Wallpaper design and printing

If you've ever wanted upgrade the wallpaper design at home, it's best to listen to experts like David Orford before you begin tearing down the old styles.

What does it take to become a wallpaper printer?

Within our print team, we have many varying backgrounds. While many of our staff have studied design, the fine arts and printing through tertiary institutions, others began their training at Signature Prints as interns without any prior print experience.

What should someone look for when searching for a wallpaper printer?

The most important quality is obviously a passion for art and design, but hand wallpaper printers have an advantage if they are tall with very good upper body strength, as it is an extremely labour-intensive industry. Equally necessary is a mentality that is capable of constant precision, focus and control.

What sort of quality control is involved with handmade wallpaper?

At Signature Prints we place a great deal of value on quality control and will never dispatch a product if it does not meet our high standards.

What inspires your work?

We work with the archival designs of the Australian wallpaper designer Florence Broadhurst. She began her own wallpaper printing empire at the age of 60 in the early 1960s and the phenomenal scope of creativity contained in her artworks is a constant inspiration.

Why would someone get hand-printed wallpaper rather than a cheaper, mass-produced version?

The quality of a hand print is far superior, and because small details like the weight of the line work and colour within a print varies slightly depending on the technique of the printer, you know that you will have a product that is unique.

What is the most outstanding thing about your company?

Signature Prints continues to honour the artistic integrity of Florence Broadhurst - we restore and print all our artwork by hand. Some of the obviously hand-drawn lines and slight ‘imperfections’ would be altered by digitally based design houses, but we value the beauty and rarity of this handwork.

Contact a wallpaper design expert in your area to discover the ranges available for your home: