By Melissa Donovan
The connotations associated with wallpaper range from something antique you might have seen in your grandmother’s living room to 1980s floral prints in a teen’s bedroom. Well-adhered to the walls, this wallpaper was durable—if not permanent. Many new homeowners are tasked with removing this same wallpaper today.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that wallpaper might present less than positive thoughts. But today’s solutions and the formulations used to adhere them are not your grandmother’s wallpaper! And more people are realizing it—brand owners, interior design houses, and DIY storefronts.
The influx in interest has led to requests for more custom pieces, and here is where digital print steps up.
According to the Digitally Printed Wallpaper Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report from Straits Research, the global digitally printed wallpaper market size was valued at USD $3.65 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD $4.29 billion in 2025 to USD $15.65 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 17.56 percent during the forecast period of 2025 to 2033.
“Printed wallpapers provide several benefits compared to traditional wallpapers, including enhanced durability, appealing aesthetics, cost effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. It offers a flexible and aesthetically pleasing choice for enhancing walls in various settings, including homes, business spaces, and creative installations,” states the Digitally Printed Wallpaper Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report from Straits Research.
Economical for short runs, promoting eco-friendliness, and thanks to certain inks designed for durability in high-traffic areas, it’s no surprise that media manufacturers are creating materials optimized for digital print.
Print service providers (PSPs) need to capitalize on this. Especially those who own a wide format printer and are potentially already involved in wallcoverings used for signage and promotion.
Above: Jessup’s TexWalk Canvas offers a fine art textured aesthetic for premium environments.
Walls Are Worth It
Digitally printed wallpaper can quickly transform both commercial and residential spaces. A combination of today’s printing technologies, media options, and trends in customization fuel its growing popularity.
“Digitally printed wallpaper is widely available, cost effective, and compatible with most wide format printers. For commercial and residential spaces, it offers a unique way to personalize and enhance interiors, boosting both visual appeal and atmosphere,” says Jay Kroll, director of product education, General Formulations.
Vince Queau, senior sales representative, Monadnock Paper Mills, believes digitally printable wallpaper is gaining momentum because “it allows for complete creative freedom and high-impact visuals while offering flexibility in installation and removal. The ability to produce short runs and fully customized designs makes it appealing for both businesses and homeowners.”
“Digitally printed wallpaper is cost effective and customizable for small runs. It is ideal to integrate and adapt with interior design and branding trends,” adds Peter Bourgeois, territory manager, Drytac.
According to Jenny Baillargeon, business developer nonwovens; Anna Brikh, product manager; and Ryan Mills, sales manager, Ahlstrom, “in commercial settings, wallpaper can be easily renewed to reflect new sales or promotions, offering great flexibility. For residential spaces it enables the design of custom murals without the limitations of traditional repeating patterns.”
“Home or wall décor has taken off over the past five years with our industry pushing to decorate a single wall in the home or office to enhance the space and create an enjoyable atmosphere or a means to promote your company or product,” explains Walter Gierlach, president, Photo Tex Group Inc.
Growth in this segment is partly due to the advent of digital production in combination with a surge in ecommerce. This has “expanded the scope of color and design, making wallcoverings appear more accessible and available on demand from a myriad of sources,” says Jay Udovich, senior business development manager, Faze 3 SMS.
The capability to economically produce short runs is a credit to digital print’s capabilities. This opens the door for customization. “People can choose a pattern, change the color, and then remove it easily—wallpaper is no longer a permanent fixture if you don’t want it to be. Even paste-to-the-wall materials are easier to remove now than before,” continues Angel Georgiou, senior product marketing specialist, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Opportunities are endless in terms of imagery. “Digitally printed wallpaper is highly customizable to unique design and produces rich photographic quality imagery,” states a marketing representative from Beaver Paper & Graphic Media, Inc.
“The end user feels empowered to make their own decisions on color and design. The advent of modern media production capabilities also serves to make wallcovering easier to install and remove as tastes evolve,” agrees Udovich.
Michael Richardson, business development manager – graphics media, Jessup Manufacturing Co., believes that “with advancements in print-on-demand inkjet technology, designers can easily produce personalized, one-of-a-kind designs or repeat patterns across various surfaces—bringing greater creativity and flexibility to interior environments.”
Sustainability influences digitally printed wallpaper’s increase in demand. “Sustainability is becoming a top priority—customers want products that align with their values without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. Today’s premium wallcoverings combine rich color reproduction, easy installation, and clean removal with eco-friendly materials and industry-leading safety standards,” notes Queau.
Sign Shop or Artist?
PSPs operating in the wide format space constantly look for ways to differentiate and keep customers in house instead of outsourcing. If wallcoverings/wall graphics are already offered—adding wallpaper makes sense.
“Digitally printed wallpaper offers PSPs a versatile and high-margin product line that meets the growing demand for personalized interior décor. Short-run capabilities and rapid production times give PSPs a competitive edge, especially in markets like retail, hospitality, and corporate segments where branded environments are essential,” suggests Queau.
With the wallpaper market growing in both commercial and residential spaces, “businesses want branded feature walls, while DIY homeowners want custom designs. This market can give service providers an entirely new, scalable revenue stream,” states Bourgeois.
Kroll sums it up, “in short, it’s profitable. As long as you use materials designed for wall applications and have a skilled installation team, printing wall graphics can be a very lucrative business opportunity.”
“Digitally printed wallpaper offers PSPs an opportunity to expand into a high-margin market. The perceived value of a customized wallcovering is significantly higher than that of standard graphics, allowing PSPs to charge premium pricing. It also opens doors to both commercial and residential applications, increasing the breadth of potential customers,” adds Richardson.
Media options are vast. Furthermore, the science of digital print allows inventory levels to remain low. “Digital printing requires minimal space for production, making it an efficient choice. The print-on-demand model allows for effective inventory management with short runs, keeping stock levels low. There is a wide offering of textures and finishes,” share Baillargeon, Brikh, and Mills.
There is also the option to just print the wallpaper, and outsource design. “The opportunity to coordinate with local interior designers to produce regionally influenced designs and provide unique interior elements should continue to fuel growth in demand over the long term as the ecommerce channel becomes easier to navigate,” suggests Udovich.
Although, outsourcing design help isn’t necessary. Less complex images without repeat patterns—what we traditionally think of when we think of wallpaper—are possible and sometimes preferred. “The capability to print large murals quickly and the option to print one image instead of having to produce an abundance of one pattern at a time,” is certainly a reason to utilize digital print here, says Gierlach.
Spot the Difference
Digitally printed wallpaper is similar to a wallcovering that functions as a sign or some type of graphic, but there are inherent differences to consider.
Udovich believes “there is a fair amount of potential overlap in the commercial sign sector, especially as more of the stakeholders in that market segment push for PVC-free solutions, but the installation technique employed by the two different segments are distinctly different and require some basic adjustment to the skill set.”
Installation, in particular matching seams between panels and properly aligning top to bottom and left to right, may be a challenge for someone who hasn’t worked with wallpaper before. “For paneling, you may need to flip every other panel so the overlapping edges are printed on the same side of the printer, minimizing any potential color shift. During installation, pay attention to both the vertical and horizontal alignment to ensure the graphic lines up with the ceiling and floor trim without leaving gaps,” explains Kroll.
“Wallpaper patterns usually repeat, so it’s important to use a blockout material. These panels will need to be overlapped, and these opaque blockout materials make the image across the wall look seamless,” notes Gierlach.
Due to the repetitive nature of the graphics, as well as the coverage of a large surface—i.e. wall—“wallpaper tends to require higher quality, greater color consistency, and accurate seams. Considering that wallpaper may be in closer quarters, more environmentally friendly ink and media solutions such as UV and latex on paper” are preferred, continues Bourgeois.
“Unlike standard signage, wallpaper must integrate seamlessly with architectural elements and endure longer term exposure. PSPs must consider wall dimensions, surface textures, and environmental factors—such as humidity or temperature fluctuations—when selecting the appropriate media and adhesive systems for the application,” recommends Richardson.
Another difference is in the media itself. “Whereas sign vinyl mounted on walls traditionally has a thin smooth glossy or satin finish and can be highly extensible, digitally printed wallcovering is more a fiber-based product designed around a ‘type’ specification, Type I or Type II,” shares Udovich.
Adhesive technology can also differ. “There are a mix of media types—some with adhesive on the back, or some with paste to water activate. The material needs to handle well for installation purposes. If it’s too thick or too thin—it’s not a good experience,” recommends Georgiou.
“Wallcoverings typically use pre-pasted or water-activated adhesives that allow for repositioning and clean removal without damaging the wall,” seconds Queau.
More traditional “wallpaper is directly glued to the wall, which makes it more permanent than a sign,” adds a marketing representative from Beaver Paper & Graphic Media, Inc.
First Timers
There are some important considerations for PSPs producing wallpaper for the first time.
Baillargeon, Brikh, and Mills say PSPs should identify their target market—residential or commercial—first, as this influences substrate choice.
In the commercial sector, for example, Udovich highlights a real demand for textured surfaces.
Choosing substrates with sustainable values is favorable for both residential and commercial customers. “Customers increasingly seek products that look great and align with environmental values, so highlighting features like FSC certification, compliance with California 01350 indoor air quality standards, and Class ‘A’ fire ratings can give PSPs a competitive edge,” admits Queau.
For those new to wallpaper, Queau says it is key to start with the right product and process. “Testing print settings on the specific substrate and ink system—whether latex or UV inkjet—helps ensure consistent results.”
Georgiou recommends beginning with simple projects, which allows PSPs to learn how to install the job on their own.
“Start with your own space. Try out different wall materials, test various film and adhesive options, and then install a mural in your shop to gain hands-on experience. When it comes to design, you can keep it simple by using a repeating pattern from a stock site and tiling it in your RIP software, or take the opportunity to showcase your creativity and branding,” shares Kroll.
In reference to installation, an introductory experience should entail “pre-pasted wallcoverings with water-activated adhesives, which simplify the process for professional installers and home DIY enthusiasts,” admits Queau.
“A first-time wallcovering producer needs to concentrate on the features, advantages, and benefits of their available product options when talking with their potential buyer. If it is installed as a DIY product, in a residential or light commercial application space, focus in on the ease of use, follow the manufacturers recommendation for installation. If it is a paste-the-backing or paste-the-wall application, be sure to recommend a quality and proven wallcovering adhesive to simplify the task,” advises Udovich.
Bright Future
Digitally printed wallpaper is a logical extension of wallcoverings that any PSP can gently step into. Both commercial and residential spaces expect wallpaper that elevates the environment but also can be changed fairly quickly if need be. These trends aren’t changing anytime soon.
“The market for wallcovering in the U.S. is still relatively small, compared to Europe and Asia, with about 20 percent market penetration. There is a bright future for continued growth opportunities in the U.S.,” shares Udovich.
Jun2025, Digital Output
