There are many custom-printed wallpaper materials on the market. Over the past 10 years I have seen up to 30 different types from all over the world. Here is my take on the three most common modern wallpaper materials:
1) Self-adhesive removable wallpaper or fabric:
Self-adhesive wallpaper or Polyester fabric like our PhotoTex is ideal for short term use. No glue needed, sticks to most surfaces. We use PhotoTex as it has a unique adhesive that does not damage the wall when removed and can bee applied fairly easily without bubbles. On the other hand the self-adhesive materials are not sustainable, not green, can't slide for butt-joining, trimming cut can tricky, may shrink or expand when temperature changes The adhesive may become dry/hard over time, no additional glue can be added if not sticking. Great if you only have one panel like on a door. It can be printed up to 150cm wide.
2) Pre-pasted wallpaper:
Not too thick, can curl when wet, when placed in water the whole wallpaper becomes softer and is more prone to wrinkle or get scratched. Time critical as wallpaper paste may dry then has to be moistened, uneven walls can be tricky due to stickiness (can be avoided by putting additional wallpaper paste onto the wall). Will usually be delivered with an overlap and is recommended if you employ an experienced wallpaper installer. Recommended for DIY installation only if the panels are not too wide (below 75cm) as installation could be problematic. Easy to remove with a wet/moist sponge. Advantage: can be printed with latex or UV-cured inks at panel with 130 cm in width, great print results.
3) Non-woven removable wallpaper for direct wall application: (recommended for DIY)
Wallpaper paste can be used for pre-pasting the wall to create an even absorption. You only have to put the paste on the wall, the wallpaper stays stable, easy to butt-join as you can slide it to close the gaps between the panels.
Easy to remove – even dry when special dry strippable wallpaper paste has been used. This is the material you receive when you buy the DIY wallpaper from Mister Wallpaper. Its panels are also only 45.6 cm wide. This width makes it very easy to hang wallpaper, especially if you are completing the job alone. The panels come ready to hang butt-joined, no trimming cuts needed.