Having installed and managed a fair few office wallpaper projects over the years, I thought I’d share a few tips that may just save a bit of time…
The Things That Nobody Tells You When Designing Office Wallpaper!
When designing office wallpaper there are a few things you may not be told until its too late! These helpful tips may save you from installation problems, reprints or at least a bit of studio time. Hopefully you’ll be working with a printer that does its own installation, and therefore they can offer you advice at the design stage, before anything goes to print.
If not, these 5 points will be critical to make sure there are no surprises in store when it comes to the wallpaper installation.
When you’ve had the office walls surveyed, checked for specialist paints, unsuitable wallpaper surfaces and lumps and bumps smoothed over, you’re ready to submit those visuals into final artwork.
#5 Tips to Help You Design Great Office Wallpaper
#1 Use a generous safe area
That’s the area around each of the 4 edges. Wallpaper hanging isn’t always millimetre precise installation and walls can vary in shape and size, particularly in older buildings. We like to keep text and important parts of images about 250mm away from the edge. This may change with smaller walls, and if you need to get closer it is possible, but would probably need to be highlighted to your installer.
#2 How Much Bleed?
We typically use 25mm bleed on all 4 edges, but its important the installers themselves know this, otherwise they’ll be guessing where to start the install. If its a wall which includes windows or irregular shape, discuss with your installers how much bleed they would like to work with. If your printer isn’t doing the installation themselves, your project manager should be able to help.
Bleed is important on wallcoverings as walls notoriously have a lot of variation along their lengths.
#3 Look at the wall from all angles
Take multiple views of the wall into account. There’s nothing worse than finding an obstruction in front of that important text. This might mean visiting the office to check for yourself, however a good survey should take care of this. Ask the printer to include multiple views in the survey pictures. Very often it means you’ll amend position of text, eyes etc on the final design.
#4 Look out for inappropriately positioned pipes
Be aware of light switches, conduit, pipes and anything else sticking out of the wall. A badly placed piece of plumbing could be very embarrassing! The position and size should be marked in your survey notes, but keep well clear, the wallpaper may go on with adjustment, so use that safe area around these areas too.
#5 Check the Image Quality
Ask the printer to check that the image quality is suitable for a wallpaper. Whilst your vectors will be fine, its essential you check that there is no quality loss in images as the image is enlarged.
Understandably it is difficult to see how your images will stand up to such brutal enlargement from your computer screen. Any blurriness or pixilation is sure to show once its up on the wall. A good first test is to blow up to 100% of print size (200% if designed at half size). This will begin to show any loss of quality, its simple but its sure to give you a good indication of how your graphic will look.
Working With Designers to Create Stunning Wallpaper
We work with designers to create the highest quality office wallpaper and wall coverings. This is aided by our AGFA workflow which allows us to match brand colours across all our presses, from Heidelberg and Indigo to our Large Format presses.
If you would like to take advantage of our site survey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch 01270 625207. Or email our installation manager jamieb@jprint.co.uk – Jamie will help and offer advice on your office wallpaper projects.
Related Information
So why do Creatives insist on HP Indigo?
The Indigo has quite a few tricks up its sleeve that toner based machines cannot achieve. But essentially its the fact that the Indigo represents the best comparison to litho printing quality that makes it the first choice for design agencies.
Those qualities include the reproduction of accurate and consistent colours. The integrated spectrophotometer offers automatic ICC profiling giving a tailored colour profile for each paper stock it prints on. And the paper stocks available are wide and varied, with most paper mills offering HP Indigo specified choices.
Consistent Colour Reproduction
The consistency also comes from the inline Spectrophotometer and the liquid ink technology used by the Indigo. Being able to produce consistent colour matches, no matter when, where or what its printed on, is a major factor. The ability to reproduce the same accurate colour time after time, was an obvious advantage to our customers, and the Indigo delivers this for our customers. The press also offers a host of "special" effects, ink colours and tactile print. Put this together with the usual digital printing advantages of short-run and variable data, you can understand why our customers chose this press. Advantages of the Indigo Press include:- Inline, controlled colour management
- Perfect registration
- Higher colour consistency over time
- ICC profiling - Media specific
- White Ink Printing
- Invisible red ink (visible under UV light)
- Fluorescent Inks
- Textured/tactile print
- Spot Matte/Gloss varnish effect
Dry Wipe Walls - Magnet Receptive
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Dry wipe and magnetic wall covering.[/caption]
Sometimes, even the largest whiteboard just isn't big enough. When you need an entire wall to be your "Ideas Wall" or your "Working Wall" we have the perfect solution. We can produce a full whiteboard wall, add graphics and detail and even make it magnet receptive. Not only that, our office fitting team install UK wide.
We print directly to ferrous substrates offering a relatively strong base to receive magnets. We can then laminate with dry wipe film to create a completely bespoke wall which can be written on with dry wipe marker pens and wiped easily. (We do have a solution to help clean off permanent marker!) In fact its the very same film we use for all our branded whiteboards.
Measuring For Installation
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Installation of dry wipe walls[/caption]
When measuring up the for the magnetic dry wipe wall, make sure you take a photograph and send it over to us. We can work around most things, so your wall doesn't need to be completely square and can include light switches or any kind of ceiling ducts.
Its relatively simple but we're here to make things easier. We can visit you free of charge to measure and check walls where required. Call Jamie Brelsford on 01270 625207 to discuss in more detail, or send measurements over to sales@jprint.co.uk
Full Office Branding Services
We also print bespoke wallpapers and wall coverings. More importantly we also manage each office branding project from start to finish. That includes visiting to measure and check that wall surfaces are suitable. We may also be able to offer suggestions and options when it comes to the kind of messages you are presenting in the office space. Working with design agencies across the UK, we give a professionally printed and managed installation service. Creating signage and branding solutions to both large and small projects, we manage each job from site survey to installation. See more office branding information here.
Creative Print Solutions
Our high quality production standards are the reason we've been around for over 190 years. And we'd love to show you how we do things here. We could just send samples in the post, but we enjoy face to face meetings and we like to get to know exactly what your clients needs actually are. This way we can find ways for you to win more business or add value to existing business.
Using our armoury of high quality print and finishing resources, together with our expertise in Heidelberg litho, HP Indigo digital and wide format print, we can offer you innovative and creative print solutions.
A Comprehensive service - More than Printing
Many of the services we supply book-end our print production. We have the specialist knowledge and resources to carry a job through from concept through production, fulfilment, delivery or installation. Your job will be managed by an experienced manager whose expertise will ensure your project runs smoothly throughout the project.Some of those services include...
Passing important projects over to people you can trust is important Direct Mail - Management of data, print, collation, fulfilment and delivery. Signage Projects - Fully managed installations including site surveys, RAMS and Manufacture. Office branding projects - Fully managed by our installations manager. Offering experience, advice and help during the design process.Pre-Press Support
We can help design agencies with comprehensive pre-press support. Sometimes this is a simple pre-flight check, but often we can offer advice that will save hours of studio time. We also encourage direct communication with our pre-press team, thus you are able to contact them at any time. Our customers enjoy being able to discuss their work with our studio and the slicker workflow it produces. Finally, take a look at what we do, we're a friendly bunch and passionate about print. We'd love to show you around, but if you can't be tempted, we can always visit you with case studies and samples at any time.Creating Bespoke Wooden Signs
We can create your wooden signs to your brief, giving a fully bespoke service. This might include cutting the wood to shape, or producing tongue and groove panels to produce larger wooden facia's. Johnsons can offer visuals to show you how your signage will look, or we work to your own ideas and visuals. We can look at the practical use of your signage, including the colour and choice of wood as well as the position and fixing. Our aim is to produce stunning timber signs that will stand the test of time with care before and after installation.Wooden Signage with Cut Acrylic Text
There are a number of ways we can add text, logo's and graphics to your timber signage. In this case, fine white acrylic cut text was added directly onto the timber. We can also add aluminium tray signs to give depth and a clear area for additional graphics.
Care is taken to produce long lasting wooden signs that fit your brief and be totally practical. Finishing the signage is as important as the design, and we'll make sure your signage is built to the highest standards.
How to order wooden signage
We try to make things as easy as possible.
If you already have a good idea of what is required, we can often quote from a sketch. But sometimes a brief chat can help iron out any questions or difficulties.
In the first instance call our signage manager Jamie Brelsford on 07903 576400 or use the form below. We'll make sure we help you get exactly what you require.
Wooden signs can often need a little more attention to look after over the years. However, many hardwoods like Idigbo have a very stable and attractive finish without varnish. However, oil or varnish will add life to your signs and we can help you with advice on how to keep your wooden signs looking great throughout the years.
Office Branding
Our experience in creating exceptional office branding enables you to create the office environment you want. We'll take care of everything from start to finish and make your ideas work from print through to installation and beyond.Your office branding project may be large or small, but the attention to its quality and detail will be prevalent throughout our production and installation processes.
Get in touch for a free site survey and consultation where you can discuss your ideas. Speak to project manager Jamie Brelsford on 01270 625207 or email sales@jprint.co.uk
Our Office Branding Services Include:
- Print and sampling
- Site Surveys
- Bespoke wallpapers
- Dry wipe and Magnetic wall coverings
- Office Wall Vinyls
- Printed Window graphics
- Floor Graphics
- Directional Signage
- Office accessories
- Comprehensive Installation Services
- Risk Assessment and Method Statements
From Design to Installation
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Dry wipe and magnetic wall covering.[/caption]
We work with companies and organisations of all sizes, including some of the largest design agencies to create fantastic wall art, wallpapers, signage and accessories. This may start with an initial site survey to discuss ideas, measure-up and check all installation possibilities.
If you need ideas, we can show you examples of past jobs or we can create visuals to show you how your office could look. We can also show you samples of the different substrates available from window vinyl films, acrylics or printed fabrics.
When your artwork is ready for production, we'll ensure accurate colour matching and the highest possible quality print and production, ready for installation and fitting.
Installation of Office Vinyls and Wallpaper
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Installing dry wipe and magnetic walls[/caption]
If you need help with a small vinyl or the largest wallpaper graphics, our installation team have the experience to create professional office spaces. And where required, we will produce a risk assessment and method statement for the project, no matter how big or small the job is.
We'll work with you to ensure a swift and safe installation. If that means working when you're closed we will, anything to make it easier for you and your workplace.
All office branding needs care and attention during the installation and we pride ourselves in creating a professional service in a swift and safe manner.