Wall graphics are my primary business. We've printed and shipped tens of thousands of wall murals in the last ten years, using a wide variety of materials, and covering a myriad of different types of wall surfaces. No two walls are alike and what may work for one, won't necessarily work for another, BUT we have fine-tuned our list to materials what will work the best on MOST surfaces. What I've found on this site is that alot of people suggest using 40c on painted drywall, which is a surface that it will stick to, but really wasnt intended for. First off, you're paying for air-release when you don't need it, and you're going to damage the wall when you remove it. I find that using 40c for wall graphics (especially temporary ones) is akin to the saying "to the man with a hammer, everything looks likes a nail." Every wall is a nail and 40c is going to beat it all to hell.
I would suggest let's start by looking at the most popular types of wall-specific medias out there. Phototex is the original fabric wall graphic, with many imitators, of which I've tried them all. If you can dial in the printing just right then it's a great product that will stick to most surfaces and remove cleanly, however it's far too expensive for what it is. I've also had other issues with Phototex but I won't go into that here. The RadGrafix (made by GF, sold by Grimco) is in my opinion a better product at a better price point, as is the WallTux by GF. Those are the only 3 products I'd use if the situation calls for self-adhesive fabric, which isn't as often as you might think.
The 6-7mil vinyl wall graphics like Avery 2611, GF 226, MacTac Roodle (this list goes on), are almost all the same and are a great option for "temporary" wall murals. I say "temporary" because if they are installed under the right conditions, they are as temporary or as permanent as you want them to be. I have installed hundreds and sold thousands of murals using a direct competitor of these vinyls and across the board it is the best product we carry and only runs a little more than a quarter a sqft. We have little old ladies install it themselves in their homes and we have professional hangers putting up 1000sqft murals in commercial office buildings with this material, it's just the best option when it comes to smooth painted drywall if you want a mural that won't damage the wall when it's removed, as it will inevitably be in a handful of years.
The other main product we sell is a type II commercial vinyl wallpaper and if you ever decide to get serious about wallcoverings, you will find that your educated customers who understand wallcoverings will be requesting this left and right. It is the industry standard for long-term removable wallcoverings and meets every certification required by serious architects and fire inspectors. The best part is that you can keep a couple of experienced wallpaper hangers in your back pocket, sub them out to install the job for you, and you get to stay in your shop making money and selling more graphics. The nice thing about this is that unlike subbing out to other installers, wallpaper guys don't have any interest in stealing your client, they just want to get the job done and done right. No offense to any vinyl installers here (since I'm one of them) but I'll trust a man/woman who's been hanging wallpaper for 30+ years more than anyone.
At the end of the day, if I were doing this project for a museum and it were only to last 3-4 months, I'd get a decent-sized sample of the Avery 2611 or another one of the 6 mil microspheric adhesive vinyls and try it on their wall surface. It should work well if it's smooth and they have a quality paint job (if it's slightly textured, like orange peel, then you'll need to look at phototex). Then, latex print that material and use a cheap matte laminate if the budget allows it, the combination will still be a good bit cheaper than a phototex-type product. Will take no time to install it if you know what you're doing and the laminate will help you sleep at night for those 3-4 months. Rinse, repeat, profit.
I would suggest let's start by looking at the most popular types of wall-specific medias out there. Phototex is the original fabric wall graphic, with many imitators, of which I've tried them all. If you can dial in the printing just right then it's a great product that will stick to most surfaces and remove cleanly, however it's far too expensive for what it is. I've also had other issues with Phototex but I won't go into that here. The RadGrafix (made by GF, sold by Grimco) is in my opinion a better product at a better price point, as is the WallTux by GF. Those are the only 3 products I'd use if the situation calls for self-adhesive fabric, which isn't as often as you might think.
The 6-7mil vinyl wall graphics like Avery 2611, GF 226, MacTac Roodle (this list goes on), are almost all the same and are a great option for "temporary" wall murals. I say "temporary" because if they are installed under the right conditions, they are as temporary or as permanent as you want them to be. I have installed hundreds and sold thousands of murals using a direct competitor of these vinyls and across the board it is the best product we carry and only runs a little more than a quarter a sqft. We have little old ladies install it themselves in their homes and we have professional hangers putting up 1000sqft murals in commercial office buildings with this material, it's just the best option when it comes to smooth painted drywall if you want a mural that won't damage the wall when it's removed, as it will inevitably be in a handful of years.
The other main product we sell is a type II commercial vinyl wallpaper and if you ever decide to get serious about wallcoverings, you will find that your educated customers who understand wallcoverings will be requesting this left and right. It is the industry standard for long-term removable wallcoverings and meets every certification required by serious architects and fire inspectors. The best part is that you can keep a couple of experienced wallpaper hangers in your back pocket, sub them out to install the job for you, and you get to stay in your shop making money and selling more graphics. The nice thing about this is that unlike subbing out to other installers, wallpaper guys don't have any interest in stealing your client, they just want to get the job done and done right. No offense to any vinyl installers here (since I'm one of them) but I'll trust a man/woman who's been hanging wallpaper for 30+ years more than anyone.
At the end of the day, if I were doing this project for a museum and it were only to last 3-4 months, I'd get a decent-sized sample of the Avery 2611 or another one of the 6 mil microspheric adhesive vinyls and try it on their wall surface. It should work well if it's smooth and they have a quality paint job (if it's slightly textured, like orange peel, then you'll need to look at phototex). Then, latex print that material and use a cheap matte laminate if the budget allows it, the combination will still be a good bit cheaper than a phototex-type product. Will take no time to install it if you know what you're doing and the laminate will help you sleep at night for those 3-4 months. Rinse, repeat, profit.
