Wallpaper: watch out for the inks

The walls of a home separate us and protect us from the chaos of the outside world. They provide not only aesthetic benefits but also functional ones. Unlike paint, which needs to be renewed every two or three years, wallpaper endures over time and also acts as excellent thermal insulation. In winter, it protects against the cold, and in summer, it retains the coolness from air conditioning.

Exactly because we spend a lot of time in contact with this material, we must pay close attention to the materials and chemical agents it is composed of.

Excluding the support itself, which in the best brands is made of paper only, we must pay particular attention to the inks used to produce them.

This aspect is often considered by buyers because it is believed that all wallpapers use appropriate inks.

Let's look at the main inks used for digital printing of wallpaper and their characteristics:

The most common inks are the old solvent-based inks. In these inks, the color is mixed with chemicals and solvents for transferring the ink onto the support. The advantages for manufacturers of using these inks are mainly represented by the low production cost, but they are considered obsolete and not environmentally friendly by consumers. The solvents in these inks evaporate over several weeks, leaving the wallpaper with a sharp solvent smell that dissipates a few weeks after application.

Lately, many manufacturers are using UV printing for customizing wallpaper. This newer type of printing utilizes ultraviolet rays to transfer ink onto the substrate. UV inks represent a technological advancement over solvent-based printing, but they have a significant drawback. UV prints emit a strong odor for several months (or even years) due to the chemical reaction required to fix them onto the substrate. This makes them less suitable, especially for use in small or poorly ventilated spaces.

In recent years, the new LATEX printing technology has been gaining popularity. This technology uses fourth-generation water-based inks. The ink is applied to the wallpaper in tiny droplets along with water. Adhesion to the material occurs through a high-temperature oven that evaporates the water and fixes the color. The printing results are completely smooth and odorless.

This technology, although more costly for manufacturers, represents a significant leap forward towards ecological transition. In fact, latex inks have numerous quality certifications, including eco-friendly certifications like Greenguard, ensuring the absence of harmful chemicals to health.

Before choosing your wallpaper, it's advisable to gather more information about the inks used.

If possible, we recommend selecting inks that come with quality certifications.