By Melissa Donovan
Wall Heroes, based in Mesa, AZ, began in 2015 with two employees. Originally, the business was constructed with the intention of offering full residential and commercial printing of murals, wallpaper, stickers, perforated window graphics, canvas prints, and posters. This was in response to the increasing trend for customized décor.
Three years later, some things remain the same while others have changed. A two-person team still runs the company out of AZ, however the focus is now on murals, canvas prints, and custom prints.
80 percent of the business is digitally printed wallcoverings. Work is completed for customers located coast to coast in the U.S., from CA and FL.
Above: Wall Heroes of Mesa, AZ creates wall murals and wallpaper for customers using its HP Latex 360 printer and LexJet Peel-N-Stick Fabric.
An Education on Print
Recognizing digital print’s influence on one-off custom décor, company representatives visited the International Sign Association’s (ISA’s) annual ISA Sign Expo in 2015. There, Wall Heroes staff learned about the HP, Inc. HP Latex 360 64-inch printer. According to Megan Deemer, business development, Wall Heroes, they went to the show looking for a printer that would fit into their home office—for both footprint and health reasons.
“We chose to use this brand because of the versatility in the printing abilities as well as the fact that we could safely use the printer in our home. It allowed us to start printing beautiful wall murals and window graphics for homes and businesses,” she explains.
Unfamiliar with the technology, Deemer admits there were some challenges when it came to learning the ins and outs of how to operate the printer as well as the software components. In addition, the small business went through a construction phase to properly house the HP Latex 360.
With the hardware component selected, the next step involved choosing the right material. Wall Heroes uses LexJet’s Print-N-Stick Fabric material for all of its digitally printed wall murals. A few factors play into the selection including durability, flexibility, and no shine. “Our customers look for a matted wallcovering so there isn’t any glare on their images from light. The durability and flexibility make it easy for anyone to install the material,” shares Deemer.
LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric is available for latex and aqueous printers. At a 6-mil thickness with a matte finish it does not rip, wrinkle, or stretch. Its fabric base is a bright white, water-resistant, satin cloth that is backed with a repositionable adhesive that removes cleanly and easily.
Custom Work
The company’s wall murals are either predesigned or custom. Predesigned options include scenic views of oceanw, forests, mountains, and notable cities. Custom wallcoverings are trending. “We have a lot of customers that submit a beautiful photo used in the creation of a custom wallcovering for their home instead of choosing from our selection,” shares Deemer.
For example, a new customer recently worked with Wall Heroes to create a wallcovering for their newborn son’s room. The image was a photo taken on the family’s property, which was sent directly to Wall Heroes for printing with the HP Latex 360 printer on LexJet Peel-N-Stick Fabric. From order to install, the entire process was about a month.
According to Deemer, the LexJet material was used because of the matte appearance. In addition, as with all projects produced by Wall Heroes, ease of use for the customer during install was a prominent consideration. Wall Heroes printed six 24-inch width panels, so the total size of the mural was 144 inches wide by 96 inches tall. The customer was pleased with the end result and sent Wall Heroes an image of the completed application.
Ease and Quality
With the ease of use afforded by both the HP Latex 360 and LexJet Peel-N-Stick Fabric, Wall Heroes is able to offer its customers state-of-the-art wallcoverings. The combination of a high-quality print and user-friendly product is ideal for the markets Wall Heroes continues to reach.
Mar2018, Digital Output
