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Office graphics carry a company’s identity into meeting rooms, corridors, partitions and lift lobbies. They are expected to look sharp for years, yet many sit in leased buildings where walls must be returned undamaged, and branding can change with a merger or new campaign. This page covers how to plan workplace graphics that are easy to update and robust enough for everyday use.
Landor’s anti-microbial guidance lists the printed and touched surfaces typical of offices and corporate spaces, which also makes a useful planning checklist for any office graphics scheme:
Add to that boardrooms, receptions and window graphics, all named on Landor’s commercial interiors page. Each zone has a different level of contact. A wallcovering behind a boardroom table faces very different demands from one in a busy corridor, so it pays to specify zone by zone rather than treating every wall the same.
Corporate interiors change more often than the walls themselves. One graphics company working for motorsport teams describes producing office wall art that it updates a couple of times a year. Before switching to Phototex, that meant stripping self-adhesive vinyl from painted surfaces, which it says never ended well.
Phototex self-adhesive fabric is designed to be fully removable, repositionable and residue-free, so it can be applied and reapplied without damaging walls. For tenants who need to restore a space at the end of a lease, that is a practical advantage as well as a design one. Phototex can also be contour cut for logos and shapes.
Permanent or long-running office graphics benefit from a clear coat. In workplaces, damage tends to build slowly: chairs and bags scuff lower walls, hands mark switches and door surrounds, and near glazing, UV exposure shortens the visual life of the print. A liquid laminate adds resistance to abrasion, water and dirt, and the UV inhibitors in Landor’s coatings help colour last longer in sunny spaces.
Choosing the finish is part of the design brief:
Landor’s Wallpaper Matt coating is designed for inkjet wallcoverings including Phototex, and can be hand-applied after installation.
Not every office project is specified with protection from the outset. Landor often hears from clients whose wallcoverings have not lasted as long as hoped, usually because they were left unprotected on the assumption that nobody would touch them. One of the strengths of liquid lamination is that it can be applied after installation, by hand with a roller, brush or paint pad. Retrospective coating needs a clean, dry and ideally non-porous surface, and it is always worth testing a discreet area first to confirm adhesion and sheen.
With more flexible working and shared desks, some organisations want extra hygiene support on printed surfaces. ColourShield anti-microbial coatings are tested to ISO 22196 and are available in gloss, satin and matt, so they can be specified without changing the look of a scheme. They are designed to supplement routine cleaning, not replace it. Phototex can also be supplied pre-coated, which lets a branded anti-microbial surface go onto a door or partition without damaging it. See anti-microbial coatings for more.
Finally, give the facilities team a short care note: the approved cleaner, cloth type and products to avoid. A protective finish only delivers its full value if the people looking after the space know how to treat it.
Phototex is designed to be removed without leaving residue or lifting paint. Test on the specific paint finish first, especially on freshly decorated or older surfaces.
Matt or satin are usually best near screens and windows, as they reduce reflection. Gloss is better kept for feature walls where depth of colour is the priority.
Yes. Liquid laminates can be applied to installed graphics by hand, provided the surface is clean and dry. Test a small area to check adhesion and the final appearance.
Call +44 1252 624411 or email info@liquid-lamination.co.uk for advice, samples and pricing.
