Custom Wall Decals

Choosing the Right Size for the Wall

Measure the wall area you want to fill and then step back. A decal that looks huge on a computer screen often feels small once it is on a wall seen from across the room. For text, a good rule is that capital letters should be at least 40 mm tall to read from a few metres away, and much larger for a slogan that should be read from the door.

For long quotes we usually split the text into two or three lines and supply it as separate strips, which makes it easier for one or two people to line up. Large murals are produced as overlapping panels that butt together neatly. Tell us the wall width, height and any sockets or light switches in the way, and the proof will show the decal to scale in that space. You receive a free proof placed on a wall photo so the size can be judged before cutting.

Walls, Paint and Adhesive

Decals stick best to smooth, clean, fully cured paint. Matte emulsion, eggshell and satin walls all take vinyl well. Fresh paint needs a couple of weeks to cure before anything is applied, otherwise the adhesive can lift the surface when removed. Heavily textured walls, bare plaster and wallpaper with a raised pattern are poor surfaces, because the vinyl only touches the high points.

We use a removable adhesive suited to indoor walls. It grips firmly for everyday use but releases cleanly when peeled back slowly at a low angle. For tiles, glass or gloss-painted doors we can suggest a different vinyl, and for windows a static cling is often the better product. Shopfront windows use clear static clings for windows, which leave no adhesive on the glass.

Putting Your Decal Up Without Bubbles

Cut lettering arrives sandwiched between a backing sheet and a clear transfer tape. Tape the whole sheet to the wall with masking tape along the top edge, check it is level, then lift the bottom half, peel the backing away and smooth the decal on from the centre outwards with a soft card or a squeegee. Peel the transfer tape off slowly, folding it back on itself, and the letters stay behind on the wall.

Printed decals usually go straight on without transfer tape. Start at one edge and work across, pushing air out as you go. A small bubble can be pricked with a pin and pressed flat. Clear instructions are included with every order, and we are happy to talk through tricky installs before you start. Furniture and cabinet doors suit die-cut stickers for furniture applied the same way.

Finishes and Colour Choices

Matte vinyl is the most popular finish for walls because it looks like paint and does not reflect overhead lighting. Gloss vinyl gives colours more punch and suits playful designs in children's rooms or bold branding in a gym. Metallic gold, silver and copper vinyls make a striking logo wall in a salon or boutique.

For brand work, send your Pantone references or hex codes and we will match them as closely as the vinyl range allows. On printed decals we can colour match to your logo artwork and show the result on the proof.

Think about the wall colour as part of the design. Black lettering on white paint is crisp but can feel stark in a living space, while a soft grey or a deep green decal on a pale wall reads as more relaxed. Gold vinyl on a navy or charcoal wall is one of the most requested combinations for salons and bars, because it looks expensive without needing any lighting. If the wall is due to be repainted, choose the decal colour after the paint, not before.

Photograph the Wall With a Tape Measure in Shot

Wall decals are sized to a space, so the most useful thing you can send is a photo of the wall with a tape measure in shot and the width and height written down. From that we can show the design placed to scale on your wall before anything is cut. Tell us the surface, because heavy texture and raised wallpaper stop vinyl bonding, and whether the decal is cut lettering, where the wall shows between letters, or a printed decal with a background. Aim for capital letters of at least 40 mm for text read across a room. Large murals arrive as labelled overlapping panels. Shops that also brand their windows usually add clear static clings for the glass so the look continues outside.

Send the artwork or wording, the wall size and the colour, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, with minimums low enough for a single nursery name. The free proof shows the decal to scale. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, decals arrive rolled by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses with application instructions, and a torn or misprinted decal reported within 10 days is recut or refunded.