There are many custom-printed wallpaper materials on the market. Over the past 15 years I have seen around 30 different types from all over the world. Here is my take on the three most common modern wallpaper materials:
1) Self-adhesive, removable wallpaper fabric:
Fabric with adhesive backing is not sustainable, not green, can't slide for butt-joining, depending on the manufaturer the adhesive can become dry/hard over time, no additional glue can be added if not sticking. Do not use for a wall with a Teflon based paint. Great if you only have one panel, can be printed up to 135cm wide. We use a fantastic material called PhotoTex which has a fantastic removable adhesive - even after years. The right material for sticking onto a door or glass panels.
2) Self-adhesive removable wallpaper vinyl:
Vinyl film with adhesive backing is not sustainable, not green, does not breathe, you can't slide the material for butt-joining, comes with overlapping joins, may shrink or expand when temperature changes. The adhesive may become dry/hard over time, no additional glue to be added if not sticking. Great if you only have one panel, can be printed up to 135cm wide. We have used this material for two walls in the canteen of the HMAS Adelaide and the wall of the kiosk of HMAS Canberra, the two largest ships of the Australia Navy. The wallpaper needed to be waterproof, easy to clean and able to take a hit. The wallpaper vinyl was additionally covered with a protective laminate.
If you are interested in this kind of wallpaper, please contact us via email.
3) Pre-pasted wallpaper:
Not too thick, curls a bit wet, when the back is sprayed with water the whole wallpaper becomes softer and is more prone to wrinkle or getting scratched. Time critical as wallpaper paste may dry then has to be moistened, uneven walls can be tricky due to stickiness (can be avoided by putting additional wallpaper paste onto the wall). Will usually be delivered with an overlap and is only recommended if you employ an experienced wallpaper installer. Recommended for DIY installation only if the panels are not too wide (below 75cm) as installation could be problematic. Easy to remove with a wet/moist sponge. Advantage: can be printed with latex or UV-cured inks, providing a wide colour gamut.
4) Non-woven removable wallpaper for direct wall application: (recommended for DIY)
Wallpaper paste can be used for pre-pasting the wall to create an even absorption. You only have to put the paste on the wall, the wallpaper stays stiff, easy to butt-join as you can slide it to close the gaps between the panels.
Easy to remove – even without wetting the wallpaper when special dry strippable wallpaper paste has been used (Roman 880, Metylan Paste). This is the wallpaper material you receive when you buy from Mister Wallpaper. The panels of the DIY wallpaper are also only 45.6 cm wide. This width makes it very easy to hang wallpaper, especially if you are completing the job alone.
5) Pre-pasted, removable PRO wallpaper for direct wall application: (recommended when using a wallpaper installer)
Satin wallpaper with a dried paste at the back when arriving at the customer, only a water spray can is necessary to activate the wallpaper paste. Can be stuck on the smooth painted wall. Slide to hang straingt and matching the previous drop. Comes up to 125 cm wide per panel, so less drops with DIY wallpaper. We recommend using a professional wallpaper installer to hang as a trimming cut has to be made to achieve flat joints.
Recommended for DIY installation only if the panels are not too wide (below 75cm) as installation could be too hard. Easy to remove with a wet/moist sponge. Advantage: can be printed with latex or UV-cured inks, providing a wide colour gamut.
6) Pre-pasted matte wallpaper with rice paper look:
The ideal wallpaper material for uneven walls. The matte surface covers walls that are less than perfect, like rougher fillings, croocked walls, slight cracks and similar surface defects.
Another advantage of this wallpaper is that id reduces light reflections to a minimum. Our matte wallpaper has been used several times in photo and film shootings. See here for more information.
If you are interested in this kind of wallpaper, please contact us via email.
