August 2, 2021 Paul Conklin

Which Material Should I Select for My Custom Wall Decal?

As of 2015 Wallhogs is currently the only wide format digital printer that offers three different type of wall decal materials - each intended for different installation surfaces and you can review the side-by-side comparison of each here. When Wallhogs launched in 2006 we only offered our reusable vinyl media, however in 2008 added Photo-Tex polyester wall decal fabric then in 2010 made another addition of Photo-Tex EXS polyester fabric. In 2014 our corporate team wanted to add a media slightly more inexpensive than Photo-Tex, indoor only fabric to our offerings and set out to locate a manufacture. Approximately one year later after many iterations and testing we launched our own in-house material called Wall Decor Fabric. UPDATE: Wall Decor Fabric was discontinued in January 2022 due to the excessive price increase for manufacturing.

Features & Benefits of Wallhogs Digital Printing on All Medias

As you can see we essentially offer a wall decal media for nearly any type of job or application surface. All of Wallhogs wall decal materials offer you:

Hi-Res Digital 10-Color Printing Process for Rich, Eye-Popping Colors w/Smooth Gradients
Water Resistant
Weatherproof (Photo-Tex & Photo-Tex EXS ONLY)
Clean & Easy Removability & Reusability
Easy to Maintain & Clean w/Damp Cloth
UV & Fade Resistant for up to 15 Years Indoors on All Medias & 7 Years Outdoors On Photo-Tex & Photo-Tex EXS

The descriptions of each media below should assist you in making your decision of which media is best suited for your project.

Reusable Wall Decal Vinyl Material

Our original semi-gloss 4-mil reusable vinyl is still in use today and is our most popular wall decal media. The 4-mil references the thickness of our vinyl meaning it is about as thick as a heavy-duty outdoor trash bag. Most printers utilize a 6-mil vinyl for their wall decals and you can easily discern, once installed, the image is a sticker on the wall due to its thickness. We utilize a thinner version of vinyl so once installed your decal appears to be painted onto the wall, as well as offering the benefits of easy removability and reusability (up to 5 times) without leaving any, or very little, residue. Wallhogs vinyl wall decals are only intended for indoor use on flat, smooth, painted surfaces in temperature controlled environments. Our vinyl decals may also be utilized on ultra-smooth surfaces such as plastic, glass or metal, however are a one-time use due to stretching that occurs when removed. Wallhogs vinyl decals require a 3 business day production turnaround, however Rush Production is available by contacting one of our wall decor experts.

Photo-Tex Fabric Wall Decal Material

The second of four wall decal materials is our removable and reusable Photo-Tex polyester fabric. Wallhogs was the very first to offer this finely woven polyester fabric as a custom wall decal. We made the addition of this material due to its versatility of use in both indoor and outdoor environments, as well as the ability to adhere to slightly textured (eggshell and slight orange peel) wall surfaces. This is our premium semi-gloss wall decal material and is a simple peel and stick install that offers the benefits of easy removability and reusability (up to 100 times) without leaving any residue. Unlike our vinyl material this media can withstand a high degree of varying temperatures, indoor or outdoor, and is treated to be UV and weather resistant for up to 7 year outdoors and 15 years indoors. Wallhogs Photo-Tex decals require a 5 business day production turnaround, however Rush Production is available by contacting on e of our wall decor experts.

Photo-Tex EXS Fabric Wall Decal Material

The third media consist of the same fabric as our Photo-Tex media above, however maintains a much more aggressive adhesive. Wall decals produced on this material are a one time use and are not reusable. This material is called Photo-Tex EXS and like standard Photo-Tex can withstand indoor or outdoor temperatures and is treated to be both UV and weather resistant. The main difference is the adhesive allows the media to adhere to a majority of textured surfaces such as fine, medium or heavy orange peel, eggshell, knockdown and both multi-coat painted cinder block and brick. Wallhogs Photo-Tex EXS decals require a 5 business day production turnaround, however Rush Production is available by contacting on e of our wall decor experts.

Wall Decor Fabric Material

The final media, Wall Decor Fabric, was added to our offerings due to customers requesting a much less inexpensive polyester fabric material that could only be used indoors. Wallhogs developed this material in partnership with one of the industries largest digital print material manufactures and in 2015 made it available to our customers. This satin finish wall decal media is both removable and reusable (up to 15 times) and offers the same resistance to temperature fluctuations as Photo-Tex but is only intended for indoor use on flat-smooth-painted surfaces. Wallhogs Wall Decor Fabric decals require a 5 business day production turnaround, however Rush Production is available by contacting on e of our wall decor experts. UPDATE: Wall Decor Fabric was discontinued in January 2022 due to the excessive price increase for manufacturing.

Again, you may compare all three materials side-by-side here, or have questions: contact one of our wall decal experts via email at cs@wallhogs.com, or speak to them Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at (877) 900-4647 or, get started now by uploading your image and ordering. We provide electronic proofs within 24 business hours and will ship your custom wall decal just a few days after.