A hanging protocol simulator system and method permit the design and storage of hanging protocol without requiring the actual hardware utilized in the design. The creation and/or modification of hanging protocols can be made either: a) automatically, by sending images to the simulator and receiving the configuration based on these images, or b) manually, in which case the user utilizes a hanging protocol editor to define the preferred screen layout. The user can define a preferred screen layout and then test it, without need of available real hardware, and can check the performance of the configuration long before investing in the ultimately required hardware. A database is provided for storing hanging protocols which can be accessed, and/or user-provided input can further be provided to define or refine hanging protocols.