As designers, we are always looking for ways to do things differently, or to improve methods of decoration. In this blog we will look at the impact that advances in digital printing have and are still having on the interior.
It’s not that long ago that all our printing needs were provided using the conventional screen printing method. Advance in digital processing have made the act of printing easier and more accessible, and as a result enabled pretty much anything to be printable.
Large coffee image to wall to provide focal point
Most of us have seen large graphics applied to the walls of retail stores. As designers, we often apply our own designs or purchase images from sources such as Shutterstock or Unsplash to use on walls in commercial or retail locations. But these large-scale images can also be applied to the walls of your home, perhaps to simulate a view on an otherwise blank wall. We have used magnetic vinyls where we want to change the image quickly and with ease, such as in pop-up shops, and with the technology available to print images up to 5m wide, it is possible to stage set an interior and change it overnight.
The benefit of digital printing is that small orders can be processed quickly because the set-up is simpler. This means that we can supply bespoke printed curtains and bedding for your hotel, as well as print custom towels and bathrobes, providing users with a completely unique environment. Where hotels are looking to differentiate their offering, bespoke furnishing can go some way to achieving this.
The flooring industry has been through a small revolution since the introduction of digital printing. Manufacturers can now simulate wood on ceramics and ceramics on vinyl. I have heard joiners extoling the virtues of a timber floor when in fact it was vinyl! Flotex carpet that once covered every 1970’s kitchen floor has morphed into a trendy new product for use almost anywhere, with leading designers Wayne Hemingway and Philip Stark developing collections.
Today, we can digitally print on virtually any surface. Printed upholstery fabrics that look like aged leather and table tops that simulate distressed timber, along with simulated wall and floor finishes mentioned before, allow us to create the look of vintage with the durability of todays’ modern materials. For now at least, fake interiors are all the rage!