Wall printing is changing large-format art and on-site decor. Retail interiors, kids’ rooms and public murals are all being printed straight onto the surface. With anything this new, the first question is simple: is the cost of wall printing worth it? Here’s how the numbers break down.
What you pay up front
Every price from The Wall Printer® is a complete printer package:
- Pro Series: $44,995, for vertical surfaces
- Tech Series: $39,995, for vertical surfaces
- Floor Series: $39,995, for floors
- Certified reconditioned: from $29,995
Lower-priced machines exist, and they can look appealing at first. Look closer and you often find no white ink, little or no software, and no real training or support. When something goes wrong, and on a machine that prints on job sites something will, you’re on your own. On the other end, some higher-priced machines add annual software fees and charge extra for features that should be standard.
What’s in the package
- White ink, standard
- Starter ink, about 2,000 square feet
- RIP and layout software, no annual fee
- A customer care kit of spare parts
- One full day of training in Wilmington, NC, all recorded, with basic Photoshop training
- Support for the life of the machine: phone, email, video or a help desk ticket, 9am to 8pm ET, seven days a week
- Hardware warranty up to five years
What it costs to run
- Ink: about fifty cents a square foot
- Print head: about $2,000 on the Pro, lasting about a year to a year and a half on UV ink
- Software: no subscription and no per-print fees
What printed jobs sell for
Most printed jobs sell for $20 to $40 a square foot. Here’s one illustration: print 500 square feet in a month at $25 a square foot and that’s about $12,500 in sales, with about $250 of ink. At 10 to 20 square feet an hour, that’s 25 to 50 hours of print time. Labor, travel and prep aren’t included, and your price depends on the surface, the artwork and your market. It’s an illustration, not a promise of earnings.
Try your own numbers in the payback calculator. It shows revenue, costs and how many months it takes to pay back the printer.
Who it fits
- Contractors and commercial painters
- Print and sign shops
- Mural artists and designers
- Ad agencies and event planners
- People ready to build a printing business from scratch
Wall printing isn’t a fad. Schools, hospitals, offices, restaurants and homes keep asking for printed walls, and the work repeats.
Is it worth it?
If you’re serious about a creative, scalable printing business, the package price is only part of the math. Training, support, white ink and software with no annual fee are what keep the printer earning after it arrives. See how printers compare on our comparison page.
Questions people ask
How much does a wall printer from The Wall Printer cost?
The Pro Series package is $44,995. The Tech Series and Floor Series packages are $39,995. Certified reconditioned printers start at $29,995.
Is there a software subscription?
No. The RIP and layout software comes with the printer, with no annual fee.
What does ink cost?
About fifty cents a square foot.
What do printed jobs sell for?
Most printed jobs sell for $20 to $40 a square foot, depending on the surface, the artwork and the market.
Is support included?
Yes. Phone, email, video and help desk support are included for as long as you own the printer, 9am to 8pm ET, seven days a week.
How is the warranty structured?
Hardware is covered for up to five years.
Want to run the numbers for your market? Talk it through with the team in Wilmington, or try your own figures in the payback calculator.