A glass splashback behind your kitchen sink can be a very practical and useful addition to any kitchen, protecting your wall coverings from damage, discolouration and stains created by splashing water. In a wallpapered kitchen, they are particularly useful, preventing deposits of moulds from growing on the walls behind your sink.

However, an ordinary glass splashback can look somewhat drab, especially when installed in a kitchen with a muted design scheme. As such glass splashbacks are available in a wide variety of colours and shades, but for real distinctiveness and flair in your kitchen, you may want to consider installing a printed glass splashback.

What is a printed glass splashback?

Most glass splashbacks are not made of a single sheet of glass, but are constructed of several thin sheets which are laminated together to provide extra strength and rigidity. A printed glass splashback inserts a design between these layers of glass, giving your splashback an attractive and distinctive design that is protected from damage and peeling by the layers of glass it is sandwiched between.

Printed glass splashbacks are widely sold, and a huge number of off-the-shelf designs are available for your kitchen. However, the great advantage of printed glass splashbacks is that practically any design, logo or pattern can be applied to them. This is done by simply providing an image of your chosen design to the splashback manufacturing company of your choice, who will apply the design to your splashback using a combination of colourising dyes and high-tech laser etching. Some printed splashbacks can also be built with integral lighting installed, making your custom splashback even more distinctive and showing off complex designs to best effect.

Is a printed glass splashback right for my kitchen?

While printed splashbacks may be more expensive and complicated to manufacture than plain glass splashbacks, they lose none of plain glass's durability and practicality -- if a glass splashback suits your kitchen needs, a printed glass splashback will too. Because the printed design is protected by several layers of external glass, printed glass splashbacks are just as easy to clean and maintain as regular splashbacks, without risking damaging your prized design.  Printed glass splashbacks are also enormously durable as they are made from the same heat-treated, toughened glass as regular glass splashbacks.

However, there are some instances in which a printed glass splashback may not be suitable for your kitchen. They are, for instance, quite heavy when made with several glass layers, or are particularly large to protect a large section of wall. This means they cannot be installed on walls incapable of bearing significant loads, such as aging or water-damaged drywall. Some printed glass splashbacks are also vulnerable to surface scratching which can mar the looks of your design.

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