I was recently contacted by a local architectural firm to produce a wall mural.  Over the years, I would occasionally stop in to this firm’s office to give them various print samples used for window graphics, non-slip floor graphics, wall murals, etc.  So one day, when one of their clients asked about getting a big wall mural, they thought of Lone Eagle.  Nice!  So the local architects were my first partner.

Typically, a new mural job involves working with the client to determine what kind of image they have in mind for their space.  Then it’s time to hunt down the right stock photography, or hire a photographer, or design the proper vector graphics, or some combination of those.  In this case, the client had already picked out the image they wanted from the stock of a local photographer.  Luckily, he had shot it using 6×7 medium format film.  Whew!  So, now I had identified my second partner in this job.

The next step was to get the photographer’s med-format film into the hands of a high-end professional with a drum scanner.  In this case, the film was scanned at 11,000 ppi, using the proper bit depth and color mode which then gave me a beautiful digital file to work with.  So now my third partner successfully completed his portion of this job.

Now it was my turn.  The 10’ x 25’ wall mural was printed in seven ten-foot long strips at 720dpi, 16-pass using a Roland 545ex eco-SOL printer.  The media used was Dreamscape’s vinyl wall mural media.  The client picked out the “Mystical” texture – good choice.  After printing & drying overnight, each panel received two coats of Dreamscape’s Protex3 satin-finish liquid laminate.  This gives the prints a beautiful surface finish as well as protection from water, dirt, pollution, smudging, fade, etc.  So I guess you could say that my media supplier was my fourth partner since I’ve asked them lots of questions over the years and buy lots of my supplies from them.

My fifth and final partner in this job was the installer.  It’s easy to image everything going well up to this point but then turning out terrible if the installation wasn’t right.  My partner here was a local wallpaper hanger and he did an outstanding job.  Man, this guy knows his stuff.  I inspected the mural when he was done & I was impressed that the seams were so smooth and the image lined up so well.  Partner #5 rocks!

Here’s a photo of the end result.  When the client gets some time, they’ll build a hardwood border around the perimeter to frame it in.  When I get some time, I’ll forward the link to this blog post to all of my partners and say “thanks” for a job well done – by ALL of us.

Home:

Children’s Rooms—Watch your kids beam with delight when they enter their special room for the first time, and every time after that. Enchant your daughter with a wall of horses grazing in a meadow, or inspire your sporty son with a wall of his favorite baseball players in action. Kids’ rooms can be transformed into a tropical jungle or an underwater paradise, all with the use of vibrant and durable wall murals.

Scenery—Looking to add some urban edge to your abode? Perhaps a black and white image of your favorite city skyline will offer that punch you’ve been looking for. Interested in bringing serenity into your home? A sweeping Tuscan vista could be the perfect fit. Wall murals can turn plain hallways into lush forests, mountain ranges, or soothing tropical beaches. Scenic wall murals don’t just add beauty to a room; they’re also wonderful conversation pieces.

Personal Photographs—You’ve always thought that stunning sunset photo you took on vacation would look amazing as a mural. Make it happen! Turn your digital images into art and your walls into representations of the people and places you love. For example, a mundane laundry room would be much more pleasant space when its walls showcase a larger-than-life tribute to, say, the family pet or last summer’s trip to the lake.

Art/Design—Abstract designs and artistic images are just as good at conveying mood and atmosphere as photographs. Incorporate your favorite colors and motifs into your home with an artistic mural suited to your personality. Decorate your bedroom with a whimsical mural of parrots in flight. Impress guests with a cubist painting filling up a space in your entryway. And why not make your breakfast nook ceiling look like a calming summer sky? The sky really is the limit when it comes to wall designs, so let your imagination run wild.

Business:

Promotional—Do you want to get the word out about your company’s tech expertise? Are you proud of your company’s history or your new logo? The walls of your business can easily be transformed into a captivating, promotional medium that will show your customers or clients exactly what you do best. You can convey a message and visually delight visitors at the same time.

Ambiance—How do you want people to feel when they visit your business? If you’re a dentist and want to instill a sense of calm, you could turn a wall in the lobby into a serene, bubbling brook. If you own a restaurant, you might add atmosphere with a wall showing a scene from your cuisine’s heritage. When you’re hosting customers, you’re in the marketing business. Give people a reason to drop in—with bright, beautifully printed wall graphics that people will remember.

Don’t want to cover an entire wall? You can still add small, contour-cut accent pieces to spruce up what’s there now. Beautiful fall leaves, whimsical snowflakes, or bold, flowing abstract designs are just a few of the possibilities. Because they’re so versatile, wall murals and contour-cut wall graphics provide an effective and visually exciting solution to any interior design challenges you might have. Think of them as a unique way to add character and atmosphere to any room. From serious and subtle to playful and bold, wall murals are the new secret weapon in interior design.

Some new materials from 3M allow digitally-printed graphics to be applied to cinder block walls, concrete walls, stone work, even brick walls; places ordinary adhesive-backed vinyl would no doubt fail. 3M has developed their rough surface wall wrap materials that are “sticky” enough to adhere to these irregular surfaces and “soft” enough so that when applied, they conform to all the little nooks & crannies. The end result is that the graphics look like they were painted onto these surfaces. The trick is in the installation process. A heat gun and a soft, heat-resistant roller are used to “push” the graphics into the surface features. These materials are being used now in sports stadiums, schools, public buildings, fountains, monuments, restaurants….. anyplace where a rough, hum-drum surface needs some sprucing up.

I recently installed a 6′ x 5′ school mascot logo in the gym of The Toppenish High School, a beautiful new high school in WA state. The vector graphics were printed on 3M’s 8524 media and then laminated with 8624 clear, glossy laminate. These were then contour cut around the perimeter of the logo to give the look we wanted. The following photos show the finished graphic installed on a painted cement wall and the happy school administrators.

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