Product news and information for the sign, screen and graphic arts trade
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Vinyl window graphics provide retailers with several advantages over hand-painted graphics. Cost-effective machine-made graphics consistently reproduce a company’s image from one store location to another to another. The durability of cast vinyl film is also much greater. Paint systems typically provide three years of durability. If the right films are used, processed according to the manufacturer’s […] Read more »
Have you explored the world of digital fabric printing? If not, then you could be missing out on one of the hottest trends in the sign industry today. No longer limited to the world of fashion, large format digital fabric printing is producing everything from casino gaming table tops to elegant banners to corporate flags […] Read more »
Shortcuts can lead to problems. About 25 years ago I inspected a graphics failure on a corrugated trailer. The vinyl had lifted from the valleys of the corrugations and was cracking and peeling from the trailer surface. The installer had taken one of those shortcuts. He had tacked the graphic into position at the corners, […] Read more »
Selecting the right overlaminate for a particular graphics application requires just as must consideration as selecting the right digital print media. And for many, it can be just as confusing, if not more so. For starters, just page through any distributor catalog, and you will find a wide array of options, nearly as extensive as […] Read more »
Many years ago, I had one of those bright ideas that backfired on me. Instead of extruding lines of adhesive across the web of a production line laminating one sheet of paper to another, I replaced the extrusion heads with six spray values. I learned an important lesson. Anytime you atomize something, it gets into […] Read more »
Once a graphic starts peeling, forget about trying to reapply any edges, which have already lifted. The adhesive on these peeled edges have most likely been contaminated with dirt. Read more »
Could white ink allow you to expand into new markets? Imagine the possibilities of expanding your services to include printing on leather, cardboard, wood, stone or some other non-traditional material. Most ink jet printers don’t make room for white ink today, but that is bound to change in the future as printers and ink manufacturers […] Read more »
Need some help selling vehicle wraps? Trade groups, sign shops and market researchers have ammunition to help you seal the deal. Selling vehicle wrapping services is easy when you can offer potential customers a laundry list of proven benefits of this trendy advertising medium. You’ve invested in top of the line printing equipment and materials. […] Read more »
When I started in the vinyl graphics industry more than thirty years ago, there was no such thing as lighter standard weight application tape that is generally used in the sign industry. The only tapes that were used were the heavyweight premium grade premasks. Today many sign makers have never even used these premium grade […] Read more »
If you are a sign maker and have a plotter or printer, garment decorating with heat transfer films is one of those prize opportunities that requires a very short learning curve and an investment in a heat press. The cost for a good clamshell press runs about $1000 to $1200, but you can buy one […] Read more »
