Leave it to Ikea to give photographers cheap options to hang backdrops in their studios. On a recent trip to Ikea I was looking for a cheap way to both hang my backdrops and give me the ability to slide backdrops in and out for quick changes during shoots. Ikea gave me just that with their cheap curtain wires. Their Dignitet wire rigging is just 12.99 and just a few bucks more for a pack of clips to click the backdrops on.
Installation was fairly easy. The wire rigging comes with two brackets. You’ll want to use some pretty heavy-duty dry wall mounts. I used these. After mounting the brackets, you stretch the wire as tight as you can by hand, then use the supplied rigging to tighten the wire manually as tight as you can.
The result is an easy-to-use backdrop system.
If you are planning on attaching more than 4-5 backdrops to the system, I would recommend using the Kvartal rail system. You’ll end up spending about 3 times the money, but it will hold pretty much anything you can attach to it.
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October 24, 2012 - 9:10 am
Just a heads up – did this two years ago with just wire, and the wire started to lose tension within weeks and sagged dramatically. But the rails work perfectly!
October 24, 2012 - 9:35 am
Yep, I just have a couple backdrops and they are sagging a bit. For more backdrops, definitely the rails are better.
October 24, 2012 - 10:10 am
Are those Westcott backgrounds you are using?
October 24, 2012 - 11:25 am
Those are Denny Manufacturing…
October 24, 2012 - 11:23 am
I have those in my studio to divide my storage area vs my shooting space. I have the sagging problem too im so glad you pointed out how to solve that. I can’t because it’s floating middle of the room though
Most of my backdrops are poly paper/canvas rolls from lemondrop or pro photo backdrops so they vary in height so this wouldn’t work for that… but totally for fabric!
thank you!
October 24, 2012 - 1:17 pm
LOL you been spying on me!!??
I have not long moved into a new studio, and I have both of these systems in place!! I do struggle with the drooping wire especially as it is covering the hovel corner, but the tracks I love!