Wallpaper Ink’s ‘made-to-measure’ wall mural website provides a simple and easy to use service for people looking to decorate their homes and businesses with bespoke wallcoverings. Started 6 years ago by Scott Evans, the company now employs 10 people at its South Wales premises.
“The business has transformed over the years, merging our sign and graphics capabilities with our web skills,” states Evans. “The resurgence in the wallpaper industry has served as the perfect catalyst for us to offer something new and different.”
Sitting at the heart of Wallpaper Ink’s offering is a range of substrates that the company sources entirely from printable material manufacturer and distributor, Soyang Europe. “We offer customers a choice of three different substrates upon which to have their image printed,” says Evans. “Depending on their installation requirements and skills, they can select from a traditional, pasteable paper, a self-adhesive product or our top-of-the-range spray-activated material.”
Most popular with professional decorators, Soyang’s SoMagic pasteable product gives a traditional textured finish but is printable using Wallpaper Ink’s bank of Roland eco-solvent printers – as well as latex, full solvent and UV machines. Soyang’s ST035 self-adhesive product offers an easy, paste-free installation with the benefit of easy repositionability and a textured textile finish.
Evans is particularly excited about Soyang’s SoMagic Water Glue spray-activated material, thanks to its ease of application. “The adhesive is activated by spraying the wall with water, which makes the paper easy to handle and put in place,” he says. “It makes it very simple to line up images or patterns drop-to-drop and really helps people get over any perceived barriers to taking a DIY approach to hanging wallpaper.”
For those needing more of a helping hand, Wallpaper Ink has created a ‘how to’ video that walks the viewer through the process – as well as including basic tools in each box of printed wallpaper. The finished product is washable and waterproof and when the time comes to refresh the design, is easy to remove without damaging the wall.
Thanks to an exclusive tie-up with Adobe, it’s possible to choose from over 40 million images on the Wallpaper Ink website, but an increasing number of customers are opting to use their own photography. “The continued improvements in mobile phone cameras mean that it’s possible to produce a stunning 4m wide print from an iPhone 7 image,” says Evans. “The technology has made it so simple for people to capture and upload unique images and by turning it into beautiful wallcoverings, we’re able to make it a part of their home.”
Whilst the domestic market is currently Wallpaper Ink’s mainstay; commercial printing is becoming an increasingly important outlet for the company, as Evans recognises the potential for sign and graphics companies to offer creative décor to their clients. “We’re being approached for trade print more and more thanks to the reputation we’re forging for expertise in the wallcoverings sector,” he suggests. “Wallpaper Ink is very much open for business from print companies looking to receive a high-quality specialist print for their customers.”
Through effective SEO and targeted online marketing, it’s not just the UK that the company is trading in either, with growth in Germany and the USA demonstrating the worldwide appeal of beautifully printed wallcoverings. “Soyang Europe’s substantial stockholding and next day delivery really help us cope with demand,” Evans states. “We know we can call off stock and receive it the following working day, so our inventory is kept low – but we can still work with the confidence to respond promptly to even the largest orders.”
“We’re delighted with the success Scott and his team are having with three of our wallcoverings products,” says Simon Mashiter from Soyang Europe. “The appeal of bespoke décor is undeniable and it’s encouraging to see how receptive the market is to personalised wallpaper. Wallpaper Ink is making it very simple for domestic and commercial customers to enjoy an individual piece of art on their walls.”