When in need of a bold, patterned studio background for senior portraits or grunge fashion shots, what do you turn to?

Printed background designs can add versatility, elegance and fun to your studio sessions, celebrations, photo booths and more. If you’re not sure which material would suit your photo studio best, here’s a quick breakdown of our printed paper backdrops vs. our printed polyester floor drops.

Printed Background Paper

If you love using seamless paper, you'll have no trouble getting use to these funky styles! These backdrop rolls are core wound for easy hanging, and manufactured in our popular 53” wide size. However, the length is set shorter than our seamless paper, at 18’, to encourage photographers to diversify their inventory and try out multiple unique patterns for special occasions.

With a continuous pattern along the entire roll length, the background can be swept past the floor for a seamless look.

Pros:

• Light weight and portable sized
• Several designs made specifically for special events
• 18ft long for multiple uses

Cons:

• Footprints and dirt can appear quickly

Floor Drops

Floor Drops are printed on a thick rubber mat and sport a polyester finish on the printed side for a high quality appearance and durable nature. The heavy-duty material is easy to walk on and shoes are not damaging (unlike paper backdrops.)

But don’t let the name limit you! While we call them Floor Drops, they certainly don’t have to stay on the floor. Photographers commonly grab a few heavy-duty clamps to secure the mat to their backdrop stand when they want the design behind their model for headshots. However, because the floor drops are bulky, securing them upright is easiest as a two-person job.

Floor Drops are available in 5’x7’ and 8’x8’. While full body shots can be accomplished on the larger size, the mats can’t be swept out past the floor when hung up for a seamless look, but photographers often have fun pairing two floor drops together on the wall and ground, or pair one with another type of backdrop.

Pros:

• Heavy duty and durable
• Easily rolls up for storage and can be stored horizontally
• Marks can be scrubbed clean

Cons:

• Heavy
• Does not come wound on a core so must be clamped to a stand

If you're an on-the-go photographer who focuses on special event photography, a few printed background paper rolls would likely be your best option as they are lightweight, portable, and easy to hang and roll out. But if you're working in a high-traffic studio and value durability and longevity in your studio gear, floor drops are the best solution to sprucing up your portraits.