Gallery label size, type and placement guide

Choose size from content, not habit

A short five-line label can be compact. A label with a long medium description, edition information, price and QR code needs more room. If interpretive text becomes long, separate it from the identification label instead of shrinking everything.

Type size and viewing distance

Print a test sheet and put it on a wall. Read it from the position where a visitor naturally stands. If you need to lean in or the line breaks feel cramped, increase the type or the label size. Screen previews are not a substitute for a physical test.

Placement

• Choose a consistent relationship to each artwork, such as lower-right.
• Keep labels at a comfortable reading height where possible.
• Avoid placing labels over wall joins, shadows or reflections.
• For dense salon hangs, number labels clearly and consider a matching room list.

QR codes change the layout

A QR code needs physical space and a quiet area around it. Do not squeeze a code into the final corner after the typography has been designed. If QR links are important to the show, choose a label format that gives the code room from the start.

Print at actual size

When a PDF includes precise crop marks or designed dimensions, print at Actual size or 100%. Printer settings such as Fit, Shrink oversized pages or Scale to margins can change the final label size even when the PDF itself is correct.