Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451370
28 • WRAPS • 2 0 2 2 G R A PH I C S - PR O.C O M W all murals are an easy and effective way to transform space within any business or home. With so many mate- rial options ranging from smooth to textured nishes, and calendared or cast lms, the options and price points are numerous and can be offered to t your client's individual needs. These are easy-to-install, protable jobs that any wrap shop can take advantage of. Vinyl Vixen, Wrapsesh, and MUTOH America share some tips on how to successfully plan a wall mural design and installation using Flexi RIP Software and a MUTOH XPJ-1682SR eco-solvent printer. 1. On-Site Consultation: Start with an on-site consultation to do your wall test and conrm measurements. This is a vital step in producing a wall mural graphic that will actually adhere to the wall. Accurate measurements are critical for the success of your designer. We recommend purchasing a 3M Adhesion Test Kit for smooth walls. Not all lms will work for all wall surfaces! You can also create your own adhesion samples to use with the 3M test kit, or for other brands. Measure the full wall dimensions down to the quarter inch. 2. Design and Setup: Resolution is the biggest obstacle with wall mural art if you want to avoid a pixelated print. The general rule of thumb for digital art: Resolution divided by DPI = maximum image size For example, an image at 1,000 X 1,000 pixels, 72 DPI can be blown up to 13.8" X 13.8" (1000/72 x 1000/72). You can check image properties to nd these details. Utilize Shutterstock or Google Image search for art resources. Search for art that is a minimum of 2-4 MP, typically. You can also select what type of les you are searching for (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, etc.). Most designers use Photoshop to create artwork for wall murals, utilizing different lters and brushes to make all the elements blend cohesively. Designs should be created at 100% scale with 90-100 DPI, based on the measurements provided from the consultation. 3. Finalize and Flatten Artwork: Once you have an approved design rendering, your designer will need to atten the art les. This makes all the art layers into a single layer, making les easier to save. Most designers will do this in Adobe Illus- trator. Make sure your art les incorporate a 2" bleed around all edges of walls, with 1" overlapping seams (if designers are cropping les down for print through AI). For les less than 8 GB, les can be attened and saved as PSD. For les over 8 GB, les can be attened as a TIFF. 4. Send to Print via Flexi Software: Open your art les in your Flexi RIP program for print. Flexi has an easy-to-use setting where it can crop down your single art le into panels for print, based on whatever width-size lm you are using, which is much faster than doing it by hand. Select art in Flexi > click RIP and Print > click the Panel tab > insert panel width under "tile" > select 1" overlap bleed in "overlap" > check "automatic tile ip" box. 5. Out-Gas/Lamination: If using an eco-solvent printer you will need a minimum out-gas time of 24 hours before lami- nation. If using a smooth wall vinyl, laminate with a luster or matte nish; gloss creates too much light glare. If using a textured wall lm, lamination is not required, but the print can be damaged more easily with the ink exposed. Trim all panels to size and make sure you have a rendering handy for your installer with guides on the bleed and overlaps. 6. Installation: Prep the wall with isopropyl/distilled water mix using a microber cloth. Outline the wall perimeters with 3M Primer 94. Most installers will start in one corner and work across the wall. However, if there is any text or focal points that need to be straight to the eye, you typically want to start there. We tape all panels up before installing to make sure the setup is correct. Measure twice, cut once! 7. Post-Heating: Most wall lms require post-heating and a couple of days to cure. We recommend getting a RollePro or the 3M TSA-4 roller, along with a heat gun. Run your heat gun with your roller behind it, over the installed vinyl, to get the best pos- sible adhesion to the wall. Take extra care on all pe- rimeter edges. How-To / Tutorial HOW TO DESIGN, PRINT, & INSTALL WALL MURALS S TO R Y C O U R T E SY M U TO H A N D W R A P S E S H , I M AG E S C O U R T E SY G L A R B D E S IG N S