Tips for Selecting an Image for Your Printed Glass Splashback

A kitchen glass splashback creates a seamless look, not displaying grout lines that break up the clear expanse. As well as covering the glass with a solid colour, you can print a chosen image across the back. To help you find the best design, consider the following tips.

Quality

You'll need a high-quality, high-resolution image that will work once stretched out to cover a typically broad splashback area. A low-resolution image can look jagged and blurry once elongated. One format that can stretch without deteriorating, though, is a vector image, which is defined geometrically rather than by pixel-number. Ask your glass installers what image format and resolution they recommend for your installation.

Finding Images

The possible pictures to spread across printed glass splashbacks are open-ended as you'll have an endless supply online. You can search through downloadable image sites which have hundreds or thousands of inspirational prints for you to choose from in different formats and resolutions.

Picture Proportions

You need to focus on the shape and size of your splashback area when picking an image — typically they form wide and low shapes, covering the space between the countertop and upper cabinets. The picture will need to flatter that elongated shape. Thus, a tall, skinny photo of a palm tree, for example, won't fit — unless you create a pattern by repeating the image horizontally.

Image Ideas

You may wonder what subjects to select. If you browse online, you'll find plenty of inspirational ideas. Possibilities include scenic views of landscapes or coastal panoramas. Otherwise, you could cover the splashback in botanical themes reminiscent of William Morris wallpaper of the 1870s for a crafty vibe. You may like to choose an image that replicates other surfaces like marble, ceramic tiles, or brickwork. The benefit of these faux texture images is that you won't have to deal with messy grout lines and whatnot.

Harmonising Colours

Of course, the hues of your chosen image need to harmonise with your overall kitchen colour scheme. Covering a limited area, the splashback provides an excellent opportunity to add a dash of colour and texture to the kitchen. You can treat it like a work of art.

For the overall kitchen, many people choose neutral greys, creams, or blacks for cabinetry, countertops, and flooring. They then add a spark with a distinctively patterned splashback — surrounding the area with subdued neutrals gives you more scope to get creative. 

For example, to create a cafe vibe, install a beautiful glass splashback featuring an image full of rich browns, tans, and mocha hues — of coffee cups full of frothy latte set beside a plate of luscious cakes, with an artistic pile of coffee beans to the side. Other ideas include a faux chalkboard scribbled with the breakfast menu of the day.

To learn more, contact a resource that offers printed glass splashbacks.