Displaying Photographs at Work

The impersonal nature of work spaces and the struggle of workers to personalize them has been made famous in a variety of cartoons and movies. Trying to make our work areas reflect our personalities seems to be a universal theme. One great way to personalize your work area is with photographs.

Unlike at your own home, your company makes the decisions about what you can display and how you can display it. However, with a little creativity, there are still ways to display your photographs.

Cubicles
Cubicles are generally created from thin panels covered in fabric. Many cubicles have a few small metal strips exposed for hanging heavy objects. Hangers for these strips should be available from you company's maintenance department. There are also several ways to display your photographs without relying on the metal strip placement.


• Velcro Frames
  Most discount stores and office supply stores now carry an assortment of clear acrylic frames that have Velcro attached to the back. The Velcro will attach to the fabric of most cubicle walls without damaging them. You can also create your own inexpensive Velcro frames from precut mats.
  
  
• Magnetic Frames
  Acrylic frames with magnets on the back are even more widely available than Velcro frames. While they will not stick to cubicle walls, they do adhere nicely to most file cabinets. In general, a few larger images on a file cabinet will look nicer than many small images.
  
  
• Digital Photo Frames
  When space is limited, a digital photo frame can be a great solution. These frames can store many images and let you choose options such as a slide show or displaying just one image. The frames are available in a variety of price ranges, sizes, styles, and colors.
  
  
• Collage
  If space allows, a larger frame with several smaller photos in it can be a great way to neatly display your collection.
  

Offices
Office spaces can actually be a bit trickier for displaying photographs. While offices tend to have more space than cubicles, companies are generally pickier about letting employees hang items on the walls and there can be company-selected artwork already present.


• Standard Wall Frames
  If you want to hang a photograph you will probably need to get your company's permission first and they may prefer that the maintenance department does the actual hanging. If your company allows you to hang your own items I suggest using something like the Hercules Hook as it does leave only a small hole when removed and it does not require a hammer.
  
  
• Desktop Frames
  Many desks now include a hutch and the top of the hutch is a wonderful shelf to display photographs. A small grouping of images in 2 or 3 different size frames will create a more pleasing look than simply lining up several uniform sized images. Also try to keep in mind the color of the decor and desk so that the frames do not clash.
  
  
• Digital Photo Frames
  Just like for cubicles, a digital photo frame can be a great solution to displaying photographs. These frames can store many images and let you choose options such as a slide show or displaying just one image. The frames are available in a variety of price ranges, sizes, styles, and colors.