to remove. 

For hanging strips: Gently and carefully pull the strip straight down to release it from the wall. Don’t pull the strip out from the wall towards you, as this can damage the paint. 

For adhesive putty: Very gently peel the poster at the corners, slowly and carefully pulling your poster away from the wall. If there’s any sticky residue remaining, you can simply dab at the area with a fresh piece of putty to remove this.