Using Image Scale To Create Different Looks With Digital Prints

One way interior designers can customize their digital print wallpaper murals is to edit the scale of the image. Whether you’re scaling the image down and making it smaller or up to make it larger, image scaling is an important part in setting the tone for the space. Taking the same image and scaling it up will produce a much different visual and emotional impact than scaling the same image down. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Comparing Large and Small Scale

First up is our Marbled Paint digital mural. Its vibrant color palette makes it a beautiful, eye-catching selection for any space, whether it’s a design project for a residential or commercial setting. The marble digital print wallpaper mural is shown below in a large living room and a smaller space:

Though the difference might not be apparent at first glance, deciding the right image scale for the space depends on a variety of factors, such as the furniture in the room, the size of the walls, the overall size of the space, and the visual style you want to achieve.

Let’s take another look at a different set of room shots. The following features our Solstice Ribbon Feather digital print wallpaper mural.

The image scaling in the two images above are much more drastic or obvious than the marble digital print wallpaper mural where the scaling was a bit more subtle. In the first image, the feather digital image takes up the entire expanse of the wall, covering it completely. Thanks to the high quality printing process of our digital murals, you see more of the tiny details on each feather on a much larger scale. It’s as if you’re looking at the object through a microscope.

The second room shot features the same image but scaled down. It presents itself as a more minimalist image because we can see how the colorful feathers are overlaid on a plain white background. By scaling the image down, we see the entirety of the design. In addition, the white background helps put the attention solely on the colorful feathers. With the scaled up image, the digital image catches our attention through its monumental size and expansiveness.

When Should the Image be Scaled Up?

Scaling an image up gives the digital print mural a monumental appeal. When an image is scaled up, it tends to become the focus of attention within the space, making other objects (such as furniture) look smaller in comparison. In the image below, the digital mural has been scaled up to give us a “close-up” look at the abstract textures. Notice how the furniture seems to be much smaller in comparison.

Consider scaling an image up when designing a larger space, such as a hotel lobby/reception area or a large living room or bedroom. This can work to create a sense of grandeur, imbuing the atmosphere with a strong, weighty emotional impact.

When Should the Image be Scaled Down?

There are times when you don’t want to scale an image up or you want to scale an image down. For smaller spaces, such as a powder room, scaling an image up too much may result in a less than appealing look. The full pattern or image may look cut off or it doesn’t have enough space to “breathe.” Designers will want to keep the space in mind when altering digital wallpaper images – each space is unique!

Some Image Types are More Versatile!

That being said, there are some image categories where scaling an image up or down achieves fantastic results either way. Abstract and general landscape digital mural images are just some examples. Abstract images, such as the feather and marble digital print wallpaper mural shown earlier, are more about the use of color and shapes. On the other hand, image categories such as portraits rely on featuring the entire object and so must be scaled accordingly to the wall shape and size.

Landscapes, such as city skylines in the image shown above, are another digital mural image category where scaling up or down can result in interesting aesthetics. Scaling the image down means you’ll be seeing more of the overall picture; scaling the image up means you’ll be taking a close-up look at a particular section of the image.