In recent years, NEOZ has expanded its bespoke manufacturing capabilities to include custom printing on cotton-fabric lampshades, enabling designers to integrate artwork, patterns, and brand elements directly into lighting pieces.
The capability was developed through collaboration with designers, art consultants, and hospitality clients, creating new ways to translate graphic concepts into functional lighting. NEOZ's Procurement Manager, Nicole Liu, shares some insights into how the process works and how designers are using printed shades to create distinctive environments.
Nicole Liu, Procurement Manager at NEOZ, discusses the growing use of custom-printed lampshades in hospitality design.
What prompted NEOZ to introduce custom printing on cotton fabric lampshades? How does this capability support the way hospitality designers approach atmosphere and brand identity?
The concept originated in 2023 when NEOZ collaborated with Kevin Barry Art Advisory on several hospitality projects, including the Poodle Room at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. This initiative developed as a co-development effort involving a graphic designer, NEOZ’s curated lampshade manufacturing capability, and input from our design and sales teams.
Through this collaboration, we explored how artistic graphics could be translated into functional lighting pieces promptly, combining artwork with our handcrafted shade production.
The project also served as an opportunity to further commercialise NEOZ’s bespoke manufacturing capability, demonstrating how we can work with designers and art consultants to create distinctive lighting solutions tailored for high-end hospitality environments.
What kinds of customisation are designers typically looking for when they request printed shades? How flexible is the process when it comes to colours, patterns, or brand elements?
This type of customisation requires close collaboration throughout the process, from understanding the graphic design concept to selecting the appropriate materials and print quality, and accurately translating the artwork onto the physical lampshade in terms of placement, colour, and pattern alignment.
When brand elements are involved, the challenge becomes even greater, as achieving precise Pantone colour matching across different materials requires careful control and interpretation. NEOZ’s design and manufacturing teams ensure that every detail is executed according to the design brief.
Over time, we have developed a specialised process to deliver these customised shades efficiently, supporting production volumes ranging from a single prototype sample through to large-scale manufacturing, depending on the client’s needs.
One of our first custom lampshades was created for the Poodle Room at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Interior design by Rockwell Group and Avenue Interiors. Photography by
Brandon Barré
In hospitality environments, lighting is both functional and atmospheric. How does custom printing help venues create a stronger sense of identity at the table?
In hospitality environments, lighting plays both a functional and atmospheric role, particularly at the table where guests experience the space most intimately. Custom printed shades allow venues to express their identity through subtle yet distinctive visual elements, integrating graphics, brand motifs, or artistic patterns directly into the lighting.
We carefully consider hospitality applications by balancing aesthetic impact with material performance and safety. During the sampling stage, our design and manufacturing teams also assess whether additional linings or structural details are required to achieve the optimal lighting output. This ensures that the graphic design is presented elegantly while maintaining visual harmony and ensuring reliable performance.
Hospitality venues often require dozens or even hundreds of lamps. How do you ensure colour and print consistency across large orders?
NEOZ establishes tailored production processes based on the specific requirements of each project to ensure consistency in both print quality and colour accuracy across large orders.
This typically begins with a carefully controlled sampling stage, where artwork placement, scale, and colour references are finalised and approved. From there, standardised templates are created to ensure that the graphic positioning, pattern alignment, and shade dimensions remain consistent across every unit produced.
When brand colours are involved, reference samples and Pantone guidelines are used as benchmarks to maintain consistency across different batches and materials.
Through this combination of controlled sampling, standardised templates, appropriate printing techniques, and rigorous quality control, NEOZ can reliably deliver large hospitality orders, from dozens to hundreds of lamps, while maintaining visual consistency.
Created in collaboration with Indie Group, this bespoke lampshade print was developed for their restaurant Pablo Saint-Barth
Are you seeing any trends in the types of patterns or finishes designers are requesting?
The flexibility that NEOZ offers allows graphic designers and hospitality designers to translate their creative concepts into lighting in a highly expressive way. Rather than being limited to traditional lampshade patterns, designers are increasingly using printed shades to tell visual stories within a venue, whether through narrative illustrations, brand-inspired graphics, or patterns that reflect the cultural identity of a space.
At the same time, NEOZ focuses on ensuring that these creative concepts remain commercially viable and suitable for high-end hospitality environments. Our shades are designed with durability, material performance, and lighting quality in mind, allowing them to withstand the demands of busy venues while maintaining their aesthetic integrity.
Beyond hospitality projects, this capability also opens opportunities for personalised designs in special events, gifting, and bespoke applications, allowing designers and brands to create lighting pieces that are both functional and uniquely expressive.
Interested in exploring custom printed lampshades for your project? Contact the NEOZ team to discuss bespoke possibilities or request a sample.
