What to Look for When Buying Wallpaper for a Nursery

At Craft Paper Co. we have been making wallpaper for babies' and kids' rooms since 2018. In this post we answer the question we hear most often from our customers, looking at it from inside our own production. We've tried to keep the technical side (ink types, certifications, comparison videos) as simple as possible, because this information lets you trust your own eyes and nose rather than what a seller tells you.

1. Ink: water-based or not?

There are three main ink technologies used to print wallpaper. You don't need to be a chemist to understand the difference; it's enough to look at how the ink holds onto the paper:

• Solvent / eco-solvent: The color is carried in chemical solvents, which evaporate into the air after printing. That familiar "new sign smell" is exactly this, and it can last for weeks.
• UV and UV-gel: The ink is cured instantly with a UV lamp (the machines with the blue light you see in printing videos). Curing relies on chemicals called "reactive monomers," and the manufacturers' safety data sheets for these inks carry irritation and hazard warning labels.
• Water-based (HP Latex): The color is carried in water and dried with heat. What's left is an odorless print that needs no hazard label.

We print all of our products on an HP Latex 700 series printer with water-based HP 832 ink. The table and videos below explain why we chose it specifically.

Ink types compared

The table below comes from an HP technical report. The data is based on the safety data sheets (SDS) published by the manufacturers themselves. We've narrowed it down to the rows that matter for a nursery:

Two notes on the table. First: this report was published by HP, so it is written in HP's favor; but because the values it compares are taken from competing manufacturers' own safety data sheets, they can be checked. Second: the phrase "may damage fertility or the unborn child" is not our interpretation; it is the legal warning printed on that solvent ink's container. HP Latex ink carries no hazard labels at all; you can see this as "No hazard warning labels" in the certification summary below.

"But our machine is the most expensive, the healthiest"

You'll hear this a lot. An expensive machine does not mean healthy ink. The two videos below put HP Latex side by side with two of the industry's top-of-the-line machines. The videos are HP's own (so they clearly take a side), but the test is so simple it needs no interpretation: a plastic glove is placed in each ink and a stopwatch is started. The question is: how long does it take the ink to eat through the glove?

Canon Colorado 1650 (UV-gel). UV-gel technology is marketed as the most advanced and most expensive form of UV ink; in the industry it's called "healthy UV." Watch the "Chemical exposure" section starting at the 12-second mark of the video. The UV-gel ink container carries three hazard pictograms (health hazard, harmful to the environment, irritant). The glove is breached after about 10 hours 36 minutes, and the ink seeps to the bottom of the container. On the HP Latex side, the same glove is still intact after more than 13 hours.

Epson SureColor S60600/S80600 (eco-solvent). Epson is a brand rightly respected for its print quality, but this series uses eco-solvent ink. The word "eco" is misleading: it smells less than classic solvent, but the manufacturer's safety data sheets still list substances from the EPA's list of hazardous air pollutants. The same glove test starts at 1:09 in the video, and the result is striking: the glove is breached in 38 seconds and the ink pours into the container. On the HP Latex side, nothing has happened even after 7 minutes.

Here's why this test matters for a nursery: a chemical that eats through a plastic glove is a harsh chemical, even if you can't smell it. Once the print has cured, that chemical doesn't disappear entirely; small amounts can keep being released for months or even 1–2 years, depending partly on the quality of the paper used. For a shop window, that doesn't matter. For the wall next to a crib, it does.

Why doesn't everyone use HP Latex?

Because it's expensive and slow. UV and solvent machines are much cheaper to run; they draw roughly 50–200 watts while printing. HP Latex uses 1,500–2,500-watt heaters to dry the water-based ink, so it prints more slowly. For a shop producing signs, banners or wholesale wallpaper, that cost isn't sustainable, which is why most of the market uses UV or solvent.

We make only products for babies' and kids' rooms, and we don't do trade printing. So for us, HP Latex isn't a preference; it's non-negotiable. And that's also why we don't compete with other companies on price: we aren't making the same product.

What do the certifications mean?

The word "healthy" on its own means nothing; a certification does. Of the certifications HP Latex ink carries, these are the ones that matter for a nursery:

• UL GREENGUARD Gold (UL 2818): A certification for low chemical emissions into indoor air. It is the strictest level, designed for sensitive settings such as schools and hospitals. Under the certification, wallcoverings were found compliant using the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method V1.2-2017, with a loading of 94.6 m² (about 1,018 sq ft) in a classroom setting, meaning an application that covers the entire room is within scope. Two of the limits in the document: total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) 0.22 mg/m³, formaldehyde 9 µg/m³ (7.3 ppb).
• UL ECOLOGO (UL 2801): Audits the ink for heavy metal, solvent and VOC content. HP is the only wide-format ink manufacturer to hold this certification.
• A+ Émissions dans l'air intérieur: France's mandatory indoor air quality label for decorating products; A+ is the lowest emission class.
• AgBB (Germany): A VOC emissions assessment for indoor building products.
• HAP-free, no hazard label: No hazardous air pollutants were detected in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Method 311 test; the ink container carries no legal warning pictogram.

Why does the wall next to the crib matter so much?

For an adult, a "slight smell" is something you can put up with. For a baby it's different: babies breathe much faster per minute than adults and take in more air relative to their body weight. The crib is usually right against a wall, the room is kept closed in winter, and the baby spends most of the day near that wall. Wallpaper is the largest surface in the room; if there are emissions, it's also the surface releasing the most.

This isn't specific to wallpaper; it applies to everything that goes into a nursery. The same questions apply to the glue and varnish on furniture, the rug on the floor, the existing paint on the walls, even the fabric and dyes in clothing. Each has water-based options, and each has cheap, smelly, solvent-based ones too. With the right materials, wallpaper is both a safe choice for a nursery and a warmer, more personal one than paint; a simple pattern like Clouds behind the crib is the calmest example of this.

The healthiest approach is to source everything made for the room from companies that are aware of these effects and committed to quality work. That's why we use the best water-based ink and the best non-woven paper we can, so you never have to say "it smells a bit, but it'll go away."

2. Paper: does it breathe?

The second topic, talked about less than ink but just as important, is the paper itself. Most wallpaper on the market is PVC (vinyl) coated: waterproof, wipeable and cheap. But it doesn't let air through either. Moisture trapped between the wall and the paper can't escape, and over time it creates a closed environment for mold and bacteria. You usually find out years later, from the black stains behind the paper when you take it down. Industry measurements show the difference in numbers too: according to the Wallcoverings Association's ASTM E96 data, vinyl wallcoverings stay at 1 perm or below, while non-woven wallcoverings fall in the 4–100 perm range. (Perm values can only be compared within the same test method; the values here are for the wet cup method.)

We use 300 g non-woven paper: a base of cellulose and textile fibers. So that it can be wiped with a slightly damp cloth, it contains a small amount of PVC, which is why we don't call it "PVC-free." It isn't as breathable as an uncoated, fully PVC-free non-woven, but unlike vinyl-coated papers it lets the wall breathe. This is a deliberate middle ground: walls in a kids' room get marked, and paper you can't wipe becomes unusable within a few months. The same paper is also an advantage when it's time to take it down; we answer questions about removal and reuse separately on our FAQ page.

One more caution: "PVC-free" on its own doesn't mean "healthy." Papers sold as PVC-free can contain other problematic raw materials. What you should look at isn't the wording but measured emission values and certifications.

The mold row in the table isn't our claim; it's the shared finding of industry sources. Because PVC film blocks moisture vapor, if the wall prep is inadequate the moisture stays behind the paper. Vinyl isn't a bad material; it's made for places that need wiping, like kitchens and bathrooms. The problem is using it in a nursery.

3. Design: what will your baby see?

This is perhaps the least considered topic, but in the long run the most important. Your baby will look at the biggest image in their room for months, even years. How vivid the colors are, how dense the pattern is, the expressions on the figures and what they represent all affect many things, from sleep patterns to a sense of security. A very busy, high-contrast pattern can be tiring for a nursery; figures with startled or aggressive expressions, however cute they're drawn, shouldn't be what a baby wakes up facing every day. For the wall behind the crib, a soft-toned pattern with few figures, like Bunnies & Cotton Clouds, is easier on the eye.

That's why we create our collections with the input and support of child psychologist Esin Karataş Ergin. Our designer, Nihan Minareci, draws every figure by hand; we don't use stock images or AI. We'll cover this topic in detail in a separate post, written by Esin herself.

Frequently asked questions

Is UV-printed wallpaper harmful for a nursery?

UV inks rely on reactive monomer chemistry during curing and carry irritation warnings on the manufacturers' safety data sheets. Because low-level emissions can continue for a long time after printing, we don't recommend them for a nursery. Water-based, GREENGUARD Gold certified printing is a safer choice.

How long does the wallpaper smell take to go away?

With solvent-based prints the smell can last days, sometimes weeks; even when the smell fades, the emissions may not be completely over. Water-based HP Latex prints are odorless straight out of the package; no waiting time is needed.

Is it safe to spend time in a freshly wallpapered room while pregnant?

When the print is water-based and the paste is solvent-free, no special precautions are needed. We still recommend airing out the room during installation; if you come across a paste or print with a strong smell, that in itself is a warning sign.

Sources

• HP, HP Latex 700/800 vs Canon Colorado 1650 and HP Latex 700/800 vs Epson SureColor S60600/S80600 comparison videos (glove test)
• HP, HP Latex Inks: Health and environmental advantages (technical report, comparison table)
• HP, HP Latex Environmental certifications and eco-labels overview
• HP Latex Knowledge Center, HP Latex 700/800 eco-labels and certificates
• Digital Print Media, Latex Ink vs UV Curable and Solvent Inks
• Canon Production Printing, Colorado 1650 safety and waste guidelines (classification of UV ink waste as hazardous waste)
• Goodrich Global. Vinyl Wallpaper vs Non-Woven: Complete Comparison.
• Isidore Leroy. Non-Woven Wallpaper, Vinyl, PVC-Free: How to Choose the Right Type of Paper.
• Livette's Wallpaper. Vinyl vs. Non-Woven Wallpaper.
• Wallcoverings Association. Mold and Mildew Information (water vapor permeability of wallcoverings, ASTM E96-95 wet cup method).