The Gallery Ladder is our freestanding paint display tower — two ladder rails on a weighted base plinth with shelves that click in at any height, holding 44 to 56 paints depending on the shelf mix, with no wall, no drilling and no tools. It's the answer when you want a vertical paint display but don't already own a desk rack to put a riser on top of, or you want the display somewhere a wall-mounted or desk rack can't go — a shelf, a floor corner, a convention table. This guide covers how it's built, what fits on it, and how it compares to the other vertical options in the range.
What is the Gallery Ladder?
It's a freestanding display tower: two ladder rails slot into a weighted base plinth (the plinth itself has built-in paint wells), locked with one snap pin per rail. Shelves click into rung pairs at 28 mm spacing, so you set every shelf's height to your paints and rearrange any time. Every shelf front is open, so you can read and grab a label without unstacking anything on top of it. Assembled size is 280 × 150 × 336 mm — about the footprint of a hardback book, standing just under a foot tall.
How many paints fit, and in what mix
You choose the shelf setup at checkout — dropper shelves hold 15 bottles each (Vallejo, Army Painter Warpaints-style 17–18 ml droppers); Citadel shelves hold 11 pots each (32 mm Citadel/P3/SMS). Dropper bottles need a little more headroom between shelves, which is why Vallejo-heavy setups carry one shelf fewer than Citadel-heavy ones.
| Shelf setup | Shelves | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Vallejo + 1 Citadel | 4 | 56 | Mostly droppers, a few Citadel pots |
| 2 Vallejo + 2 Citadel | 4 | 52 | Even dropper/Citadel split (as photographed) |
| 4 Citadel | 4 | 44 | All-Citadel collections |
| 3 Vallejo only | 3 | 45 | All-dropper collections |
Flat-pack, not glued
The joinery is dovetail flat-pack: rails slide straight into the base plinth's dovetail pockets, and one snap pin per rail locks the whole thing solid. There's a wedge lock for every shelf too, so nothing rattles loose once it's loaded. It comes apart in seconds if you want to pack it away or move desks — nothing is permanent.
Gallery Ladder vs the other vertical options
Three things in the range go "up" instead of sideways. Here's how they differ:
| Option | Freestanding? | Capacity | Footprint | Price (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery Ladder | Yes — own base plinth | 44–56 | 280×150×336 mm | $39.99 |
| Riser Display Stand | No — clips onto Rack 60 or Wall Rack 38 | +38 droppers | Sits on an existing rack | $19.99 |
| Paint Tower | Yes — own base wings | up to 68 | 284×300×475 mm | $34.99 |
| Tower + Riser Gallery | Yes — own base wings | up to 106 | 284×300×833 mm | $64.99 |
If you need the biggest single setup, the Tower + Riser Gallery wins on raw capacity (106 vs the Ladder's 56). If your desk is tight and you just want paints standing vertically in the smallest base footprint, the Gallery Ladder's 280×150 mm plinth is the smallest of the three freestanding options. If you already own a Paint Rack 60 or Wall Rack 38 and just want to add height on top of it, the Riser Display Stand is the cheaper add-on rather than a second freestanding unit. See the full Tower + Riser guide and the full range comparison for more detail on each.
Print it yourself instead
Like the rest of the range, the Gallery Ladder is also available as a digital STL pack ($17.99) — the base plinth, both rails and all five shelf designs, support-free.
See the Gallery Ladder → Compare the full range Ask about a custom shelf mix
Printed to order in Melbourne. Arrives finished — no glue, no clamps, no kit.
Formada3D prints to order in Melbourne, Victoria, and ships to every Australian state and territory: Victoria (Melbourne), New South Wales (Sydney), Queensland (Brisbane), Western Australia (Perth), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart), the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) and the Northern Territory (Darwin). Orders are printed in 3–5 business days and sent by tracked Australia Post; how long the post takes after dispatch depends on the distance from Melbourne and is shown in the carrier's tracking. Shipping: AU $10 (express $15) · FREE AU over $100 · NZ $15 · US $20 · Intl $25. There is no storefront or pickup — every order is shipped.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gallery Ladder?
A freestanding display tower for hobby paints: two ladder rails on a weighted base plinth, with interchangeable shelves that click in at any height. No wall, no drilling, no tools — it just stands on the desk or floor.
How many paints does it hold?
Between 44 and 56 depending on the shelf setup you choose at checkout: 2 Vallejo + 2 Citadel shelves holds 52, 3 Vallejo + 1 Citadel holds 56, 4 Citadel shelves holds 44, and 3 Vallejo-only shelves holds 45 (dropper bottles need more headroom, so Vallejo-heavy setups run one shelf fewer than Citadel-heavy ones). Dropper shelves hold 15 bottles each; Citadel shelves hold 11 pots each.
Does it fit Vallejo, Army Painter and Citadel in the same unit?
Yes. The dropper shelves are sized for 17–18 ml squat dropper bottles (Vallejo, Army Painter Warpaints style), the Citadel shelves fit standard 32 mm pots, and the base deck takes both — so a mixed Vallejo + Citadel shelf wall is a dropdown choice, not a custom order.
Does it need tools, glue or screws?
No. It's a dovetail flat-pack: the rails slide into the base plinth and one snap pin per rail locks everything solid. Assembles in under a minute and lifts apart just as easily if you move desks.
How is this different from the Riser Display Stand?
The Riser Display Stand ($19.99) is an add-on that clips on top of an existing Paint Rack 60 or Wall Rack 38 — it is not freestanding on its own. The Gallery Ladder ($39.99) stands on its own base plinth and needs no other rack underneath it, which is the right choice if you don't already own a desk rack or want the display somewhere a desk rack can't go.
Can I print the Gallery Ladder myself?
Yes — the full STL pack (base plinth, rails and all five shelf designs) is available as a digital download on the store for $17.99.
More guides: Paint Rack Tower + Riser guide · Full paint rack comparison · Citadel pots vs dropper bottles
All racks are designed and 3D printed to order by Formada3D in Melbourne, shipped Australia-wide. Browse the full range at formada3d.com/shop.