Streamlining Your Large Format Printing Operation with KalaXY Automatic XY Cutters / Trimmers

One of the most valuable things in a print shop or sign operation is time, and if you’re in the wide format printing business, you know that time is money. The more efficiently your shop can produce high-quality prints, whether wallpaper, banners, or posters, the more profitable your business will be.

That’s where a KalaXY Automatic XY Cutter / Trimmer comes in. Engineered and manufactured in Europe by Kala Finishing Systems, this cutting-edge machine streamlines your finishing process, allowing you to produce high-quality prints with speed and precision.

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Fire Rating of Banner Materials

For interior applications, a FR grade of banner substrate is often required to comply with state and local fire codes. I was taught that FR is an Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) classification, which stands for flame retardant. However, I have heard many people say that the FR is an acronym for “Fire Resistant” and “Flame Resistant”. Read more »

Which Typeface Should You Use?

Readability and Legibility When I worked in advertising, 40 years ago, I was taught that a serif type, such as Times Roman, was more readable than a sans serif type because the first words that we read in elementary school primers are in that family of typeface. The morning newspaper is also set in a […] Read more »

Digital Printing on Banners

Advancements in digital print technology and the introduction of top coated fabric have allowed printers to expand their product offerings to include fabric banners. These technological advancements include: the ability of the machinery to feed and process heavier weight materials; improved compatibility of the inks with fabrics; and higher print quality. Read more »

Wind Slits in Vinyl Banners

Opinions about wind slits in banners vary. The purpose of these semi-circular cuts in the vinyl banner material is to relieve the wind load that can shred a banner to pieces. Sign makers often use anything from soup cans to coffee cans as templates for cutting slits with an Xacto knife or utility knife. To […] Read more »

Selling Banners

Banner sales represent a significant segment of the sign industry. As well as durable outdoor promotional banners, other opportunities include lightweight vinyl banners, synthetic paper banners and printed fabrics for general purpose interior applications, such as Point-Of-Purchase banners and tradeshow signs. The smooth finishes of vinyl banner materials and top-coated fabrics are perfectly suited for […] Read more »

The Effect of Wind Loads on Vinyl Banners

  Chicago is known as the “Windy City”. It received its nickname as a reference to one of its long-winded political figures not to its notoriously bad windy weather. Maximum wind gusts in Chicagoland can reach 80 to 90 miles per hour. (Winds in many other cities, especially along the Eastern Seaboard, exceed Chicago’s levels.) Working […] Read more »

Banner Care

Recommendations on Cleaning, Storage and Shipping of Banners If your customers want their banners, awnings or flexible sign faces to last longer, they should be instructed to keep them clean, by simply washing them periodically with a mild detergent and warm water. Flexible materials that are not properly cleaned on a regular basis are guaranteed […] Read more »