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First of all, choose your frame wisely. Make sure the frame you choose suits the artwork or photograph you are framing. A picture frame and mount can literally make or break a picture, take into account things such as colour contrast in the frame and mount combination, the overall size of the frame and mount (it is only too easy to over frame something), the décor in the room it is going to be hung in and choose accordingly. If you need advice or help in choosing a photo frame then pop along to your nearest high street picture framer and I'm sure they will be only too happy to help. Decide where you want the picture frame to hang - it's no good squeezing a large picture frame into a tight space on the wall, the same is true for putting a tiny photo frame on a great big wall. When hanging your frames, whether they are metal or wooden frames take care to avoid hanging them in direct sunlight, not only will you have trouble seeing them (unless you use non reflective glass) but the suns UV rays will harm your photograph causing it to fade or change colour. Once you've decided where the picture is going to hang it is now time to put the picture wire or cord on the back of the frame. A general rule of thumb is to put the cord or wire about a third of the way from the top. There are three different variations of fixings that usually go in the back of a wooden photo frame. On premade photoframes there is often a small black hanger built into the back of the backing board - these are the easiest and mean you can hang your photo frame straight onto a nail or picture hook. Another common fixing are eyelets. These are small self tapping screws with a circular head on them, often they come in brass or silver colours and these are probably the most tricky to get into the frames. Depending on the wood used (whether it is a soft wood or hard wood) you may wish to use a bradawl to start the hole off. Then using a clockwise motion, gently twist the eyelet around whilst at the same time pushing down into the back of the frame. You have to be quite gentle at first and remember to keep the eyelet straight. Once it has started to bite you will feel it going in to the wood nice and easy. The other common fixings provided are called D-rings. These are usually a silver or brass colour and consist of a flat piece of metal with holes pre drilled in, attached to the flat piece is a ring shaped like a capital D - this is where the wire or cord passes through. They are usually supplied with self tapping screws that easily screw into most woods. Once the fixings are screwed into the back of the picture frame it is simply a matter of looping the wire or cord through the fixings and securely tying the ends. Depending on the weight of the frame and the hardness of the wall, there are a few options to consider when hanging a frame. The safest and most secure method is to drill a hole and use rawl plugs to create a hook, this is ideal for large picture frames and mirrors but may be deemed a bit overkill for a small 10 x 8 photo frame. The alternatives are to use normal picture hooks, you get these in most hardware shops, usually consisting of a (often brass) hook and pins for the wall. You get some with one pin, some with two and others with 3 or 4 (obviously depends how heavy the frame is). Another good option for hanging photo frames, especially with hard walls such as concrete walls is a relatively new type of hook called a Toly Hook - or hard wall hanger - these little white hooks are fantastic to use and consist of a hardened plastic hook with four strong pins prebuilt into the head of the hook. All you need to do is give it a good whack with a hammer and the four pins go into the wall nice and easily. If you are unsure about any of this and want more help or advice it is probably best to either talk to your local handyman or picture framer about how best to hang your picture frames.
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