Wallpaper Textures and Finishes: Choosing the Surface for a Printed Mural

Wallpaper textures and finishes change how a printed design looks on the wall. A smooth matte surface shows the finest detail and the cleanest gradients. A textured surface (plaster-like, canvas, linen or brushed textile) softens the print and adds a tactile, painted quality. A shimmer or sparkle finish catches the light as people move past. The right choice depends on the artwork, the lighting and how closely the wall will be seen.

This guide compares the eleven wall finishes in the VÉLLANO range, explains what each does to a printed mural, and gives a short checklist for choosing one. It is about the surface. For the backing underneath (paper, fabric or non-woven) and what it means for durability and installation, read Paper-back vs fabric-back vs non-woven.

Why the finish matters on a printed wallcovering

With custom print, the same artwork can go on any base. On a stock wallpaper you pick a pattern and the finish comes with it. With a printed mural you choose both, and the finish changes the result more than most clients expect.

Three things happen when you change the surface:

• Detail. Texture breaks up fine lines and small type. The deeper the texture, the more it shows through the print at close range.
• Reflection. Matte and textured surfaces scatter light and keep glare down. Shimmer and sparkle surfaces reflect it on purpose, so the wall changes as you move.
• Character. A canvas or linen weave makes digital artwork read as a painted or woven piece. A smooth surface keeps it photographic.

Choose the space first, though. If the wall is in a public area or the project has a fire-safety submission, start from the fire-rated materials. If the wall is wider than about 1.3 m and must be seamless, start from the 3.15 m wide-width range. Then choose by finish within what is left. The Material Finder asks those questions in order.

A Novarelle abstract mural: soft gradients like these read cleanest on a smooth matte base

Smooth matte: for photography and gradients

Eco Smooth is a smooth, matte, paper-backed base. Nothing in the surface competes with the print, so it is the default for photographic murals, abstract washes and any artwork with fine detail or subtle gradients. It is also the easiest finish to read as an honest preview: what you see on screen is closest to what prints.

Because the surface is flat, it shows more of the wall behind it. Good wall preparation matters more on a smooth finish than on a textured one. Eco Smooth prints up to 39 in (991 mm) wide and is used in homes, hotel rooms, offices and kids' rooms.

Textured finishes: plaster, canvas and brushed textile

A textured finish gives the print depth. It softens reflections, adds a hand-made quality, and suits illustrated, botanical and painted artwork, where a little softening helps.

• Eco Tex has a fine, plaster-like texture on a paper back. It is the most versatile finish in the range and the default for many Palmera and Chinoiserie designs. Up to 39 in wide.
• Canvas HD+ is a true woven canvas. It gives paintings and illustration an art-print quality, and at 57 in (1,448 mm) it is the widest of the small-format bases, so a wall needs fewer seams.
• Luxe Artistry NW is an artist-canvas weave on a non-woven, printed up to 3.15 m wide and certified ASTM F793 Type II for commercial traffic. It brings the canvas look to offices, schools and hospitality.
• Luxe Textura NW is a brushed-textile non-woven, also 3.15 m wide, for murals that need a more substantial textile feel. It can be printed with UV or water-based ink.

A Palmera tropical mural: botanical illustration suits a fine texture or canvas weave

Linen and weave finishes: for walls seen up close

Weave finishes imitate textiles. They have a quieter texture than canvas, and they suit rooms where people see the wall at arm's length: bedrooms, suites, lounges and corridors.

• Luxe Elegance NW is a soft linen weave with a refined hand, printed up to 3.15 m wide. It is the default for Novarelle abstracts.
• Luxe Mesh NW is a fine mesh weave, also 3.15 m wide. Its fine texture keeps artwork crisp, so it is a natural choice for seamless murals where one drop covers the whole wall.
• DuraFlex FR puts a linen-weave emboss on a fire-rated, fabric-backed commercial vinyl (B-s1,d0 and ASTM Class A). It is scrubbable and impact-tolerant, so it brings a textile look to hotel corridors, healthcare and F&B.

Shimmer and sparkle finishes: for walls under feature lighting

Reflective finishes are about movement. They look almost plain head-on and come alive at an angle, under downlights, wall washers or evening light.

• Eco Shine+ is an embossed paper-backed base with a soft pearl shimmer. Use it for marble effects, metallic-look abstracts and evening-lit spaces such as lobbies, bars and dining rooms. Up to 39 in wide.
• Luxe Sparkle NW is a non-woven with a subtle glint in the weave, printed up to 3.15 m wide, for seamless statement walls that want quiet glamour under lighting.

Two cautions. A shimmer finish flatters metallic tones, but at some angles it can soften contrast in dark, detailed areas. And it reads differently in daylight and under warm artificial light, so always judge the sample in the room's own lighting.

Wallpaper finishes compared: texture, width and fire rating

All eleven wall finishes side by side. The Compare Materials tool puts up to three of them next to each other with full specifications and certifications.

For glass rather than walls, the frosted, one-way vision and clear films are covered in the window films guide.

How to choose a wallpaper finish: a checklist

Then sample it. Colour, sheen and texture all change with the base, so an A4 sample is only valid on the finish you will specify. Wallpaper samples and strike-offs explains what to check, and the sample request takes up to six A4 samples at once. For hotel projects, the hotel wallcovering specification guide sets out which finish suits each zone.

A Bambino kids' mural: soft illustration that works on smooth matte or a fine texture