Printed Murals vs. Painted Murals
Why choose a printed mural over a traditionally painted mural? Oh heavens, there are a few reasons. Printed murals offer some advantages and some disadvantages depending on what someone wants to accomplish with their large scale art.
Personally, I love both traditionally painted murals, and the printed mural options. A traditional mural is a lovely, tactile, inspiring way to bring a space to life. Gorgeous buckets of paint coming together in a truly intentional color palette… Piles of paint brushes and outlines that turn into bright swaths of paint covering an entire wall… They are truly such a gift to those witnessing them, whether they live inside or outside.
A printed mural is also a truly beautiful way to cover a wall or a hidden space, but there are certain differences to keep in mind. Printed murals are created by an artist or artist team digitally, and then sent to a professional printer who brings the mural to life by printing on whatever material suits the project best: vinyl wall murals, vinyl window murals (single or double sided), murals printed and installed as aluminum composite sheets, mural art that is then fabricated into steel or some other material.. There are a lot of possibilities that allow for people to make a different set of choices when it comes to printing a mural vs painting a mural.
When is a printed mural preferable to a painted mural?
There are a few reasons I’ve encountered, and some that I just anticipate:
Detail
When a client wants art that is more layered, textured or precisely detailed, or art that contains intricate branding elements or illustrations, I love being able to create details and textures that can be prepared to print in crisp precision regardless of how large it is enlarged.
Versatility in Display
Sometimes an organization wants art that can be seen and appreciated from both sides of a glass wall (the image above is a double sided vinyl window mural that provides some privacy between a conference center and a hallway; I created this one while working with Spy Hop Youth Arts Center). Whether single sided, double sided, or single sided with small perforations, there are a lot of options for both windows and walls.
Branding efficacy
Printed murals allow for the use of specific Pantone colors, which is important if the mural is part of a visual branding initiative. Logos, textures, and even full photographic images can be printed at scale and stay on brand.
Convenient Installation
Printed murals can often be installed within a day or so, which is ideal for corporations, nonprofits or schools who want to infuse a space with inspiring art, but don’t have the capacity to have a team of mural painters in their space for a few days.
Versatility in Materials
Organizations can choose from a few different materials that complement their architecture and specific space, which may also carry a branding element through. Some of those materials include vinyl wrapping windows (image above), vinyl wrapping walls, vinyl wrapping objects (see below), printing panels of different materials such as PVC or aluminum composite.. We can get into some really fun territory based on the space and the vision.
Long Lasting and Durable
Printed murals can last for a very long time, even in the full Utah sun, I’ve learned (see image below, taken about 5 years after being installed in Utah’s Daybreak community). With a true quality printer, colors remain vibrant for up to 8 – 10 years. Inside, these can maintain beautiful quality indefinitely.
So, there really are quite a few valid reasons that these kinds of large scale art are preferable in some situations.
As an artist, here’s why I love creating printed murals
Oh this one gets personal.. As an artist who is lucky enough to be aging, standing out on scaffolding in unpredictable weather isn’t really as exciting to me these days, though I have so much respect for those able to do this well. But that’s really just a part of why I love this medium.
Here’s why printed murals are now part of what I offer:
Scaleability
I am an illustrator and a surface pattern designer, so as a primarily digital designer, I’m very comfortable creating beautifully detailed art that can be vectorized, allowing it to be beautiful no matter how large it gets. Scalability + high quality precision are huge wins for me.
Geographical freedom
I live quite rurally. I love that digital art projects allow me to work with clients and printers from all over the globe.
Branding efficacy
I’ve worked in branding for over 20 years, so I understand how important it is to portray branding elements, logos, colors, typefaces, etc. with accuracy. That’s just harder for me to do with paint matching, paint brushes, and my slightly arthritic hands, lol.
Color precision and latitude
a solid color palette is a must no matter how a mural comes together. But with digital art, I’m able to match Pantone colors, I’m able to add in small tonal elements that still follow the color palette, and I’m able to do this without trying to color match important branding colors with cans of paint. That is a stress that mural artists everywhere navigate, and they do it beautifully! But I just need those lower stress pathways to creating a fabulous piece of large scale art..
Where are some of the best places for a printed mural?
So. Many. Spaces! As discussed above, installing a printed mural is a fairly low stress way of bringing a mural to life (unless you’re the installer – they probably disagree with that statement, lol).
Here are some of the places these kinds of art make sense:
Outside building walls
Large or small, the outside wall of a building is a fantastic place to install a printed mural. You’ve likely seen these large murals show up in a day or so on a large building downtown. Fast, beautiful, super impactful.
Community walls or third spaces
Printed murals can also be appreciated on walls that aren’t necessarily on a building, but are located in spaces where communities gather outside. These third spaces are a great place to display welcoming messages and to highlight the people of that community in the art. For projects like these, it’s even more informative if community input is gathered.
Forgotten spaces
Strange, hidden, or forgotten spaces are GREAT places for printed murals to find themselves! A nook, a cranny, or the attic of your granny…
Inside walls
Whether at a school, a corporation, a flower shop or a nonprofit, if you’ve got a blank wall, a message of inspiration, and an artist (raises hand), what a great idea to bring it to life with an engaging and joy-inspiring mural!
Windows
Vinyl window murals are some of my favorite – because they play with the light, and the art changes as the light does. As in the image above, these murals can be practical (providing privacy) as well as artistic. They can feature art that is vibrant on both sides of the glass, or just a single sided mural. Whether on an outside facing window or inner building windows, glass is a wonderful canvas for art.
Backdrops for video production
For those fun YouTubers and podcasters, and basically anyone on camera with a wall or window behind them – a printed mural (or a few) is such an awesome way to customize a studio backdrop. This could be a full wall mural, or even individual panels (lightweight PVC, etc) that can be printed on both sides and used interchangeably.
When is a printed mural maybe not the best fit?
Though there are a lot of times and places that these types of murals work out gloriously, there are other times that this may not be the best solution:
Rough, uneven textured walls
Though printed murals can technically be installed on walls with more of a surface texture, the durability suffers and they typically don’t last as long. Textures like stucco or other really rough textures may be best painted as a traditional mural.
Inability to access an appropriate large format printer/installer
One reason these printed murals can be so durable, look so sharp and perfectly match Pantone colors is because they are printed sing 3M certified printer/installers or ensuring through experience that the printer can print and install high quality full color printed murals. It’s important to choose a printer who has done this type of work before, and has a solid longstanding quality track record.
If you’re interested in inquiring about my current availability and mural scheduling, let me know about your project! Contact me here and I’ll get back to you within a couple of days.
Printed murals can be an impactful way for communities, businesses, non-profits and even independent creators to share their message and build a connection with others through fun, inspiring, and beautiful art.
Other blog posts you may enjoy:
Creating Utility Box Artwork for the Daybreak, Utah Community
Community Colors: A Journey Through Salt Lake City Murals
