Thursday, 23 May 2013 16:51 GMT

Climbing the walls

New technologies are transforming the interior décor and wallcovering landscape, and new substrates, inks and printers are enabling print service providers to develop this rich revenue stream, as Ruth Quindos, sign and display production market development manager, EMEA, HP, explains.

“This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has to go.”

Had he lived in the digital age, Oscar Wilde’s last weeks may have been more pleasant.

Digital printing technology has opened myriad opportunities for large format printers. Substrate versatility, accurate colour matching, reduced turn-around times, less waste and cloud-based services have transformed the sector. The availability of new hardware and software solutions has also enabled large-format print service providers (PSPs) to bring complete processes in-house, further reducing costs and delivery times.

One of the newest – and rapidly growing – markets for large format printers is interior décor and wallcoverings. While sign and display PSPs have traditionally been at the edge of the interior décor market, producing wall and window graphics for corporate offices, commercial, and retail spaces, it has generally been undertaken as a collateral activity to accommodate existing customers, and not a major supporting revenue stream.

Wide-format printing technologies have made custom-made wallcoverings more affordable to customers with consequential benefits and opportunities for large-format PSPs, interior decorators, and enterprises and even for traditional producers of wallcoverings”

As a market, the wallcovering sector has changed little in more than 100 years. The last major shift was from woodblock printing to flexo and screen, with incremental moves to litho and rotary screen. Viewers of a well-known property restoration programme in the UK will have seen the discovery of a section of early 19th century wallpaper in a country house and its subsequent time-consuming reprinting from original wood blocks.

While the market for mass produced wallcoverings remains strong, wide-format printing technologies have made custom-made wallcoverings more affordable to customers with consequential benefits and opportunities for large-format PSPs, interior decorators and enterprises and even for traditional producers of wallcoverings.

Opportunities small and large

For large-format PSPs, there is the opportunity to develop a whole new, high-value, revenue stream and reach out to new customers. Interior décor companies can offer their clients affordable custom-designed wallcoverings – tailored to specific rooms and spaces. Whether for corporate, commercial, retail or residential use, custom wallcoverings on a wide range of substrates, including gloss and matt finishes, textured media and woven and non-woven textiles, can be a powerful differentiating element.  Creative use of images and media can deliver a distinctive corporate identity, or a strong statement of individual personality. Above all, it’s good business, extending the market of the PSP and the interior decoration company.

For established wallcovering producers, digitally printed wallcoverings offer a chance to revive old patters cost-effectively, and provide competitively priced specialist wallcoverings for important public and historic buildings whose budgets might not otherwise run to such seeming extravagance.


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For these wallcovering producers, several options exist for digital production. First, they can form an association with a suitably equipped PSP; secondly, they can form multiple associations in various locations to minimise deliveries and enable decorators at the site to work with a local supplier; and, thirdly, some wallcovering manufacturers may opt to install digital printing equipment at their facilities.

This latter strategy – which might follow a period of working with a large-format PSP – could enable the manufacturer to digitise its back catalogue of wallcoverings and move towards a print on demand operation for some markets.

Keeping an eye to the environment

Digitally printing wallcoverings can have a number of beneficial effects. Since only what is needed is printed, there is less waste. Among the broad range of media available for wallcoverings are alternatives to PVC and materials that made from sustainable or recycled sources.

The accurate colour matching available on digital printers means that short runs of wallcovering can be made to match those conventionally produced, saving time, money and the need to store the unused rolls that would need to be produced to justify a conventionally-printed run.

For large corporate applications, short runs of wallcoverings can be produced digitally for proofing and trialling before the full runs are carried out”

For large corporate applications, short runs of wallcoverings can be produced digitally for proofing and trialling before the full runs are carried out. Wallcoverings printed for proofs and trials can be output on the final substrates to ensure customer satisfaction and eliminate the issues of printing on graphics paper. Using digital printing in this way can also shorten the time-to-market for wallcovering manufacturers and enable them to process more jobs in less time.

HP’s end-to-end solution

HP large format printers running HP Latex Inks are already performing the above function and carrying out high-profile wallcovering projects around the world. HP Latex Inks are especially suited to wallcoverings because they are water-based and produce odour-free prints. HP Latex Inks are also GREENGUARD Children and Schools CertifiedSM and when used with HP PVC-free Wall Paper, the prints are also GREENGUARD Children and Schools CertifiedSM, and meet AgBB criteria. Prints are dry off the printer, require no off-gassing time, and may be delivered and installed immediately.


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Continuing its end-to-end solution strategy, HP has teamed up with leading hardware and software companies to deliver a full solution to customers, from design and file preparation, layout, ripping, media, production, and automatic cutting in a modular workflow.

File preparation with advanced tools including colour management and matching, and accelerated ripping is available from AVA. Other RIPs for HP Latex Printers are available from Caldera, ONYX and SAi. Automatic vertical slitting and horizontal cutting can be automatically carried out using the Fotoba International XLD170 WP machine designed for wallcovering panel finishing.

The HP WallArt Solution is a new, easy-to-use cloud-based design tool for PSPs that enables users to create their own designs or share projects with customers. With HP WallArt, it is possible to design for specific spaces, adjusting patterns to accommodate doors, windows, and other architectural features to ensure the desired elements are on display.

Automatic “RIP-ready” PDF panelisation saves time and simplifies the process by enabling approvals to be carried out with visualisations with a three-dimensional feel. By using cloud-based technology, these visualisations can be shared around the world, ensuring that the end result meets expectations.

The wallcovering market today is vibrant, reflecting the creativity inspired by fast-moving societies and digital technology. Capturing current trends, moods and local themes in wall coverings can make corporate venues, shops and residential rooms attractive and exciting, adding value and creating that fashionable look to die for.

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