Glossary of Wallcovering Terms

Acanthus: Foliage ornament based on the serrated leaves of the acanthus, thistle, parsley and poppy plants.

Acrylic: A family of plastic resins which can be used in making synthetic fibers, for surface coating or as pigment binder.

American Single Roll: A single roll of wallcovering that comes in a wide variety of lengths and widths ranging from 18 to 36 inches in width and from four to eight yards in length. Regardless of length or width, each single roll contains 34 to 36 square feet of wallcovering.

Anaglypta:  The surface of wallpaper is embossed with patterns by engraved rollers to create relief designs depicting moldings, tin ceilings, wood plaster, and tiles.  They can be painted, stained, gilded – or left alone.

Appliqué: A cut-out design or ornament that is applied on top of another larger surface. In wallcovering, cut-outs can generally be applied to painted or papered walls.

Arabesque: A stylized, interlaced foliage pattern based on laurel leaves combined with bandwork or strapwork.

Art Deco: Characterized by the use of rounded and romantic motifs such as garlands and rosebuds originally, however, in the late 20’s and 30’s incorporated geometric and abstract motifs in clean  lines of Egyptian imagery, stepped shapes, sun motifs and motifs suggesting speed and dynamism.

Art Nouveau:  It takes two distinct forms..one based on elegant elongated forms and tight precise floral ornament often stenciled; the other composed of wild, flowing curved elements.  The style has a fascination with forms of nature.  Patterns often depict stylized roots, stems and elongated blooms and foliage.

Arts and Crafts Style:  Generally block-printed, these designs incorporate rhythmic and elaborate patterns using sinuous flowers and other plant forms.

Baroque: A classical style characterized by elaborate sculptural forms, painted decoration, marble inlays, carved guilding and architectural elements. Typical motifs include urns, swags and flaming torches.

Batik: A non-directional geometric type design with an East Indian influence. The background has a tie-dyed appearance. The word itself refers to a method of dyeing designs on cloth by coating with removable wax the parts not to be dyed.

Block Printing: The process of producing a pattern on a wallcovering by means of wood blocks into which the design is cut.

Bolt: A roll of fabric or wallcovering of a given length. Generally in residential wallpaper a bolt is 50-56 sq. ft.  A bolt of border is 15 ft. long.

Booking: When applying paste onto wallcoverings, the procedure of folding pasted surfaces together for easier handling.

Border: A narrow strip of wallcovering often used just under the ceiling or around a window or door frame.

Butt Seam: Most common type of wallcovering seam in which the edge of two strips of wallcovering are tightly butted together without any overlay or spacing between the strips.

Ceiling Papers: Plain, geometric, trellis or foliage patterns of wallpaper which look good on a ceiling from all directions.

Chair rail: The topmost molding of a dado which is placed on the wall at the height of a chair back. Complementary wallcovering patterns are often used above and below a chair rail. A wallcovering border is often used as a chair rail.

Chevrons:   ‘V’ shaped motifs stacked singly in a vertical series or strung together horizontally to form a zig zag.

Chiaroscuro:  Technique employing shades of black, grey and white to introduce areas of shade and light to create a sense of depth and perspective.

Chinoiserie:  Western adaptations of traditional Chinese artifacts and styles of ornament. Typical motifs include exotic birds, dragons, pagodas and monkeys.

Coating: A thin protective surface layer, usually of vinyl, which is applied to wallcoverings to provide washability and durability.

Crewelwork:  A form of outline embroidery using motifs that are often Eastern in origin including naively depicted flowers, leaves, animals and birds.

Contract Wallcoverings: Wallcoverings produced for commercial use and normally available in 48 or 54 inch widths.

Dado Paper: Wallcovering which covers the lower part of the wall, or dado, and ending at the chair rail height.

Damask:  First introduced in Damascus, true damask is a monochrome displaying fluid, formal patterns created by the contrast in strength of color. Typical motifs include stylized flowers and leaves; exotic fruits; birds; and musical instruments.

Dentils:  classical ornament consisting of a row of small, regularly spaced blocks.

Distressed Finishes:  Design mimicking paint finishes where the translucent paints or glazes are applied over a contrasting color ground and then while still wet combing, dragging, stippling or ragging to product patterns and subtle gradations of color.

Dogtooth:  A star shaped motif developed from the “nailhead” applied in regular repeats to form a design.

Double Cut Seam: Type of seam used in situations where it is necessary to overlap two strips of wallcovering and yet avoid a raised ridge. One example would be when a border is being used as a chair rail with coordinated wallcoverings above and below the border/wallcovering. A straightedge is placed at the center of the overlap and, with a razor knife or blade; a cut is made through both layers. The top cutoff section is removed and then the bottom cutoff portion is removed leaving a tightly butted seam.

Drop Ceiling: A form of decoration in which the ceiling paper is brought down onto the walls of a room and divided from the walls by a border or molding. This gives the illusion of a lower ceiling.

Drop Match: A drop match simply means a pattern does not match straight across the wallpaper, but instead drops a certain distance on the opposite side of the paper.  Once you have decided on pattern placement on your wall, every other piece will generally be the same.

Egg and Dart:  A decorative molding design consisting of alternating egg and V shapes to form a design.

Embossing: A raised effect created by impressing a design into wallcovering using either pressure or heat.

Engraving: Machine printing with etched-out rollers to obtain subtle and fine effects.

Etching: A process in which a copper shell is slowly revolved in an acid bath.

Expanded Vinyl Wallpaper: A heavy, textured vinyl wallpaper, great for use over damaged walls and rough surfaces, sometimes referred to as blown vinyl, usually paintable.

Fabric Backed Solid Vinyl Wallpaper: Highly durable wallpaper with a woven or non woven fabric ground (mesh-like textile backing) and a solid vinyl coating, used almost exclusively for commercial and institutional applications.

Fetes Galantes:  Pictorial decoration showing fashionably dressed men and women in romantic landscapes.

Fleur de lis:  A stylized three or five petal lily design.

Flexographic: A printing process developed in England around 1900 which uses rubber cylinders.

Flock: Wallcoverings made by shaking finely chopped fibers over a pattern printed in varnish or other sticky material to give the appearance of velvet or damask.

Gingham: A geometric check pattern with two alternating colors on a white ground.

Grass Cloth: A hand-made product made by gluing woven native grasses onto a paper backing.

Gravure Printing: A high speed wallpaper printing process that utilizes copper cylinders, with one color per cylinder that is etched with the pattern design.  This printing process can achieve fine detail and a wide range of tones in as many as 12 colors.

Greek Key:  A regular repeat of interlocking right angle and vertical lines.

Grisaille:  A trompe l’oeil technique in which figures and patterns are rendered in shades of black, gray and white to produce a 3D effect.

Guilloche:   A decorative repeat of interlacing curved bands, sometimes forming circles embellished with floral motifs.

Header Strip: A strip of wallcovering that is allocated to be hung above a door or window.

Heraldic Motifs:  Include coats of arms, helmets and shields, ciphers, stylized stags, dogs, lions, porcupines  and unicorns.

Herringbone: Geometric pattern consisting of alternating diagonal lines similar in appearance to the spine and ribs of a fish.

Ikat:  Designs of blocks, circles, or stripes softened by colors blended into each other at their meeting points.

Incandescent: A common form of artificial light in which a filament contained in a vacuum and heated to brightness by an electric current. It can affect the appearance of colors, often giving a yellowish cast.

In- Register: A type of embossed wallpaper where the emboss is synchronized with the pattern in the wallpaper; has a silk-like shiny appearance.  It is also know as light reflective.

Japonaiserie  Wallpaper designs in the Japanese style with motifs of blossoms,chrysanthemums,bamboo, exotic birds and animals.

Lamination: The process of building up thin layers of materials and bonding them together as one product under heat and pressure with an adhesive added.

Latticework:  A grid like design made of open diamond shapes.

Lineal Yard: A lengthwise measure.

Lining Paper: Plain material, often paper, usually applied horizontal and used under wallcoverings to assure a smoother surface and better adhesion.

Madras:  Brightly colored checked and plaid designs that originated in India.

Marquetry:  Designs formed by the inlaying of wood with pieces of different colored wood or other materials such as metal or mother of pearl.

Matching: Hanging strips of wallcovering so that the design will be in the correct relation to the preceding strips. The types of match are random, straight and drop.

Millefleurs:  A flower studded pattern naturalistically depicted of roses, anemones,pinks or violas.

Moire:  A ribbed design of clouded or watered and wavelike effects that create striping in the pattern.

Mosaic:  A pattern constructed from small pieces of colored stone, ceramic, or glass.

Mural: A wall decoration with a pictorial design that continues over two or more strips of wallcovering and is intended to cover most of a wall without repeat; also called scenics.

Nailheads:  Small, pyramid shaped motifs regularly repeated to form an overall pattern.

Napoleonic Motifs:  Bees, swans and palm trees.

Non-woven: Wallpaper made from natural and synthetic fibers that are tear resistant, eco-friendly, vinyl free and breathable.

Op Art:  A style of art and decoration in which geometric forms are precisely arranged so to create an illusion of movement or loss of focus in the design.

Overlapping Seam: A method of hanging wallcovering.

Paisley:  Inspired by Kashmiri shawls and Indian textile designs, paisleys often feature formalized representations of pinecones filled with small, incidental motifs and surrounded by vegetation based on palms, cypress and other plant forms.

Palmette:  Motif loosely based on a formalized palm leaf.

Pastoral:  Design imagery romanticizing life in the countryside.

Pattern Repeat: The distance before a printed pattern exactly repeats itself vertically on sidewalls, horizontally on borders.

Peelable: A wallcovering that can be dry peeled from the wall leaving only the substrate on the wall. Note important differences between "peelable" and "strippable" wallpapers.

Plumb Bob/Line: A weighted line used to produce a vertical line to assure that each strip is hung perfectly straight.

Pointillism:   Style of design where the images are gradually built up through the application of small dots of color.

Polymer: A compound formed by the reaction of simple molecules. Poly-Vinyl Chloride: Commonly referred to as PVC.

Pop Art:  An art movement producing graphic images of everyday figures and objects using techniques employed in film, television and advertising.

Prepasted: Wallcovering that has had adhesive applied to the back by the manufacturer. Dipping a strip in water before hanging activates the adhesive.

Pretrimmed: Rolls of wallcovering from which the selvage has been trimmed at the factory.

Primer: Special primer paints designed for use under wallcoverings, often used in place of sizing materials.

Putti:  Images of children based on cherubs.

Railroading: The horizontal application of a wallcovering.

Random Match: A pattern design where the pattern matches no matter how the adjoining strips are positioned.  Textures and vertical stripes are common examples.

Relief: Making a design prominent by raising it or by cutting away the surface or background of the design.

Repeat: The distance from the center of one motif or pattern to the center of the next.

Reverse Match: A method of installing wallpaper where the top is reversed on each piece (top up, top down, then top up, etc.).  It is a method generally used on textured wallpapers in solid colors to prevent striping at the seams.

Rococo:  Derived from architectural elements like scroll work, scallops, shells, flowers and foliage, and swags.

Room Lot: A sale unit consisting of enough rolls of a pattern for a given room.

Screen Print: A printing process, also called hand-screening, for producing wall coverings involving stretching silk tightly onto frames, with a separate screen used for each color.

Scrubbable: Any wallcovering that can be safely washed with a sponge and detergent while still on the wall.

Selvage: Either edge of a roll of wallcovering carrying no design, intended to protect the design.

Sidewall: Main wall area to be covered with wallcovering.

Single Roll: The standard commercial length of wallcovering. Usually covers 24 sq. ft. in various widths approx. 5.5 yards long.

Sizing: A sealer used to prepare the wall before the wallcovering is applied

Spanish Stitch:  Embroidered design with naturalistic floral, fruit and insect patterns.

Stain-Resistant Wallcovering: A wallcovering on which a coat of plastic or vinyl has been added to make the surface mostly stain-resistant.

Stencil: A method of applying a design by brushing ink or paint through a cut-out surface.

Stock: Different qualities and grades of paper or the man-made materials. Also, the inventory on hand.

Straight Edge: A 6 foot or 7 foot ruler used by a paperhanger to trim the selvage off of wallcovering.

Straight match: A pattern design where the pattern match flows directly across the strips.  When installed every strip will be the same at the ceiling line and the pattern on all strips will be the same distance from the ceiling.

Strapwork:  Form of ornament consisting of twisted and intertwined bands of leather or ribbon often studded with rosettes, nailheads or faceted jewel like forms.

Strip: A length of wallcovering, cut to fit the height of the wall.

Strippable: Wallcovering that can be dry-stripped from the wall leaving a minimum of paste or adhesive residue and without damage to the wall's surface.

Substrate: The backing of a wallcovering. It becomes laminated to the design layer.

Surface Printing: Conventional machine-printing in which the raised or routed design on the roller is transferred to the ground. The amount of ink laid is much thicker and has a raised printing surface.  Now used on high-end collections, generally.

Swatch: A sample cutting of wallcovering or fabric.

Toile:  Pictorial designs depicting a wide range of activities, both real and mythical, from biblical scenes, military conquests, political events, harvesting, rural life and hunting. Still-life in fruits and florals, birds in flight, animals in movement, and drawings of architectural elements make up many toiles and are usually printed in two colors only.

Tree of Life:  A design which consists of a central  tree trunk, branches, sinuous stems, and tendrils, fantastical flowers and exotic fruits woven around exotic birds and insects.

Triquetra:  A three-lobed triangular motif made up of interlaced crescent shapes..

Tromp l’oeil:  A decorative effect in which paints are applied to paper to create the appearance, form and often texture of three dimensional scenes or objects. The technique can apply to design from faux marble to vistas rendered in perspective.

Value: Lightness or darkness of a color.

Vinyl: Man-made material used in the manufacturing of wallcoverings.

Vinyl Coating: Either the liquid vinyl or flexible film applied to a wallcovering backing material. It gives a wallcovering strength, durability and scrubbability.

Vinyl Laminate: Vinyl laminated to either paper or fabric.

Wainscot: Wood paneling used on interior walls, especially that which reaches partially up the walls. Wallcovering is often used below a chair rail as a substitute.

Wall Fabric: A durable surface on a backing used to cover walls.

Wall Preparation: The preliminary cleaning of walls to prepare them for wallcovering. Also can include patching cracks/holes and applying a primer-sealer.

Wall Primer: The preparatory coat of primer given to walls before hanging wallpaper.

Washable: A wallcovering that can be cleaned with a sponge, mild soap and water.