A Simple Way to Produce Durable, Kid-Friendly Wall Murals

Here’s a great example of how a LexJet customer is using Simple Flo wrap adhesive vinyl for a project other than vehicle wraps.

The Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center in Honolulu is a warm and friendly museum with hands-on instructional exhibits for children of all ages.  So when designers of a new facility at the center wanted to enliven the walls with bright, kid-friendly murals, it’s only natural that they would want materials that not only deliver ultra-vibrant colors but also extra durability and easy cleaning.

That’s why Pro Digital LLC of Honolulu, Hawaii is using LexJet Simple Flo wrap vinyl with a luster laminating film to create the murals.  Simple Flo wrap provides the opacity needed to prevent unsightly seams with overlapping panels. The repositionable adhesive on Simple Flo supports easy installation. Air-egress channels in the adhesive help prevent air bubbles and wrinkles.

Although the 2.4-mil Simple Flo wrap vinyl doesn’t disguise underlying imperfections in the wall surface as well as a WallPro textured wallcovering material would have, Pro Digital’s Bradley Igawa reports that the client is very pleased with how the installed mural looks.

Creative Wallscapes Creates Opportunities for Panoramic Photographers

Professional photographers who specialize in panoramic photography might want to check out the services of Creative Wallscapes, a LexJet customer in Burnsville, MN.  The large-format, print-for-pay company specializes in producing and installing environmental graphics that can transform the look of retail spaces and restaurants and establish more pleasant and productive surroundings in corporate offices.  According to Creative Wallscapes owner Greg Dean, corporations have increasingly seen the value of using imagery to upgrade work spaces from boardrooms to hallways.

As a result, Creative Wallscapes often partners with panoramic photographers to market suitable large-scale images for environmental graphics. In some cases, photographers simply provide the content for murals that Creative Wallscapes sells.

Or, professional photographers can promote and sell the murals directly on their own websites, then subcontract the printing and installation of the murals to Creative Wallscapes. “Right now, one photographer in particular is keeping us quite busy with the graphics he is selling online,” says Greg. “We’re hoping that other photographers will see the profit potential in this type of arrangement.”

Professional photographers can contact Greg through the company’s website: www.creative-wallscapes.com or call 877-767-7446.

Creative Wallscapes worked with photographer David Lawrence to create these beautiful murals for Corvalent's new headquarters in Austin, TX.

Photo Mural Helps Dental Patients Relax

On his Beyond the Lens blog, landscape photographer Robert Rodriguez Jr. of Beacon, NY showcased this kayaking mural that he recently printed on Photo Tex PSA fabric from LexJet. The mural was designed to bring the feel of the Hudson River into the main exam room of the Dr. Ricardo Rios of Middle Hope Family Dental Center in Newburgh, NY.

Photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.

Photo Mural Creates Buzz in Hudson Valley Coffee Shop

Many photographers know that visitors to popular scenic and outdoor recreation areas like to browse through area galleries and gift shops to buy framed or matted prints, notecards, or calendars to remind them of their trip. But enterprising professional photographers such as Robert Rodriguez Jr. of Beacon, NY are discovering that owners of local businesses like buying photographs of the natural surroundings too.

Rodriguez, who specializes in landscape images of the scenic Hudson River Valley, has started producing large canvas prints and photo murals that can help patrons of local businesses see the natural wonders of the area in a whole new way. “Being able to show people how it feels to stand on top of a scenic overlook at sunrise, and feel the emotion I get when beautiful light enters the Valley is so much more convincing in a large, almost life-sized, print,” says Rodriguez.

For example, Robert Rodriguez, Jr. recently created this 54 x 128 in. photo mural for the Bank SQ Coffee Shop in Beacon, NY. The mural is an enlargement of a panoramic photo he shot of Storm King Mountain, the dominant landmark of the region on the banks of the Hudson River. The mountain is located about five miles from the coffee shop. 

Robert Rodriguez created this photo mural for the Bank Sq Coffee Shop at 129 Main St. in Beacon, NY.

According to Rodriguez, “The response to the mural has been phenomenal. Locals recognize the scene immediately and it makes them feel more connected with the region, and proud of its natural beauty.”

Rodriguez used the 44-in. Canon ImagePROGRAF iPF8100 printer in his studio to output the mural in three sections on Photo Tex PSA fabric from LexJet. Photo Tex PSA is an inkjet-printable fabric with a repositionable, pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). In addition to reproducing a surprisingly high level of image quality, the wrinkle-resistant, adhesive-backed fabric panels are relatively easy to install on flat, non-porous surfaces. No specialized training is required. If you make a mistake when aligning the printed panels, simply remove and reposition it until you get it right. When it’s time to remove the mural, the adhesive removes cleanly without gummy residue.

After installing the mural, Rodriguez added a 3 x 4 in. plaque with his name and website and notes about how and when the image was captured.

Storm King Mountain Photo: Robert Rodriguez, Jr.

“This is one of my favorite locations to photograph in the Hudson Valley, and I never get tired of finding different angles, lighting and weather conditions, and times of the year to find new and exciting interpretations.” he explains. “Storm King Mountain is also historically significant in the environmental movement and where Scenic Hudson got its start to becoming a major force in the Valley for conservation. I’ve donated this and many other images for their use in this cause. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to enjoy this resource if it weren’t for the work that Scenic Hudson has done in my ‘backyard’.”

You can read more about Robert Rodriguez, Jr. in Vol. 4, No. 11 of LexJet’s In Focus newsletter. Or, check the images on his website and read his excellent blog, entitled Beyond the Lens.

Picture the Possibilities for Custom Wall Murals

Can you picture what a custom photo mural might look like in your home? To help potential customers envision some of the possibilities, photographer Rick Anderson of Omaha, NE created this unique illustration for his website, using some of the scenic shots from his own archives as backdrops.

MURALVARIATION

So far, one of the most popular choices for a wall mural has been his image of the football stadium at the University of Nebraska. A full-size version of the mural printed on Photo Tex PSA fabric from LexJet will be one of the images showcased in the new photography gallery Anderson plans to open in Omaha next month.

MuralThumb

The gallery will supplement Anderson’s online business (www.rickanderson.com), through which he sells collectible posters and prints of the dozens of landscapes, city skylines, and college sports venues he has photographed throughout the US.

Gallery manager Rachel Ourada anticipates that opening The Rick Anderson Gallery will help spark greater awareness of  what’s now possible with wall murals. She notes that selling custom wall murals differs from selling framed prints, because each project involves extra time for measuring and installation work. But she points out, “The customer gets a really fabulous art piece for their home or business. The stadium images are so popular we recently added three more stadium images to the options.”

Photo Tex PSA fabric from LexJet is ideal for creating custom photo murals. Not only do images reproduce well, but the repositionable adhesive on the back of the fabric makes the graphics easy to install. And when it’s time to take down the mural, the image panels can be removed cleanly without leaving a lot of sticky residue. For more ideas for printing images on PhotoTex PSA, call a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.

Custom Photo Mural on Wallpaper Adds a Local Touch to Restaurant Decor

tower room entry-web readyMany LexJet customers know there’s much more you can do with a wide-format inkjet printer than output great-looking enlargements on canvas or make exhibition prints.

For example, many pro photographers now sell custom photography to businesses that want add a touch of local flavor to their interior décor.  Recently, photographer Norman Gilbert sent us this shot that shows him standing in front of an 80 x 120-in. mural in the entranceway to The Tower Room Restaurant on the top floor of the tallest building in Memphis (which is 33 stories high).

The mural is a composite of 14 photos Gilbert shot from the Tower Room. Starting with a dramatic look downward toward the street in broad daylight, the mural transitions through street scenes shot at twilight and culminates with a view of the Memphis skyline at night.

Gilbert printed the composite file in three 40 x 80 in. sections onto WallPro inkjet-printable wallpaper from LexJet. WallPro is an11-mil, commercial-grade, latex-saturated, nylon-reinforced wallpaper.

To print this job, Gilbert used ImagePrint RIP software with his Epson Stylus Pro 9600. After a protective spray was applied to the printed panels, the mural was installed by professional wallpaper hangers using traditional wallpaper paste.

WallPro is just one option for inkjet-printing wall murals. Many photographers now use Photo Tex PSA Fabric for photo murals, because the goof-proof repositionable adhesive on the back makes it possible for anyone to install wall murals. No special training is required.

To learn more about materials that can be used to produce custom wall murals, contact one of the helpful account specialists at LexJet at 800-453-9538. We’d be happy to suggest the right inkjet-printable material for whatever type of décor project you have in mind.

Norman  Gilbert combined 14 images shot from the Tower Room Restaurant to create a mural for the restaurant.
Norman Gilbert combined 14 images shot from the Tower Room Restaurant to create a mural for the restaurant.