Review: SAAL Digital wall decoration

Friday 2 February 2018, 22:44 by Michelle Peeters | 6,161 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

You could previously read our review of the Saal Digital photobook. As I was very happy with the result, I was pleased to hear that I could also review some wall decorations.

Saal Digital also offers various options here, with all kinds of formats and materials, including custom sizes, on which you can have your wall decoration printed.

A photo on canvas is familiar to most people, but prints on acrylic glass and alu-dibond (aluminium) are also possible. A photo on foam board is by far the cheapest option.

I chose one print on alu-dibond and one on acrylic glass, both measuring 30 x 45 cm. The latter is also the most expensive option.

I was very curious whether you can see a difference between acrylic and aluminium. The colours and details are said to come out even better on acrylic. Acrylic is extremely clear and works perfectly with all types of photography, architecture, concerts, portraits and landscapes.

High gloss, unparalleled depth in your photo and extreme sharpness are what it promises. Acrylic certainly reflects. Despite this, it gives your photo an extra boost. I was curious!

I had some doubts about the thickness of the acrylic glass. I could choose between 5 and 10 millimetres. The thickness of the glass is purely a matter of taste, so I chose 5.

Software

I could use the software I had already installed for creating my Saal Digital photobook again for my wall decorations. You can also order through the website. However, if you download and install the software, you have more options.

The different formats and proportions are especially useful. If you have photos with a 2:3 or 3:2 ratio, a size of 30 x 45 or 45 x 30 cm is preferable if you do not want your photo to be cropped. Some suppliers only offer 3:4 or 4:3 options, such as 30 x 40 or 40 x 30 cm.

The offline software also allows you to work completely offline and save your work locally in the meantime. You are notified when photos are in low quality.

You are then advised to provide another photo in higher quality. You can also choose to rotate, crop, move and mirror the photo yourself.

Creating and ordering your wall decoration is very easy. You first choose the right size for the photo, after which you can edit the photo a little or crop it as desired. You can also choose a hanging system or a 'bare' wall decoration.

Wall mounting

There are several different hanging systems you can order. I like that you can see at a glance what the associated costs are. You pay 7.95 euros extra for the standard hanging system, and ten euros extra for this aluminium profile.

It is useful that, with every choice you make, you immediately see what this means for the total price. This means you are never faced with surprises at the last moment.

I chose the aluminium profile. This leaves approximately 1 cm between the wall and the decoration, giving your wall decoration a 'floating look'.

Colour accuracy

Colour accuracy is often a sticking point when having photos printed. SAAL Digital has no problems with this. They offer ICC profiles for professionals, but I had these two printed without any fuss. You can also make various colour adjustments as desired.

ICC profile

Saal Digital provides an ICC profile that may only be used for soft proofing in Photoshop or Lightroom. The profile must not be embedded in the file. An extensive guide has been put together on the website explaining how to install this ICC profile in Photoshop

Delivery

I received my order after just two days and it exceeded my expectations. It arrived in a well-packaged parcel, wrapped in extremely sturdy cardboard and then in plastic film as well.

There was also film over the acrylic glass print for extra protection. The cardboard packaging is slightly larger than the wall decorations, so the corners are not at risk of being damaged during transport.

The alu-dibond photo has a matt metallic look. The result is very surprising and beautiful. The colours look the same as on my screen, and all the details have been preserved. The alu-dibond photo print is suitable for indoor and outdoor use because it is light-resistant and water-resistant. So it is also suitable as a garden poster!

You can clearly see the difference between acrylic and aluminium. The colours and details come out even better on the acrylic glass print. Acrylic is so extremely clear and I think it works well with most types of photography. Not just landscape photos, as I always thought before.

I am impressed: high gloss, unparalleled depth in the photo, extreme sharpness and sparkling colours! The price is comparable to other suppliers.

The aluminium profile for hanging looks beautiful. It was neatly and securely attached in the centre. It creates a floating look because the panel can be mounted away from the wall.

Dibond on the left and acrylic glass on the right

Would you like to try it yourself?

Saal Digital invites photographers to take a close look at their wall decorations. If you are selected, you will receive a 50 euro voucher from them in exchange for an honest review, for a wall decoration of your choice.

Sign up via the Saal Digital website.

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About the author

Michelle Peeters is fotografe en oprichter van DeuxBleus Fotografie. Michelle herkent het bijzondere in het gewone en het gewone in het bijzondere. Ze heeft zich nooit willen specialiseren en is daardoor van alle markten thuis.

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3 comments

Martin van Wulfen wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 16:03 | reply
Unfortunately, Michelle, payment can only be made by credit card and not with iDEAL.
The delivery time was over 7 days from Germany.
The quality of my alu-dibond was excellent.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 6 February 2018 at 16:05 | reply
@Martin: that's indeed correct, paying via iDeal isn't possible yet. I understood from them that they're working on making this possible in the short term.
Translated from Dutch.

rvaneerd wrote on Thursday 8 February 2018 at 17:49 | reply
I haven't ordered any wall decoration like the one discussed here from Saal-Digital yet, but I have ordered a photo book and (almost) two prints every month for discussion at the photo club.
The quality and service are also very good with those items.
Delivery time: Well, they do indicate on their website how long they expect it to take. Last-minute and delivery tomorrow are unfortunately not options, but it is always delivered neatly to your home.
Regarding payment: I use the PayPal option. That is a one-time (number of) extra step(s) to link your bank account, but then you are not tied to a credit card.
Translated from Dutch.

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