NOTE: I updated this post 2/27/2010 - since my last update, some printers have kept their prices steady, others have increased slightly, while some have even found a way to drop the price of some cling sizes. Unfortunately, at least one printer is no longer in business (I've removed their listing). If you are a printer who would like to be included here, please drop me a line or leave a comment. I'll be adding WallHeads, ThinTwin, and Big Shotz to the post in the coming days. Thanks!
You may have seen TV ads for life-size vinyl wall clings of professional athletes. A life-size image of a sports star clinging to my living room wall doesn't exactly strike me as high style, but there must be plenty of folks who disagree judging from the money this company spends on their commercials.
Wallhogs
More interesting to me are companies like Wallhogs. You upload a photo of your kid playing soccer, and they send you a life-size cutout you can stick to your wall. Their web site indicates that you can stick the Wallhog to just about anything. So even if you don't think a life-size picture of junior will match your feng shui, you can slap a smaller Wallhog on your car window for away games. Pretty cool!
Wallhogs has a professional Web site and great prices:
- 12" mini, $12.99
- 24" long side, $29.99
- 36" long side, $41.99
- 48" long side, $54.99
- 60" long side, $64.99
- 72" long side, $79.99
- 84" long side, $89.99
These prices are for a reusable vinyl cling that is up to 52" wide and include removal of the background from your uploaded image. You can check out several customer-submitted images on their web site.
Update: Wallhogs is now offering their hogs on Photo-Tex, a patented fabric that holds up great and offers awesome reusability. You'll pay a bit more for Wallhogs on this fabric, but feedback on this media has been very positive.
Another update: Wallhogs has lowered their prices on Photo-Tex products! Due to the volume of orders they're processing, they've been able to negotiate lower prices on print media. Prices shown below reflect the new pricing and are current as of 2/27/2009.
- 12" mini, $19.99
- 24"x24", $39.99
- 36"x36", $54.99
- 48"x52", $74.99
- 60"x52", $89.99
- 72"x52", $99.99
- 84"x52", $119.99
Wallhogs has also made several helpful videos that offer tips on installation and suggestions for taking the photos that will be used to create your Wallhogs. Regardless of where you wind up creating your wall cling, you should take a look at these videos to get an idea of what installation entails.
Full Disclosure: When you buy your wall cling from Wallhogs by clicking through one of the links above, you help support the Photo Freedom blog. So please click away!
FotoStick
Another printer worth considering is FotoStick.com. They offer both cut-out wall clings and peel-n-stick posters. Prices for their wall clings:
- 24x up to 24 - $34.99
- 36x up to 36 - $46.99
- 48x up to 48 - $59.99
- 60x up to 52 - $69.99
- 72x up to 52 - $84.99
- 84x up to 52 - $94.99
Other Wall Cling Printers
There are several other printers out there who can work with you to help you create your own wall cling. I update this list regularly, so let me know if you run into anyone else I should add.
Sports Pose - Looks like this option is now for dealers and pro photographers only - I'd probably pass unless you're one of those folks. Judging from their updated site, it may be worth a phone call before you upload and place an order.
Buckethead Sports - Prices range from $80 for 3' tall to $120 for 5' tall. Buckethead prints their images on reusable vinyl. Though it's not clearly stated on their web site, Buckethead appears to be located in the Chicago, IL area.
Party Standups - If 7' just isn't big enough, check out the Wall Stars at Party Standups - for $90 bucks, they can set you up with an 8' wall cling that is up to 50" wide. Party Standups also sells plastic-mounted standups made from your photo. These are a little more expensive than the wall cling ($150 for an eight footer), although I'm guessing the shipping costs will be considerable. Still, not bad if you're in the market for this sort of thing! [Note: Scott Gardner from Party Standups has informed me that shipping typically runs only $18-$20 - less than I would have guessed!]
WallMonkeys - Like Wallhogs, WallMonkeys also prints their clings on Photo-Tex. WallMonkeys' prices:
- 12" - $49.99 (4x the same image)
- 24" - $49.99 (2x the same image)
- 36" - $54.99
- 48" - $69.99
- 60" - $89.99
- 72" - $99.99
iPixXL - Based in Brighton, MI, iPixXL appears to print on reusable vinyl. They've adjusted their prices since my last review, bringing them right into line with other printers:
- 12"x16" - $14.99
- 17"x23" - $19.99
- 24"x36" - $35.99
- $36x48" - $54.99
- 48"x60" - $64.99
- 48"x72" - $79.99
- 48"x84" - $89.99
- 48"x96" - $126.99
iPixXL has posted several videos on YouTube to showcase their product. Here's one that shows their president driving his SUV through the car wash with a couple iPixXL's applied:
WallBusters - Another Michigan-based company, WallBusters is a digital photo lab that also creates customized wall clings. Prices are competitive:
- 48" - $59.95
- 60" - $69.95
- 72" - $79.95
- 24" - $48.99
- 36" - $58.99
- 42" - $65.99
- 48" - $69.99
- 54" - $78.99
- 60" - $84.99
- 66" - $89.99
- 72" - $94.99
- 78" - $99.99
- 84" - $109.99
- 96" - $125.99
Mpix - You may be familiar with Mpix as a full-service, web-based photo lab. Recently, Mpix added custom wall clings to their product offerings. Like several other vendors, Mpix is printing on high-quality Photo-Tex. Their site also offers a very helpful 'how to order a wall cling' video. Prices are:
- 18"x12" - $40
- 36"x24" - $60
- 48"x32" - $70
- 60"x40" - $80
- 72"x48" - $90
- 10"x10" - $15
- 36"x36" - $49
- 48"x48" - $59
- 60"x50" - $79
- 72"x50" - $89
WallBee.com - WallBee offers their wall clings on both vinyl and Photo-Tex. The numbers shown below are sale prices - not sure how long they'll be in effect.
Vinyl prices are:
- 24" - $39.99
- 36" - $49.99
- 24" - $54.99
- 36" - $64.99
- 48" - $74.99
- 60" - $89.99
- 72" - $99.99
- 84" - $129.99
- 96" - $159.99
Vinyl :
- Pee Wee (2'x1') - $29.00
- Pee Wee (2'x2') - $34.00
- Junior High (3'x1.5') - $39.00
- Junior High (3'x3') - $47.00
- Freshman (4'x2') - $52.00
- Freshman (4'x4') - $64.00
- Junior Varsity (5'x2.5') - $62.00
- Junior Varsity (5'x5') - $97.00
- Varsity (6'x3') - $77.00
- Varsity (6'x6') - $117.00
- Rookie (7'x3.5') - $87.00
- Rookie (7'x7') - $157.00
- Rookie (8'x4') - $107.00
- Rookie (8'x8') - $197.00
- 2' x up to 54" - $29.99
- 3' x up to 54" - $41.99
- 4' x up to 54" - $54.99
- 5' x up to 54" - $64.99
- 6' x up to 54" - $79.99
- 7' x up to 54" - $89.99
Important Update: I see on their web site that you can now get your custom wall clings directly from Fatheads.com - the company that really got the idea of wall clings off the ground. Prices are a higher than most of the printers I've posted here - the 4'x6' custom Fathead will run you $140. I'm interested to hear your feedback if you've purchased a true Fathead - please leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Call to Printers: If you'd like to be added to this list of wall cling printers, please drop me a line. I'd be glad to add your service to this post!
Posts
22 comments:
Have you looked at iPixXL yet? http://www.ipixxl.com Theirs can be used outdoors as well, like on your car. Perfect for the drive to the game with the kids!
Hi,
I'm just wondering if any of these places let you send them a printed photo of what you want turned into a fathead? The picture I want to used as been erased on the digital camera.
Thanks.
All of the vendors I mention in my post are set up to accept uploaded digital files. That is not to say that they would not work with you to scan your print should you send it to them. Rather than going that route, however, I would suggest that you work with someone locally to scan the print you have, and then go ahead and upload the digital file they create for you. That way, you don't risk losing/damaging the original print in the mail.
Hope this helps!
Tim
Has anyone had experience using one of the vendors with a group fundraiser? I would like to have some feedback from someone who has tried positive or negative would be great.
Thanks
Keith
www.yourimanizone.com
Incase you are unaware, the term “FATHEAD(R)” is a federally registered trademark. Your use of this mark, on your Website and advertisements, in conjunction with wall vinyls, constitutes trademark infringement. We therefore demand that you immediately remove our registered mark, or any confusingly similar variations thereof, from your Website and advertisements.
We consider this to be an important matter and request your prompt acknowledgment of this communication.
Paul Justin
Corporate Counsel - Fathead, LLC
pauljustin@fathead.com
734-805-4933
In response to Keith's question about using make-your-own wall clings as a fundraiser - I contacted Wallhogs to find out about programs they offer in this vein. They informed me that they can generate a discount coupon that the fund raising entity can distribute to potential customers. When those customers go ahead and purchase a wall hog using the discount coupon, the fund raising entity receives a percentage of the sale.
Hope this information is helpful.
Tim
Yoh, Tim. Thanks for the very thorough post on making your own fathead style wall cling. I'm just waiting for the day they can print & cut these at Costco :)
To comply with Paul Justin's demands in his comment left on 10/30/2008, I have removed all references to 'FATHEAD' from the text of posts on this site and all tags used to describe them.
Tim Leonhardt
Editor
Photo Freedom
Wow, Paul is a really cool guy?!? I mean, come on, Fathead is getting free publicity here. They are the only ones that offer this type of product of professional athletes and such. You probably even had a link to them. You are completely allowed to discuss their product (freedom of speech) just not allowed to capitalize on it. I guess they need to protect their trademark, but as their marketing guy, would you really want this negative post from Fathead's legal consul to be visible by all reading this blog?
Check out wall-stars.net - they also make custom sports theme wall stickers.
I would just like to share that doing business with partystandups.com is risky if the artwork submitted won't work. Our funds were taken out the day after our order only to have to cancel it due to a poor quality image, cancelled 9/2/08 STILL NO REFUND even after talking with the President/OWNER Scott Gardner. BUYER BEWARE!
Does anyone know what type of printers these wall clings/stickers/decals are printed on?
I hear there is a printer starting up in PA. I think they are called Big Shotz.
Check out www.WallHeads.com. They offer an exclusive Photographer Program & 50% off for the first month of enrollment.
Hey Tim,
Just thought I'd chime in from www.ThinTwin.com. We'd love to be included in the company's you've profiled. Feel free to check us out and compare us on price, quality and variety. We've now added our own catalog and various lines in addition to our custom work.
Hey Tim, Do you know how Fabric Wall Clings are made? Is it possible to buy a DIY product to make them other than Photo-tex? Thanks.
Although there are newer products coming out (I just read about a new canvas-like product that can be removed and relocated after you hang it), I'm not familiar with a DIY solution. I think a big part of it depends on what you have for printing at home. If you've got a wide-format printer (24" or wider), then you could buy a roll of Photo-tex or other sticky vinyl and give it a shot - but I think your challenge would be cutting the image out cleanly. When you buy from a pro printer, I believe part of the overall process is computer-controlled trimming of the image after it is printed. I think it would be pretty tough to imitate this in a home environment.
I'm guessing it's like most home-based printing: you do it because you have a love for the process, not because you're going to save any money over outsourcing it. If you do decide to give it a shot, we'd love to hear about it here on the blog!
Tim
I am looking for a supplier that can trim the image of the pictures.
Any ideas???
Ernesto Bredee
Ernesto,
Do you have the image already printed and you're just looking for someone to trim it? Or are you looking for someone to print and cut? If the latter, I think you'll have better luck. Could be wrong here, but I think the calibration of the cutter is accomplished by marking up the digital file.
Check local print shops in your area to see if any have a cutter in-house. Even if they don't have one, they'll probably have access to another shop outside the area to whom they can sub-contract the job.
Good luck!
Tim
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