Wall mural printing

Look hard at the wall first

Printed film and wallcovering both show what lies beneath. Rough plaster, flaking paint, damp and textured finishes will telegraph through or stop adhesive bonding, and fresh paint needs time to cure before anything sticks to it reliably. Run your hand across the surface and photograph it in raking light. Some paints are also designed to resist sticking, so tell us the finish if you know it. If in doubt, a small test patch on the actual wall will answer more than any data sheet.

Self-adhesive vinyl or wallcovering?

The choice comes down to surface, lifespan and how you plan to remove it later:

• Self-adhesive vinyl suits smooth, sealed walls and can be removable, though it may lift paint
• Paste-up wallcovering suits longer term interiors and is hung like wallpaper
• Fabric graphics on a frame avoid touching the wall at all

Offices, schools and public buildings may have fire performance requirements, so check with your building manager or fire safety adviser before choosing a material.

Measure, then allow for walls that are not square

Very few rooms are true. Measure width and height at several points, and note sockets, switches, radiators and door frames. Murals are printed in vertical drops that are joined on site, so tell us which details must not be cut by a join, such as eyes or small text. Extra bleed around the edges lets the fitter trim to the real wall. For smaller decorative pieces, our wall graphics page shows other options, and design help is there if you need the image prepared.

Related topics

• Restaurant and café graphics
• Hotel interior graphics
• Gym wall graphics