The costs have come down for a number of reasons. More demand has obviously given economies of scale and more printers competing for work has also driven down prices. Sulzmann adds that the cost of entry has helped as well, not just because the consumables have come down in price as Williams mentioned earlier, but also because the printing kit itself is cheaper than it once was. The key, though, is that technology has meant quicker, more reliable production, as well as higher quality, which has increased demand to create the aforementioned economies of scale, so a cheaper end product can be achieved.

The lower cost has a knock-on benefit for both the consumer and commercial sides of the market as it enables more frequent purchases and, as a result, customers take advantage of the major benefit wall graphics have over wallpaper and paint: their ease of removal.

On the consumer side of the market, Supernice’s Sandor explains that, in the major cities where rental properties make up a high proportion of residential space, removable wall graphics have become a great way of personalising a house or flat that you are not allowed to paint or wallpaper. If you move frequently, or get bored of a particular design; the costs are low enough now to simply change to something else. And the fact that, when you peel off the graphic, it leaves no trace of its presence means that the deposit cheque remains untouched.

On the commercial side, Alex Wilson, marketing manager at Service Graphics, explains that the removeability is also a key reason for choosing wall graphics, especially when it comes to retailers.

"With retailers, changing the graphic is quite important and the beauty of some of these products is that, though they stick fast, if you apply a bit of heat to them to get them off, they come away easily and leave no residue so that the wall can be returned to normal or have a new covering put up with no hassle," he explains. "So for short-term campaigns it is perfect."

From a print perspective, these multiple reasons for engagement in the product – quality, flexibility, varied customer base, high demand, and apparent low cost of entry – makes wall graphics a very appealing market to get into. However, Sulzmann has a word of warning: it is not just about buying a press.

"We have a design department, with three full-time designers," he reveals. "They take the client right from the concept stage of producing samples and colour matching and things like that, and then it goes into production and then we fit it. It is very important that if you are in this market you offer a front-to-back service. If you don’t and third parties start getting involved, you open yourself up to all sorts of problems. You have to have control of the whole process."

Service Graphics’ Wilson agrees, stating that fitting in particular has to be offered as part of the service.

That said, on the consumer side, Sandor explains that the fitting is done by the consumer themselves, and the designs are mostly licensed images. While licensing is extremely expensive, the consumer side of the market is undoubtedly a less involved option, but then those in-house production benefits are outweighed by the need to find a way of getting the designs and products to the consumer market.

Levelling out

Getting into the sector is tough then, and some have suggested that the effort may not be worth your while. Sandor, for example, believes that the market for wall graphics, at least on the consumer side, has already peaked.

"I think the demand may have reached a plateau if I am honest," she says. "Demand will remain steady, but when it first came out it was a new thing, so growth was rapid, but the market has now matured and we have found our audience. "

7Gods’ Gomes foresees a similar situation on the commercial side. "I think the trend will last a good few years, though I can’t see it lasting forever," he admits. "To call it a fad would be inaccurate, though; it is a great solution for interior space."

If correct, this would suggest there’s very little room for new operators in this sector, as it has reached a size beyond which it would be a sustainable new business move. Some, however, disagree with Gomes and Sandor.

"There are more and more printers getting into it, but I don’t think the market is in any way getting saturated," says Voss. "For example, you don’t see many window graphics out there so there is still a massive scope for expansion. In Japan, you see window film everywhere. Almost all windows are used as billboards. Here it is still in its infancy. Now we have moved on from the iffy-looking vinyl, it is a prime opportunity to move up that level."

Williams, too, sees the market expanding for some time yet. "As people see more of it, the more people want to do it," he says. "Someone will go into a reception or office and see a great-looking wall graphic and they will want to be a part of that and it grows from there. It’s a domino effect."

Which opinion will prove correct will no doubt depend primarily on the ability of the technology behind wall graphics printing to keep evolving. The position of the market currently is primarily down to the technological advances already achieved and if printers are going to make the right call about whether to be involved in this sector, predicting how much further that technology could go will be key.