York Wallcoverings Archive Library Features Designs From the 18th Century
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
Since 1895, York Wallcoverings has maintained its legacy as a leading manufacturer of fine wallpapers. But that's not to say the brand hasn't adapted to changing times: From collaborations with cult-favorite brands like Rifle Paper Co. to launching peel and stick wallpaper, to even standing as an expert voice in trend forecast predictions for the color of year, the company continues to understand its audience while bridging a gap between old and new. And that couldn't be more obvious at York's company headquarters in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, where high-tech machines hum alongside artists creating hand-painted work.
"Every day we get to come to work and play. There's color. There's art. There's play," says DeAnna Hain, Executive Director of Marketing for the brand. "We're getting to mix and play with different techniques of what will work with what product and what will work with what pattern, taking vintage designs and making them modern again."
Utilizing seven different printing techniques, York Wallcoverings is able to dress interiors with textiles designed to last. The impressive studio expertly pairs vintage machinery and modern, digital printers to create the murals you know and love today. One standout in York's factory is a unique surface print press invented in the 1840s. The machine requires a two-year apprenticeship for training. "Surface printing gives you a beautiful 'wet on wet' hand-painted effect. There are very few surface printers left in the whole world and we're fortunate to have several in North America," explains Gina Shaw, Vice President of Product Development. "They're just absolutely gorgeous, and there's not another type of technology even in today's world that can duplicate this beautiful effect."
But narrowing down what designs to print begins with intensive market research: "We really study what's happening in the marketplace from both consumer and customer trends to fashion and color and design and what's happening within our climate," Hain says.
"Wall covering is an art...it's a fashion item as well," adds Shaw. As for what she sees now? "There is an archival revival happening with wallpaper."
If the design team decides to go for an archive search (there are tens of thousands to sift through) versus creating a new art piece, the team must develop a clear vision as to how it would fit in today's market. The chosen archive is pulled out and placed in a repeat and layout to assist in visualizing the print on the wall. A digital printer assists with customizations and long repeats when needed.
"We have the designs go into a process called 'separations.' If we have a 12 or 13 color design, each particular color will have its own channel so when we want to do multiple colorways, we can easily change the color palette," Shaw explains.
It takes about a month to reinterpret the art for consumers. Once the color process is complete, the design is in quality control to ensure that each repeat balances correctly for the perfect finish. The rich, opaque inks are also a product of an array of hand-mixed colors, a majority done by eye.
Considering the scale of the patten, the engravement team uses cylinders in the machinery to finalize the size and balance of the design. It takes two to three days to load the cylinders and print all of the colorways but an overall month to complete engraving.
Having multiple printing presses onsite allows York Wallcoverings to uphold its novelty. Hain says, "Our studio is one of the largest studios in the world, and we have manufacturing right here on site. It's wonderful to watch the stylists that are developing these patterns working hand in hand, one on one with the machines, and the operators at their machines working together to get the ultimate result."
The return to wallpaper proves that no matter what furnishings York Wallcoverings ventures into, there will always be a clientele eagerly waiting on this historic brand to lead the way. As styles come and go, the quality of York's vast library of products remains a staple.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
