1. Plan the track position and access

The Gallery System track is larger than Slimline and is screwed directly to the wall through the upper channel of its H-shaped profile. Check every wall before drilling and plan both the finished position and how hangers will enter the track.

• Straight corniceThe track can be installed directly beneath it when the drill can reach the upper fixing channel without damaging the cornice.
• Square-set ceilingUsually sit the track down slightly. The fixing hole is drilled through the top of the track, making it difficult to hold a drill square when the track is tight against the ceiling.
• Very high ceilingConsider keeping the track lower so it remains accessible from a normal stepladder. About 2.6 metres from the floor is often a sensible height.
• Strong architectural lineA door head or former picture-rail height can provide a considered alternative.
• Clear Tape hangersLeave an accessible track end or a loading gap of at least 40 mm where hangers can be added and removed without sliding them several metres along a long run.

If Gallery Lighting may be added later: install a continuous track run, leave a 40 mm gap at corners, keep the track no higher than approximately 2.6 metres and allow at least 15 mm below the ceiling or cornice so lighting wands can be fitted and removed. Power is introduced through a junction box; a section of track can be cut out for it when the lighting is installed.

Clear Tape needs end access. Stainless-steel cable and Clearline hangers use a removable track slide and can be inserted at any point, so loading gaps are not required for those hanger types.

2. Drill and set out each track length

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Use five fixings for a two-metre track and seven for a three-metre track. We almost always include a centre fixing, even when it does not coincide with a stud, because it balances the track while the remaining positions are marked and makes the length easier to install and remove.

1. Locate the practical studs. Mark the stud positions, then place the track against the wall and transfer those positions onto its upper V-groove.
2. Plan the full fixing pattern. Include the centre hole, keep the end holes at least 20 mm from the ends and add intermediate positions so the track is supported evenly.
3. Drill the track. Use a 4 mm metal bit for the supplied 8-gauge screws. Support the track securely and remove any burrs that could stop it sitting flat.
4. Use the centre fixing first. Hold the track at the selected height, fix or temporarily support it at the centre, align it and mark the remaining holes on the wall.
5. Remove the track. Prepare the remaining wall fixings using the appropriate method in Step 3, then return the track for final installation.

Do not force every fixing onto a stud. Prioritise every practical stud, then use a suitable hollow-wall fixing where the planned pattern falls between studs.

3. Prepare fixings for the wall type

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

First assess the substrate—the type of wall you are working on—then prepare each marked position. Plasterboard on timber or steel studs and solid masonry are the two most common constructions.

4. Cut, install and join the track

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Work progressively. Measure for ordering, but mark final cuts against the actual wall as the installation proceeds.

1. Mark the fitted length. At a perpendicular wall, reverse the track against the wall and transfer the cut position, allowing about 1 mm tolerance unless a planned loading or lighting gap is required.
2. Make a cool cut. Support the track in a mitre box and use a 24 TPI or finer hacksaw, or clamp it securely and use a drop saw fitted with an aluminium blade.
3. True the end. Remove burrs with a metal file. Factory ends can be joined as supplied, but removing approximately 0.5-1 mm or carefully filing away the powder coating can produce a cleaner, squarer joint.
4. Fix the first length. Start with the centre fixing, confirm the track is correctly aligned and then secure the remaining positions, taking care not to distort the H-shaped profile.
5. Join the next length. Insert a Gallery System Track Joiner into the first length, position the next track, slide the joiner across the junction and tighten its two grub screws.

Joiners are now our usual approach: tracks can be butt-joined without one, but small wall or fixing variations can leave the ends a millimetre or two out of alignment. A joiner keeps the junction neat and true. It also prevents a dropper passing through the join. Stainless-steel cable and Clearline hangers can simply be removed and reinserted on the other side; omit the joiner only when uninterrupted passage is specifically required.

Do not use an abrasive hot saw intended for steel. Use a hacksaw and mitre box or a drop saw with an aluminium blade.

5. Finish corners and track ends

For a picture-hanging-only installation, stop each track at the corner and fit an end cap to the exposed end. At an internal corner, the tracks can finish slightly short rather than being forced into an imperfect junction.

When preserving the 40 mm corner gap for future Gallery Lighting, stop both tracks short and use the lighting system’s internal or external corner cover to conceal the gap and, later, the connecting cable. These covers can also provide a neat corner finish before lighting is added.

Keep the lighting plan consistent around the room. A mixture of tight corners and accessible lighting gaps can make a later retrofit unnecessarily difficult.

6. Add the selected hangers

Hanger installation

Clear Tape

Cut the required tape length, feed it through the capsule to form a loop and swing the locking bar through the loop. The short end of the tape and the locking bar must face the front or the locking action will fail. Pinch the capsule and insert it through an accessible track end.

Assemble the capsule, then load it through a track end.

Stainless-steel cable and Clearline

Feed the hanger through its track slide, tilt the slide into the underside of the track and straighten it so it sits level. Both hanger types are installed in the same way and can be added or removed anywhere along the track.

Tilt the slide into the track, then straighten it.

7. Fit hooks and hang artwork

• Single hanging: place one hook beneath the centre of the picture wire.
• Double hanging: use two D-rings or equivalent mounting points. Do not place two hooks on one wire; they can creep towards the centre.
• Use two droppers when approaching a single-dropper limit, when the artwork needs help staying level, for visual balance or where it may occasionally be disturbed.
• Do not add a third dropper to gain capacity. If two correctly rated droppers are insufficient, use another method such as a Z Bar or French cleat.

For a Push Button Hook, feed the matching hanger into the top of the hook, hold the button while setting the height and release it to grip. As a starting point, position the centre of the artwork at approximately the viewer’s eye height, then adjust it to suit the room.

Troubleshooting

1. Choose the track position

In many environments, the track looks most discreet immediately beneath a straight cornice or square-set ceiling. Before drilling, check every wall where the system will be installed and consider the alternatives below; a ceiling can look straight while varying substantially across a room and throughout the premises.

• Straight ceiling or corniceInstall directly beneath it. If drilling tightly against a square-set ceiling, plan how the drill will reach each fixing position; an offset drill can make this easier and reduce the risk of damaging the ceiling.
• Minor variation of about 2-3 mmA neat caulking bead can conceal small gaps.
• Noticeable waves or curvesDo not force the track to follow them. Establish a deliberate line, often 30-50 mm below the lowest point.
• Very high ceilingConsider keeping the track lower so an average person can reach it safely from a normal stepladder. About 2.6 metres from the floor is often a sensible height. If the track will be installed higher, plan how it will be accessed whenever droppers need to be added or removed.
• Strong architectural lineA door head or former picture-rail height can provide a considered alternative.

Installer’s note: compare a laser line with the visible ceiling line. In an older building, a slight rake parallel to the ceiling can look better than a perfectly level track with a visibly widening gap.

2. Set out one track length at a time

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Work progressively rather than marking the whole room at once. Each wall anchor has two locating tabs at the top. Keep these tabs facing upwards: they can register against a straight hard edge and show where the top of the installed track will finish.

1. Position the first track. Hold the first length where it will be installed and mark its far end or join position.
2. Plan the anchors for that length. Put an anchor at the join, then use the appropriate plasterboard or masonry method in Step 3 for the remaining positions.
3. Install the first length. Fix and align its anchors, then clip the track into place before moving on.
4. Continue along the wall. Butt the next length against the installed track, mark its far end or next join and repeat the process. Mark and cut the final length against the actual wall.
5. Check the quantity. Five anchors per two-metre track is the recommended minimum. A shortened one-metre section will often use three rather than two.

At every join: centre one standard wall anchor behind the join so each track end shares approximately half of the anchor.

3. Fix the anchors for your wall type

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

First assess the substrate—the type of wall you are working on—then follow the appropriate route below. Plasterboard on timber or steel studs and solid masonry are the two most common constructions. When the wall construction is unfamiliar, test an ordinary anchor position before drilling a critical join position.

4. Cut and join the track

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Measure for ordering, but mark final cuts against the actual wall as the installation progresses. Walls and corners are rarely exact.

1. Mark the fitted length. At a perpendicular wall, reverse the track against the wall and transfer the cut position, allowing about 1 mm tolerance.
2. Support it securely. Use a mitre box for a hand cut or clamp the track securely for a powered cut. Protect the visible powder-coated face.
3. Make a cool cut. Use a 24 TPI or finer hacksaw, or a drop saw fitted with an aluminium blade.
4. Finish a cut end. Remove burrs with a metal file and make sure the cut is square.

Joining two lengths: the powder-coated factory ends can be joined as supplied. For the neatest joint, remove the coating at the meeting ends by trimming approximately 0.5-1 mm with a drop saw fitted with an aluminium blade, or by carefully filing away the coating. The aim is simply to remove the powder coating and true the edge. Line the two lengths up before installation and confirm the ends meet squarely and cleanly.

Do not use an abrasive hot saw intended for steel. Heat can damage the aluminium track’s powder-coated finish.

5. Finish corners and uneven walls

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Inside corner: run one track to the perpendicular wall and butt the second against it. End caps are normally unnecessary. Avoid mitres; this small profile makes inaccuracies obvious.

Outside corner: finish both tracks flush with the wall edges and use one end cap to cover the meeting ends.

6. Snap on the track and fit the end caps

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

1. Check every anchor. Confirm it is secure, aligned and installed with the two locating tabs facing upwards.
2. Start just clear of a perpendicular wall. Position the track about 2-3 mm from the wall and tap it onto the first anchors. Once engaged, slide it gently towards the wall. This helps prevent the end of the track grazing the finished surface.
3. Work progressively along the track. Tap the visible face into place using the flat edge of your hand. A clean plastic mallet can be used gently where necessary.
4. Inspect and finish. Confirm the track has engaged every anchor, then insert the end cap with its curved section at the bottom.

7. Add droppers, hooks and artwork

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Insert the clear tape, Clearline or stainless-steel cable hanger into the track horizontally, then rotate it down. Refer to the product guide for compatibility and weight limits.

• Single hanging: place one hook beneath the centre of the picture wire.
• Double hanging: use two D-rings or equivalent mounting points. Do not place two hooks on one wire; they can creep towards the centre.
• Use two droppers when approaching a single-dropper limit, when the artwork needs help staying level, for visual balance, or where it may occasionally be disturbed.
• Do not add a third dropper to gain capacity. Sharing the load evenly across three is unreliable. If two correctly rated droppers are insufficient, use another method such as a Z Bar or French cleat.

As a starting point, position the centre of the artwork at approximately the viewer’s eye height, then adjust it to suit the room. The system is designed to make this easy. When changing artwork, inspect the droppers and hooks for visible damage before reuse; no other routine maintenance is normally required.

Troubleshooting

1. Choose the lighting kit

The three kits use the same Gallery System track and light wands, but they introduce power differently. Choose the layout first; transformer capacity alone does not tell you where the transformer, junction box and cable should go.

The Maxi kit contains a transformer, a 12-volt output lead, a junction box, a continuous loop of grey power cable and adhesive tape. The Mini uses a similar junction-box arrangement for a single direction. The Micro feeds the track directly from its transformer.

Planning one lamp? The published 60-watt instructions are based on at least two 7-watt LED lamps. Ask Shakespeare Solutions to confirm the appropriate lamp and transformer arrangement for a single-light installation.

2. Map the cable run and lamp load

Shakespeare Solutions field notes

Voltage drop depends on the complete 12-volt path, the number and wattage of lamps, the position of the most distant lamp and the quality of every connection. A long cable can work well with a modest lamp load, but that does not make every long-run arrangement interchangeable.

Supplier-tested long run: a separate supplier test used a 70-watt transformer with four 7-watt lamps at the end of a 14 m power-cable run and reported that all four operated correctly. The same four lamps continued to work at 24 m, but adding further wands at that distance produced a visible reduction in light output. This is useful evidence for planning, not a replacement rating for the 60-watt kits or a guarantee for every cable layout.

For a run beyond the published basis, send us the floor plan, total cable route, track lengths, transformer position and intended lamp count. We can then confirm whether the standard kit arrangement is suitable or whether the layout should be divided.

A practical Maxi hallway example: a centrally positioned Maxi junction box may feed approximately 10 m of track in each direction. The transformer can potentially sit in an accessible, ventilated roof location using its supplied output lead to reach the junction box. This can avoid placing a separate transformer at each end, but the complete design, lamp count and cable lengths should be confirmed before ordering or concealing any cable.

3. Plan the track, junction and transformer positions

• Track heightKeep the top edge of the track at least 20 mm below the ceiling or cornice so there is enough room for your fingers while fitting the light wands. For effective illumination, the manufacturer recommends installing the track no higher than 2.6 m from the floor.
• Micro 60The transformer can sit at the track end, but this kit is also commonly used on partitions and displays. Where suitable, route the grey cable around a corner and tuck the transformer into an accessible, dry and ventilated frame or enclosure without creating a sharp bend.
• Mini 60Leave a junction-box-sized gap at the track end. Confirm that the supplied transformer-to-junction cable reaches the selected transformer position.
• Maxi 200Leave a junction-box-sized gap between track sections, preferably near the electrical centre of the lighting run so the grey cable can travel in both directions.
• CornersAllow approximately 40 mm for the appropriate inside or outside corner cover, checking the gap against the actual cover before cutting the track. The cover conceals the exposed power cable as it turns the corner.
• Transformer locationChoose an accessible, dry and ventilated position. Confirm the location of the mains outlet and the route of the safe 12-volt cable before fixing the track.

If lighting is being retrofitted to existing Gallery System track, mark the required transformer or junction-box gap against the actual component. Remove hangers from the immediate area, support the track securely and cut only after the complete cable route has been checked.

4. Prepare the cable channel and adhesive tape

1. Clean the upper channel. Vacuum or wipe away drilling dust and grit, then make sure the surface is dry before exposing the adhesive.
2. Choose when to fit the tape. Fitting it before the track is installed gives easier access. If the track is already on the wall, work carefully along the open upper channel.
3. Lay the tape straight. Run it continuously along the flat upper surface and press it down without wrinkles or gaps.
4. Keep the paper cover on. Leave the protective paper in place until you are ready to seat the cable so the adhesive stays clean.
5. Use the tape as a settling aid. It holds the grey cable in its initial position; once the cable has settled straight and true in the channel, it generally remains in place.

The tape belongs on the flat upper channel that carries the grey power cable. Whether the tape is fitted before or after the track, remove all dust before peeling back the paper and pressing in the cable.

5. Mount the transformer and junction box

Keep the power off. Do not connect the transformer to the mains supply until the junction box is closed, the grey cable is fully seated and all exposed cable has been checked.

1. Mount the transformer. Use the manufacturer’s mounting provision in the predetermined accessible and ventilated position.
2. Position the junction box. For Mini, place it at the selected track end. For Maxi, place it in the planned gap between the two powered runs. Micro has no separate junction box.
3. Orient the cable exits. The track cable should leave the junction box level with the upper track channel. The transformer cable can leave above, below or pass through the back of the junction box into a prepared wall route.
4. Fix the junction box. Use the pre-fitted adhesive tape or remove the cover and fix the base through its mounting holes with suitable 6-gauge screws. Refit the cover with each cable sitting in the correct slot.
5. Conceal a surface cable if required. Use appropriately sized plastic conduit only where a visible 12-volt lead remains on the face of the wall. Surface conduit is not required where the cable is routed into the wall through the back of the junction box.

Fix the junction box before pressing cable into the track. This prevents the cable position from pulling the box out of alignment and allows the lid slots to guide each cable cleanly.

6. Fit the grey power cable

Maxi 200: cut the loop before applying power. The continuous grey cable supplied with the Maxi kit must be cut into the two planned track runs before the transformer is energised. Never switch the system on while the loop remains electrically continuous; doing so will create a short circuit.

1. Remove the tape paper. Work only on the length you are ready to cable so the adhesive stays clean.
2. Keep the cable clean. Set the reel on a clean floor or protective surface and unroll it progressively. Do not drag the cable through drilling dust.
3. Start at the power entry. For Micro, begin at the transformer. For Mini, begin at the junction box and work along the single run. For Maxi, complete one side from the junction box and then the other.
4. Press the cable straight. Seat it firmly along the full taped surface without twists, loops or gaps.
5. Trim at the track end. Cut only after the cable is fully seated to the end of that run. Do not leave an unplanned coil hidden behind a cover.
6. Inspect before power. Make sure the junction-box lid is secure, every visible connection is protected and the cable has not been nicked or pinched.

Long-run check: temporarily test the completed layout with the intended lamps before concealing accessible 12-volt cable routes or completing decorative covers. Check the lamp furthest from the transformer while the remaining wands are added one at a time.

7. Fit and aim the light wands

1. Fit the lamp to the wand. Confirm that it is the correct lamp for the selected wand and kit.
2. Lower the lever. The wand’s track fitting must be unlocked before it is placed over the track.
3. Hold the fitting square. Lower it over the track at a true right angle. A fitting introduced on a slight angle may not contact the grey cable.
4. Lock the connection. Once fully seated, turn the lever half a turn clockwise.
5. Switch on and test. Add the remaining wands progressively and check that illumination stays consistent, particularly at the far end of a long run.
6. Aim the light. Slide the lamp socket up or down the curved wand until the beam falls naturally over the artwork without excessive glare.

8. Fit covers and finish the installation

Use straight, inside-corner and outside-corner covers wherever the grey cable crosses a planned gap in the Gallery System track. Covers are available to match the white or silver track and should sit without crushing or sharply bending the cable.

Ongoing care: keep the transformer ventilation clear and wipe dust from the light wands periodically. If a wand becomes intermittent, switch the system off before checking the lamp, the square seating of the track fitting and the cleanliness of its contact area.

Troubleshooting