Understanding Wallpaper Widths & Repeats
Exploring the commercial standards of interior wallpaper from expected widths and lengths, to understanding the different types of repeating patterns.
- Lauren Peploe
Wallpaper Widths & Repeats: Understanding Interior Wallpaper Widths
When choosing wallpaper, two of the most important things to understand are wallpaper widths and repeats. These affect how much wallpaper you need, how your design will look on the wall, and how smooth the installation will be. Understanding the repeat and width for your next wallpaper is invaluable when develop your design.
What is the standard width of wallpaper for the interior?
Generally speaking, the “commercial standard” for interior wallpaper is 52cm in the UK and 53cm in Europe. Wide width wall-coverings are typically 70cm. Both widths are widely available for digital printing.
Traditional wallpaper widths
Traditional wallpaper printing (including gravure, screen, and rotary), uses cylinders and screens which fit standard widths. Standard cylinders are 52cm width (70cm for wide width) and tend to be a height of either 52cm or 64cm. The nature of the design, and your manufacturer, will help you choose which sizes you need for traditional printing.
Did you know...
European wallpaper printers generally produce traditional wallpaper to a width of 53cm instead of the standard 52cm in the UK.
Digitally printed wallpaper sizes
Digitally printed wallpaper has inherited the same commercial standard sizes as traditional wallpaper. Typically the standard width is 52cm and wide width is 70cm.
Recently I’ve found clients prefer to work to 70cm width as standard, allowing more room for the design and less rolls needed when installing – a great selling point to customers.
With the development of digital printers and precision cutting methods, realistically it’s possible to have any width and height you’d like for wallpaper. Manufacturer’s have set up to work to 52cm and 70cm as these are the standards inherited from traditional wallpaper. The height of a digitally printed wallpaper can be any size as it’s not dependant on cylinders and screens.
Top tip...
It’s important to consider the height of your digitally printed wallpaper. The longer the repeat, the more wallpaper the customer needs to buy. A larger amount of wastage could put off customers.
What width should my wallpaper be?
With infinite possibilities available when printing interior wallpaper, it’s difficult to know which size to work with. If you’re not sure, speak to your wallpaper printer, or get in touch for help with developing your next wallpaper design.
Wallpaper widths & repeats: Understanding wallpaper repeating patterns
With the scale starting to make sense, it’s good to consider how you want your wallpaper to repeat edge to edge. Whether you want a perfectly straight repeat, a complex offset match, or you don’t want a pattern match at all, there are different ways to hang your design.
What pattern match is my wallpaper?
The pattern match describes the horizontal alignment between two adjacent edges of a roll of wallpaper, or the edges of a repeating design. There are four main pattern matches which are used for interior wallpaper:
- Straight
- Offset (half drop, third drop, etc)
- Random / no match
- Reverse hang
Straight pattern match
A straight pattern match is where the design lines up across the wall in a straight horizontal line. The edges of wallpaper strips will seamlessly match without the need to drop the second strip for matching.
Offset pattern match
For an offset repeat, each strip of wallpaper needs to be hung offset to it’s neighbour. The strip will only match to its neighbour once dropped by a specified distance to create the seamless design. The offset distance can refer to a half drop, quarter drop, third drop, or another specified length as shown on the wallpaper roll label.
Random (or no) pattern match
Also referred to as a no match, the random pattern match means that the wallpaper (and design) doesn’t need any special consideration when joined together at the edges. Random pattern match designs are generally well-balanced textures which don’t include obvious artwork within the repeating tile.
Reverse hang pattern match
A lesser used pattern match, reverse hanging is where every other strip of wallpaper is flipped upside down. It’s mostly used for textures to prevent any edge-to-edge shading.
Understanding wallpaper widths & repeats
Wallpaper widths and repeats might seem like small details, but they have a huge impact on how your finished walls look (and how straight forward decorating is). No matter which width and pattern match you choose, understanding the basics will save time, money, and stress.
If you’re planning a wallpaper project and want advice on repeats, layouts, or even creating your wallpaper design, I’d love to help. Explore my design services, take a look at my other posts, or get in touch today.
FAQs
Most wallpapers in the UK come in a standard width of 52cm. This size is widely available and works well for most interiors. However, wider wallpapers (70cm width) are also common depending on the look and practicalities needed.
A wallpaper repeat is the vertical distance before the design pattern starts again. Common repeats include straight match, half drop, and free match. Understanding repeats is important because it affects how you align wallpaper strips and how many rolls you’ll need.
Make a note of the wall height and width, then check the wallpaper width, repeat size, and pattern match. Many wallpaper suppliers include a roll calculator on their websites, or you can speak to your decorator to help work out how many rolls are required.
Everything I share reflects how I approach wallpaper design, balancing creativity with technical decisions moving a design into production. I’ve brought that process, from first idea to seamless, production-ready repeat, together in my digital workbook, How to Create a Wallpaper Design.
Grounded in real studio experience, it’s designed to help you approach your own wallpaper designs with clarity, confidence and technical assurance.
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