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Digital Décor Printing Goes Beyond Wallcoverings
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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Digital Décor Printing Goes Beyond Wallcoverings

A lot has been said over the past few years about the opportunities in digital décor printing … and most of them have been focused on wallcoverings. And while we love a good digitally printed wallcovering as much as the next guy, we wanted to take a moment to focus on other opportunities in decor printing … beyond wallcoverings.

Take a look at some of these inventive, imaginative projects our customers have done using a variety of ink technologies and media types. And the next time someone asks you to print a wall project, consider pitching them on some custom print jobs off the wall.

TABLES: Opportunities are almost limitless for both surface and object printing. Take, for instance, the tabletop creations by Jamie Birch, who used LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric and LexJet Crystal Low Tack for sports-themed customized tables. Want to keep them looking good? Our friends at Fredrix used Fredrix 575 Tempo Canvas top coated with Marabu coating and mounted to a puzzle board and routed into circles to create these branded coasters.

 

 

 

 

 

WINDOWS: Create customized decorative prints on either the window itself or shades to block the sun. Window shades can be created with a variety of products, such as LexJet Poly Select Medium, EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier or HP Light Fabric. To add some privacy or a graphic element to the window itself, try LexJet Simple Grip Backlit, which can be seen from either side of the window and is enhanced by artificial or natural light.

 

 

 

 

 

LAMPS: A little punch of color can go a long way to enhance a room. Lamp shades have become a favorite among digital printers, using products like LexJet Sunset Textured Fine Art Paper 310g and finishing it with a UV coating for extra protection. Retailers like Lamps Plus give customers a variety of pattern and color combinations so they can create their own one-of-a-kind look.

 

 

 

 

 

PILLOWS: These are just two examples of how you can add some major customization to your throw pillows with a latex printer, courtesy of Fredrix, using Fredrix Natural Raw Canvas, and HP, featuring the versatile HP Light Fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

PRINTS: So, technically these prints go on the wall, but offer a decorative option if adding wall paper or a mural isn’t an option. We love all types of hanging wall art including acrylic-mounted prints, floating canvases, wrapped canvases, framed photos and ChromaLuxe panels. There’s something for everyone and every ink technology in our product mix!

 

 

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Printing Custom Fine Art Photo Coasters for Additional Sales

Printing fine art photo coasters

In a previous post here at the LexJet Blog, Gary Haines, owner of Grizzly Creek Gallery in Georgetown, Colo., had introduced a line of posters featuring select pieces from his fine art landscape photography. As mentioned in that post, the posters serve two purposes: To give those who can’t afford the exquisitely printed and finished larger works access to Haines’ outdoor work and to provide Haines with an additional revenue stream by capturing those who would otherwise have walked out of the gallery without buying anything.

Fine art photographic printing
The large art gallery floats are similar in construction to the fine art photo coasters pictured above, printed on Sunset Photo eSatin, laminated and mounted to MDF.

Haines took that same concept and applied it to coasters. Now clientele have a nice Colorado keepsake to take home that also has a practical use. I recently visited Haines and couldn’t help myself; after chatting for a bit, the next thing you know I’m walking out with three coasters.

The coasters are similar to the large art gallery floats that adorn Grizzly Creek Gallery, which are printed on LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin Paper, mounted to 1/4″ or 3/8″ MDF and laminated with a luster laminate. The difference is, of course, the size. Plus the art gallery floats have a one inch framework behind them so they float off the wall while the coasters are more like small plaques with beveled edges.

Most of the coasters are printed on Sunset Photo eSatin, but some are also printed on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper. Haines likes the shine the Metallic paper provides, especially on his various renditions of aspen groves.

Haines gang prints the coaster images and sends them to DuraPlaq in Longmont, Colo., who then laminate the images to the MDF blanks. Picture This – Superior in Lafayette, Colo., usually takes care of the larger art gallery floats using the same basic process.

Inkjet printing fine art photography
For smaller test prints and posters, Gary Haines uses LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper.

“Sunset Photo eSatin has a heavier weight and is more durable than most photo papers. I also really like the colors I get when I print on it as well as the surface texture; it’s like the darkroom papers we used to use,” explains Haines.

As noted in the previous post, Haines produces posters and test prints on LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper. It’s similar in look and feel to Sunset Photo eSatin, but it’s less expensive and thinner. In other words, it’s a good alternative for more economical photo products like posters.