A designer's checklist before ordering a custom mural

A bespoke mural is a one-off manufactured item sized to one wall. There is no second attempt at the same cost, so the checks below are worth the half hour they take.

Measuring

• Measure width at floor, mid-height and ceiling, and height at both ends and the centre. Use the largest figures.
• Note out-of-square: old buildings rarely give you a rectangle.
• Agree a bleed allowance with the print provider — trimming on site is normal, running short is not.

The wall itself

• Log every switch, socket, thermostat, vent and door architrave with a dimension from a fixed corner.
• Check what the wall is: new plaster, old paint, lining paper, or a surface that needs sealing first.
• Decide what happens at the skirting and cornice before artwork is laid out.

Artwork

• Confirm effective resolution at final printed size and at the viewing distance, not at 100% on screen.
• Keep faces, logos and fine type away from planned seams and away from obstructions.
• Supply artwork in the print provider's requested colour space, and name one reference for critical brand colours.

Material and approval

• Choose the finish for the room, not the render: peel-and-stick for reversible, clay-coated for photographic depth, nonwoven for large commercial areas.
• Approve a printed sample of the most difficult part of the image — the darkest area or the finest detail — on the actual media.
• Confirm the substrate is PVC-free in writing if the project has a sustainability requirement to evidence.

Do those and the install becomes a morning's work rather than a negotiation.