Wallpaper technology has advanced more than you think. Where wallcovering requests once needed to be in the hundreds or thousands of linear metres, digital printing technology has meant that single wall coverings can now be printed in photographic print quality. This guide will show how and where large format print coverings work best, and everything in between.
When and Where to Use Large Format Wallpaper Printing
More and more printing companies, small and large are receiving bespoke orders for wallpaper to suit private domestic designs and orders from the commercial sector. This big increase in distinct or bespoke designs is exciting from a design perspective and also ensures that wallpaper printing technology continues to expand its offerings.
Interior design
Printshop customers have recognised the ability for individually designed wall coverings, but the scope and size of the domestic demand continues to increase alongside it. Wide format wallpaper printing allows high-end customer requirements to be fulfilled, no matter how bespoke for anyone looking to put their own unique stamp on their home decor.
Office and workspace
Now, more than ever, the working environment needs to inspire and engage employees. Using custom wide format wallpaper material and wall coverings to bring wall spaces to life can also be a unique way to create a fresh atmosphere in the office and boost employee productivity. When used in reception areas and meeting spaces it can be used as a unique branding opportunity for clients and visitors.
Trade shows and retail
Wallcoverings printed using wide format digital printers are also popping up on trade show stands utilising peel and stick technology to apply to portable stands and displays. This easy solution allows for both maximum impact and bespoke design opportunities for on-brand marketing. But this same technology is also being adopted within retail and shop store areas to promote products and create branded spaces in-store.
Restaurants
Large format printing of wallcoverings for restaurants and cafes are being reinvented to provide more intimate experiences for guests. From images of Tuscan vistas for Italian restaurants to urban landscapes for cafes and coffee houses, wallpapers are being requested to realise design concepts to make establishments stand out from the crowd.
Corporate events
Not so long ago, organising a corporate event was limited to ensuring the venue had enough tables and chairs to fit guest number requirements. But for event organisers to make a major impression on potential investors, customers or partners, it isn’t just about the food and drink anymore. The venue must be just as impressive too to create that wow factor. This means an increasing request for bespoke wide format wallpaper designs to transform event spaces into immersive spaces.
Printing Technologies for Wide Format Wallpaper Designs
Photographic paper quality
Bespoke wallpapers are usually of a much higher quality than the off-the-shelf varieties, but when you are designing distinctive patterns, images or features then it should be done on only the best, most durable and thicker papers. But this is also to ensure that the designs are able to be shown at their best. Wallcoverings need to be able to adhere to the wall and perform the role of a photographic canvas.
Wallpaper effects
There are plenty of choices when it comes to types of wallpaper. Paper-based wallpaper can either offer a fine, matte finish, ideal for using with high resolution imagery bursting with colour. There are further options like utilising a stucco-like texture effect paper that can soften the interior feel of the wallcovering. All of which can be compatible with UV, latex and solvent digital printing technologies.
Creative textures, like non-woven wallpaper can have flame-retardant properties. Textile-backed wallpaper can also be utilised for trade show motifs and when backlit signs or panel designs are incorporated. Smooth vinyl paper can used to suit finer-detailed graphics and text-based designs in both matte and gloss effects.
All wallpapers can have antimicrobial protection applications added post-print to suit an enormous range of school, medical and hospitality settings.
Printing technologies
Depending on the application requirements or where the installed wall coverings will be located can dictate the ink technology used. All large format wallpaper prints utilise the following printing types:
Solvent Printers – This printing technology has been a go to for large format printing for over 25 years. It uses petroleum-based inks which also contain substances like acetone, making them fully waterproof when dry.
Eco-Solvent Printers – Use milder solvents which are less harsh. They use less volatile chemicals and have slower drying times.
UV Printers – Harnessing the power of ultraviolet light these inks cure onto a variety of materials, including sheet and rolls.
Latex Printers – These inks are used for both indoor and outdoor applications. They are often fast-drying and flexible. Suitable for wall coverings and fabric uses.
Large Format Printing Wallpaper
If you can imagine it, you can design it. There really is no limit to the range of wallpaper designs that can be commercially used. Wallpapers can come in a wide range of effects, thicknesses and applications.
Custom Wallpaper
Custom wallpaper designs are growing in popularity. When used for interior design in homes, offices or public spaces, it creates a bespoke effect that certainly makes for an impactful statement within a business environment or in a home setting.
Custom digitally printed wide format wallpaper designs of up to 5m can also be effective with retail environments where customer footfall provides the opportunity for large format printing designs to provide the wow factor for customers.
Self-adhesive wallpaper
Where traditional wallpaper requires paste or glues, self-adhesive peel and stick wallpaper solutions allow for easy and instant installation.
Conclusion
With the advent of digital design and printing technology, large format wallpaper coverings have become an almost limitless option in terms of style and size.
Distinct wallpaper applications are found in every sector, whether used for branding purposes, enhancing corporate culture or purely aesthetic. As printing technologies advance high resolution graphics become bolder and wallpaper effects create increasingly tactile surfaces. Large and wide format digital wallpaper printing is not only here to stay, it continually reinvents itself.
