We’ve written a lot about Maribel and Freddys Ortiz, the couple behind MiArte in Naples, Florida. That’s because they keep printing murals and signs on surfaces nobody expected. This year they printed a ceiling, which is quite a challenge for a printer built for walls.
A Sistine Chapel at home
It started when a client asked them to recreate the Sistine Chapel on his ceiling. A wall printer works on vertical surfaces, so printing straight up wasn’t an option. After a few days of weighing it, they found the answer: print the artwork on wood panels, then mount the panels on the ceiling.
That works because the printer prints on almost any surface. Wood, plaster, brick, metal or plastic, indoors or outdoors. The finished ceiling now hangs in a South Florida home, where guests stretch their necks to take it in.
Print it flat, hang it anywhere
The same trick works for any spot the printer can’t reach: ceilings, curved soffits, tall pieces and full-bleed signs. Print the panel in your shop, then install it. Owners use it to fill the days between wall jobs, too. See print in your shop for how they set it up.
The ceiling drew inquiries from around the world, from people wondering how they could offer the same thing. It isn’t paint. It’s ink, placed with the precision of a printer, and it lasts.
What would you print on a ceiling?
Have an odd surface in mind? Send us a photo and what you want on it. We’ll tell you how owners would handle it.