In recent years, wallcoverings have come back onto the home furnishing market with a real splash of high-resolution color. Before, paint coatings were preferred for their color, cost, and ease of application. Mass-produced wallcoverings were considered dull and unimaginative.
Advances in digital printing technology have turned consumers back on to wallcoverings. Many homeowners want to turn their living space into an imaginative world stamped with their personality. Large format digital printing offers low-cost production of one-off, customizable designs. Unique and creative home decor is now possible. Many wallcoverings are now designed from one image, repeated in rows or diagonals. The consumer may supply this image herself, or it can be sourced from a royalty-free database of images.
- The first stage in creating a successful wallcovering is to engage the services of a good design team. They will collaborate with the client, drawing up ideas and choosing suitable colors.
- If the client supplies their own image, the designers will check if the image is of a suitable quality and resolution. Images can be digitally improved, but the quality will always depend on the original photo. Wallcoverings can be huge and if the idea is to cover the wall with one image than it had better contain a lot of pixels. The more pixels an image has, the sharper the image. A blurry image can spoil a wallcovering, as can light balance.
- The darker an image, the higher the resolution needed.
- Subjects in motion also need a higher resolution than still subjects.
- Often, the client will select a wallcovering based on the design of others. These often draw color and style from many creative sources, including nature, history, and the fashion industry. Sometimes a design will suggest a particular texture, for example, a silk or plaster look.
- Once the design is complete, it is scanned and the color layers separated digitally. The design is etched onto the print rollers and colorways developed using visual aids and CAD software. Often, around 30 colorways are developed for one pattern.
- After proofing and quality checks, the design proceeds to production. Masters are created from the first runs to maintain color consistency. Samples and presentation boards are also produced as aids for field sales reps. Bolts of wallcoverings are printed and shipped out upon receipt of an order.
Wallcoverings are easy to put up, almost odorless and need virtually no drying time. For best results, we recommend you ask a qualified professional to install your wallcoverings.
