Back in May, Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced the Canon UVgel Wallpaper Factory, an integration between the award-winning Colorado Printer Series and UVgel technology, and finishing partner Fotoba.
The UVgel Wallpaper Factory will be available as a complete end-to-end solution for new customers and as an upgrade for existing Colorado roll-to-roll large format printers.
"Unlike other industries, the wallcoverings market was not immediately affected by the digital transformation of printing," said John Kaufman, senior marketing specialist, Large Format Solutions, Canon Solutions America, Inc. "For years, most designers and wallpaper manufacturers continued to treat this decor option as a mass-market item produced under well-known brand names using conventional analog printing methods, such as rotogravure, and classic design parameters.
"Rotogravure printing is a widely used processing method often used to print large volumes of wallcoverings, magazines, and catalogs," he continued. "This printing process can produce very high quality at extremely high speeds. The down-side of this printing method is the long setup times (making it cost-prohibitive for custom short-run jobs), as well as being limited by the circumference of the cylinder, which makes doing larger custom patterns or murals impossible."
The global digitally printed wallpaper market is expected to reach $10.43 billion by 2025, according to Energias Market Research.
Per MarketsandMarkets, it was valued at $2.11 billion in 2017.
"The primary factors driving the market growth include rapid urbanization, increasing demand for digital technology in wallpapers, and increasing capital investments in research and development activities," the Energias Market Research report states. "With the advent of digitization in the hospitality sector, digitally printed wallpapers have been gaining popularity. It enhances the visual appeal of the wall and is more environment-friendly compared to paint. Digitally printed wallpapers also offer a variety of designs and help eliminate distortion in images. Furthermore, increasing demand for luxury wallpapers has further led to the rapid adoption of digitally produced wallcoverings across various end-use industries."
Added Kaufman: "To put it simply, end-users want more customization and a unique look or feel to their environments, workspaces, and homes, as well as outdoor spaces."
The shift to digital wasn't without its challenges.
"Color constancy from panel to panel, geomatic uniformity (media distortion) and durability have been key issues/challenges with traditional digital wallcovering products, due to the limitations of existing technologies like latex, solvent, aqueous, and toner-based products," Kaufman said. " These printing processes all have had challenges addressing the problems due to the amount of heat, and the stability and durability of the liquid-formed inks."
The Colorado’s UVgel inks – Colorado 1650 UVgel 460 inks are odorless and certified GREENGUARD Gold by AgBB, and Type II by ASTM, allowing them to be safe to use indoors – don't require heat to dry, eliminating room for media distortion and resulting in a high-quality finished product.
"Canon’s UVgel technology is best suited for the digital production of wallcovering," Kaufman said. "The inks are essentially a gel and work differently than traditional liquid-based ink technologies in the market.
"There is no coalescence, which means this technology can deliver precise, accurate, and repeatable colors, from roll to roll and from job to job," he continued. "In addition, the Colorado’s LED cold-cure technology facilitates accurate and precise dimensional stability from panel to panel, thus making the alignment of panels onsite a snap, reducing labor costs and eliminating the costly need to reprint mismatched panels."
Kaufman traced many of the technical problems in the digital printing of wall décor back to the pros and cons of the ink technologies.
"Latex, eco-solvent, toner aqueous, and traditional UV – no single available option checks off all the boxes," Kaufman said. "So, Canon took this as a challenge and set out to develop a comprehensive, breakthrough solution that would retain the strengths of existing ink options, eliminate their limitations, and deliver something totally different. Canon UVgel technology is that solution."
UVgel technology offers optimal control of dot gain and delivers brilliant color consistency print after print – even across multiple printers and at different times, which can be beneficial for those producing large volumes of multi-panel wallcoverings, according to Canon.
"Print Services Providers are also looking for more automation and 'lights out' worry-free production when producing custom wallcovering applications and more," Kaufman said. "The UVgel Wallpaper Factory has been designed for mass-customized automated wallpaper production. This solution has been built for maximum throughput, high quality, day-long production without interruption. The UVgel Wallpaper Factory is a fully automated production facility for digitally printed wallpaper."
The UVgel Wallpaper Factory is a fully modular workflow, consisting of a motorized Fotoba Jumbo Roll JRL 170 media feeder, the Colorado 1650 large format roll-to-roll printer, a Fotoba Cutter XLD 170WP, cutting the output to the desired specifications in both the x and y direction and a Fotoba Rewinder REW 162 with an embedded taping unit to rewind the printed and cut wallpaper, ready for immediate delivery and application.
"The high-volume media feeder, in combination with the productive Colorado printer, delivers outstanding production throughput," Kaufman said. "Canon’s UVgel technology, surrounded by Fotoba’s jumbo roll feeding solution and a complete slitting/cutting automated finishing system, all rolls into the 'Perfect Pair.'"
"The results are end-to-end hands-free, worry-free production with higher profits for a stronger bottom line."
According to Canon, the UVgel Wallpaper Factory was designed for outstanding throughput, high-quality, and efficiency and is ideal for the automated production of customized wallpapers.
One of the biggest advantages customers report using the UVgel Wallpaper Factory, Kaufman said, is creativity.
"Digital wallcoverings are empowering interior designers and creatives to think literally 'outside of the box,'" he continued. "Traditional wallcovering décors and images have always been limited by the so-called 'bounding box' of analog equipment. The bounding box is the reason the pattern on the wallcovering needs to be repetitive."
Per Kaufman, the wallcovering trend re-started several years ago and continues to be the largest growth of the interior décor market.
"You will find wall décor, wall graphics, and wallcovering almost everywhere these days," he said. "From hotel room interiors to corporate boardrooms to office building lobbies, the material choices also continue to expand, giving designers and print providers more choices in artistic freedom, as well as in durable materials for the end-user. Even retail and restaurants have become popular sites for wall décor."
Kaufman noted several factors in the renewed popularity of wallcoverings "after decades of it being passé." That includes the recent recovery of the residential and commercial construction industry, the powerful influence of social media, the advent of eye-catching pop-up retail space, and booming demand for customized murals, he said.
"You can also throw into the mix large-scale indoor and outdoor décor elements in hotels, restaurants, retail and pop-up stores, corporate offices, conference rooms, apartment complexes, healthcare environments and educational institutions," Kaufman added.
Entire rooms can be transformed, according to Kaufman, with:
- A single image over multiple panels;
- Dramatic feature walls;
- One-of-a-kind murals;
- Dynamic die-cut wall decals;
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Custom ceilings – aka the “fifth” wall
"The intended longevity of these applications can vary, from a couple of months for an in-store promotion, or longer for an office space, hotel lobby, or hotel room," he said. "These applications may be produced on a wide range of media. And, if going into public spaces, certifications are often necessary, such as GreenGuard Gold or Type ll for durability, washability, odor, and for flame resistance or retardance.
"Finishing plays a role here as well. Custom finishing can be applied, like contour curves, and different laminations could be applied to enhance the end-user experience and open the doors to even more 'outside the box' experience. Digital printing and finishing can allow the designer to express and harvest boundless creativity," he concluded.
Kaufman predicts business opportunities for UVgel Wallpaper Factory produced items "to explode" as businesses – restaurants, coffee shops and cafes, he pointed out – begin to reopen.
"People and businesses will desire or even require more outdoor/open spaces for dining, entertaining, shopping, workspaces, and more," Kaufman said. "I am sure this segment of the market will evolve rapidly and 'creatively,' enabling business owners to add another dimension to their business/environment ambiance."
For an example of an application: "Outdoor murals on brick walls or the sides of buildings can create a unique environment in today’s market," he said.