Digitally printed wall coverings – Wall design in the digital age

Digitally printed wall coverings are enjoying growing popularity. This growing trend is fuelled by a rising interest in statement walls and graphic design. Wall art and large-scale wallpaper motifs are also making a comeback. But what exactly is a digitally printed wallpaper – and how does it compare to other types of wallpapers?

In this article, we explore the trend of digital printing in wallpaper design, discuss its advantages and disadvantages, and explain how these innovative wall coverings differ from traditional wallpapers.

Digitally printed wall coverings: What exactly are they?

In digital printing, the design is sent directly from a file or data stream to the printer and applied to the surface without the need for a fixed printing plate. This method allows for completely new designs and virtually limitless creative possibilities. For wallpaper manufacturers, digital printing opens the door to innovative design approaches. For example, custom wall murals printed with personal images are a type of digitally printed wallpaper made to order.

Modern wall murals from well-known manufacturers are typically produced using digital printing. Unlike mass-produced designs, many of these wallpapers are only printed after the customer places an order. This makes it possible to configure wall murals to specific dimensions and select the non-woven backing material used. Unlike traditional wallpapers, photo wallpapers don’t feature repeating patterns. Instead, digital printing allows for high-resolution images on a large scale. Nowadays, manufacturers also offer digitally printed wallpapers that sit somewhere between traditional wallpaper and full-scale photo murals.

The Wall mural amelieshome2 DD122412 Livingwalls Walls by Patel 3 is a digitally printed wall mural, available in various non-woven qualities.

Wall mural or traditional wallpaper?

While photo wallpapers are generally digitally printed, not all digitally printed wallpapers are photo wallpapers. Manufacturers are increasingly using digital printing in their standard wallpaper collections as well. Many of these digitally printed modern wallpapers feature highly detailed designs or three-dimensional motifs with a sense of depth.

Often, non-woven wallpapers are made without PVC or vinyl. While the sense of depth in traditional wallpapers is usually achieved through textured vinyl structures, digital print wallpapers often have smooth surfaces that naturally appear very three-dimensional. However, as vinyl typically increases the durability of wallpapers, digitally printed wallpapers are often highly washable, whereas vinyl wallpapers are usually also abrasion-resistant. On the other hand, eliminating vinyl or PVC helps reduce your environmental footprint.

The jungle wallpaper with the hummingbird is a digitally printed wallpaper, even though the pattern repeats. In other words, it's a traditional wallpaper, but digitally printed.

The in-between: The photo wallpaper

A brand new and true problem-solver is the picture wallpaper. At BRICOFLOR, all digitally printed wallpapers are referred to as photo wallpapers, featuring large-scale designs similar to photo wallpapers, but with the advantage of being repeatable, allowing for endless extension. This eliminates the need to configure the wallpaper to your exact dimensions. After all, on-demand production is slightly more expensive than ordering pre-made wallpapers. For example, the The Wall series, now available in three collections, features digitally printed designs that are easy to install thanks to numbering and marking. The rule here is simple: one design equals one roll.

Additionally, manufacturers like A.S. Création have begun to supplement their standard wallpaper collections with a few digital print options. These can either be continued indefinitely or used as large-scale statement wall murals. However, be cautious: these wallpapers are often available in a standard height of 2.80 metres.

Conclusion: with digitally printed wall coverings, step into the digital age!

Digitally printed wallpapers are particularly worthwhile when you’re looking for a personalised wallpaper with a custom design or want to create dramatic effects with large-scale motifs, breathtaking scenes, or highly detailed, three-dimensional designs. However, it doesn’t always have to be a photo wallpaper: you can now find affordable digitally printed wall coverings in standard collections, with patterns that repeat in the classic way. The pattern repetition can be especially appealing in country wallpaper, Baroque, or Art Deco styles.

A great middle ground is the photo wallpaper: here you’ll find large-scale designs like those of a photo wallpaper, but with the added benefit of being able to extend the digital print wallpaper seamlessly.

No matter which digital print wallpaper you choose, you’ll find the perfect wall covering at BRICOFLOR, your expert for walls and floors!