Wall Mural Printing
Commercial and Residential
Big and striking wall murals can have an incredible effect on spaces. Whether you’re looking to exponentiate your brand or add a pop of color to a natural area, they’re an incredible tool for interior design.
You can choose between interior or exterior murals to best convey the message you want to send to the world. Murals can extend as far as you need them to, advertising details about the company, beautiful pictures of the items you offer, and even funny texts. Custom murals can go a long way in displaying who you are as a brand, showcasing your corporate personality.
Wall-to-wall murals are wonderful for business settings, but they can liven up any space. For those of you thinking about adding one (or several) to chosen areas, we have prepared a guide to this versatile graphic solution. Below, you can find out all about wall murals, including the materials used on them, their sizes, and more!
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Materials
As one of the most versatile graphic design options out there, wall murals stem from a wide variety of materials. Plus, printing technology has made considerable strides in the past years, to the point that you can use just about any material nowadays. Technological advances allow users to create the perfect combination of sturdy and lasting bases, and beautiful colors and designs. Functionality and aesthetics mix when creating large-format graphics.
There are two main categories of materials used in custom murals: ink and media. Both have subcategories, which you can read about below:
Material Base
While there are more options, some of our favorite bases are:
- Canvas: Popular for paintings and photographs, they can be either matte or textured. The finish lends a unique touch, even artistic.
- Photo Paper: A popular choice, it’s glossy and has vibrant colors, making it perfect for murals where photography takes center stage.
- Cast Vinyl: The base you want to use when you’re looking for a natural-looking finish, this plastic film is thin and flexible. The final look with cast vinyl looks like a coat of paint, with incredible color and resolution. Its thinness also allows it to cover wall curves and divots seamlessly.
- Calendered Vinyl: Similar to cast vinyl but thicker, it’s best for smooth surfaces and longer stretches. These are most durable when used on interior walls.
- Perforated Window Film: Perfect for glass walls and exterior windows, the holes allow natural light to pass through and rain to drain.
- Exterior: Exterior murals usually require different base materials, as they should stand the elements. Specialty substrates are an excellent choice for sturdier walls like brick, concrete, or stone, as they can keep their colors for a more extended period.
Ink
We can divide the most commonly used inks for murals into two subcategories:
- UV-Curable: You can apply this type of ink on practically every surface because it dries instantly, as opposed to water or oil-based inks. It doesn’t bleed out due to its process, which involves a UV wavelength strip and flash drying pigments.
- Eco-Solvent: This ink interacts with the fibers of the base so that the finish varies depending on the material used. The colors are long-lasting and vivid, but it requires a little time to dry.
Sizes
What makes murals great advertising tools is that they provide lots of space. They’re excellent forms of communication because of how roomy they are, making them fantastic for exposing a brand without being too obviously focused on marketing. You can have murals in just about every size, but keep in mind that the largest ones might require printing several “tiles” and then arranging them as a puzzle.
There are two basic types of mural printing: flatbed and roll-fed. Knowing a little about each one will allow you to choose which one best fits your needs.
Flatbed Printing
Similar to traditional printers, flatbed printing is more powerful and allows you to print on materials other than paper. These digital printers use UV light to dry ink, so we can use them to place graphics on surfaces as varied as plastics, wood, and even fabric. Since the process uses UV light, there’s practically no drying time.
Flatbed printing allows you to create murals as large as 18 feet long by 5 feet wide.
Roll-Fed Printing
Roll-fed printing is the “classic” style you think of when you imagine a newspapers’ printing press. Also known as web printing, this type involves a large sheet of paper continuously rolling through the print. The finished product then takes a short while to dry out.
A single print from a roll-fed printer can be as large as 300 feet long by 6 feet wide.
If you require a more massive mural, we can print individual “puzzle pieces” and then arrange them on site.
Durability
Indoor murals can last a lifetime, particularly when you take proper care of them. Their colors will remain just as sharp as the day you installed them, keeping the brand’s look hip. Outdoor murals have a shorter lifespan, as they have to withstand the elements - however, they can often last longer than a good paint job.
It’s worth noting that, for murals to have a long life, it’s essential to take care of them. Just use non-abrasive chemicals (avoid bleach and petroleum-based products) every few months to clean up the mural.
Keep in mind that you should only wash laminated murals, as otherwise, water would easily damage them. Our maintenance recommendations are:
- Use a lint-free cloth or sponge with water and mild soap.
- Hand-wash at all times, without involving any machinery.
- Start at the top edges and slowly work down.
- Avoid getting water or soap between image seams, as it can lead to peeling.
- After you’ve cleaned the mural, hand dry it with another lint-free cloth or sponge.
- If removing a stain, add a little bit of citrus-based cleaner to the water and soap composition.
Designing Wall Murals
You don’t need to worry too much about the aesthetic of the mural. When you choose Print Mavericks, you’re hiring a team of graphic designers and printing experts that will guide you through the process. We care about your ideas above all else, and our job is to help you realize them in a way that best uses the mural format.
For the first free consultation with us, we’ll ask you the following information:
- Wall size and characteristics. It’s critical to know the exact dimensions of the wall where you want the mural. For even more accurate budget and ideas, we’d also like you to tell us about any curves, bumps, or texture that could require specific features. A thorough explanation will help us find the right solutions for you.
- Context. You want the mural to pop, so it’s crucial to take its environment into account. What are the most prevalent colors in nearby walls and furniture? What kind of light will illuminate it, natural or artificial? We should keep all these elements into account when crafting graphics, as that can help us know how to make them pop.
- Ideas. What do you want to see on this wall? Do you want to use text, images, photographs? We need to know what you have in mind, and if there are any elements that you find unmissable. Your vision is the pivotal point of the mural, and we want you to send us any images you have for inspiration, as well as what you want to include.
Once we’ve worked with you to develop the mural you want, it’s time to create the image files for it. When you’re sending us images, keep these tips in mind:
- Avoid downloading photographs and designs from the Internet. They’re difficult to edit, tend towards pixelation, and the proportions can be delicate. In all, they don’t translate well to large formats.
- Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator should be the go-to programs, as they are most compatible with printers. Usually, other applications like Corel, InDesign, or Quark can cause compatibility issues down the line.
- The file extensions that best works with large-scale printers are .tiff and .eps. While less common than others like .pdf and .jpg, they’re perfect for murals and other large-scale graphics.
- Aim for resolution between 100 and 200 dots per inch (DPI) for the final design, as anything under or over that can lead to less sharp images.
You can count on the team of designers of Print Mavericks to help you get the best out of chosen images during the wall printing process!
Installing Wall Murals
After you created a design you love and printed it, it’s finally time to install it in the area you've chosen. Soon, you’ll have a fun addition to the working space, showcasing what can be anything from significant branding design to a fun and encouraging image.
It doesn’t take long to install murals, but there are a few steps to consider if you’re planning on doing it yourself. Here’s what you need to do:
- Clean the space. The wall should be free of any dirt, as then the mural would stick to that instead of the actual surface. Just pass a clean, dry, and lint-free microfiber cloth to it.
- Extend the mural. Place it as long as it is on a flat surface near the wall, with the image facing down. If the mural is large-format and requires several tiles, arrange them as they will go on the wall.
- Carefully remove the adhesive, always making sure it remains flat.
- Apply the mural carefully to the wall, taking your time. Use your hands to apply pressure and extend the adhesive on the wall, avoiding bubbles. Repeat this process symmetrically throughout the image, and pay particular attention to corners to keep creases away.
- If necessary, apply sealant. Using sealant is critical for walls that touch floors regularly cleaned with harsh chemicals, and it will protect the mural for a long time to come.
Alternatively, you can skip the DIY process and have our professional installers do the job. They’ll be able to accurately mount the graphics using specialized tools, making sure the image is entirely seamless with its wall and environment.
Give Your Spaces New Life
As you can see, murals are a fantastic way to breathe new air into spaces, particularly for business areas. They help companies visually set the tone of their spaces, inviting visitors and employees alike. Whether you choose to go for beautiful lettering, breathtaking photographs, or fun graphics, we have you covered.
Print Mavericks can help you along every step of the process. Our team of professionals, from graphic designers to printing experts, can answer all your questions and build a solution that works for you. Contact us for more information!