Oct/Nov 2012 - No.127
Inside Out! Contravision's groundbreaking new application
IN THIS ISSUE
BRINGING SIGNS & DISPLAYS TO LIFE INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS ECOVISION GETTING TO GRIPS WITH GREEN www.signdirections.co.uk
www.graphicdisplaycommunity.com
www.bsga.co.uk
Oct/Nov 2012
signdirections
What’s in this issue…
p10
p30
p40
p48
Projects - Applications in Action
Cover Story - Inside Out
Special Feature – Bringing Signs & Displays to life
Ecovision – Getting to grips with green
news 4
Setting the Scene - What’s in this issue of Sign Directions
6
News Briefing - Our regular news round-up
10
Projects - The latest application stories
14
Supplier News - News from around the industry
20
Equipment & Materials - Some of the newest product releases
features Cover Story
30 Inside Out! - Contravision’s groundbreaking new application
Sign Directions Hotline: If you would like to contact any of the companies featured in this issue of Sign Directions, please contact us on Tel: 01623 882398 for full company information, or alternatively, e-mail signdirections@btconnect.com for a response by return. Coming Next: The next issue of Sign Directions will be the December/January issue which will cover digital textile printing
32 Inspiration Opportunity Knocks - Winning ways with signs and print Digital Directions
36 Digital News - The latest digital updates 38 My Way - Worthwhile investments Bringing Signs & Displays to life - Clever ways with sign systems
Deputy Editor Mike Connolly Tel: 01737 842410 e-mail: themc@btinternet.com
Special Feature – EcoVision Getting to grips with green - Industry suppliers’ green credentials
Associate Editor Michael Lyons Tel: 01277 650037 e-mail: mike.lyons@mac.com
40 Special Feature
48
Publisher/Managing Editor Val Hirst Tel: 01623 882398 e-mail: signdirections@btconnect.com
information 26 Tips & Tricks - Fujifilm’s Euromedia Q & A Column 26 Sign & Digital UK 2013 - Next year’s show starts here! 28 Going in - The latest installations 28 Lighting - LED evolution 34 Software - The new releases 55 Classified - The industry’s marketplace 56 Directory - The Who’s Who of the sign industry
Contributing Editor Mark Godden Tel: 07717 885325 e-mail: mark.godden@me.com Art Editor Hina Mistry Tel: 07773 319465 e-mail: hinamistry@sky.com
Cover Photography Courtesy of Contravision Head Office & Data Base Management Trinity Creative Ltd. Unit 1B Melrose Nurseries Longland Lane, Farnsfield, Newark Nottingham NG22 8HD Tel: 01623 882398 e-mail: signdirections@btconnect.com Annual Subscription Rates: UK £50 $78 €78 Europe £93 $143 €145 Rest of the World: £114 $178 €178 Agents can claim a l0% discount
Contributors Zinnia Cordell Alicia Fairlie
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. Editorial photographs supplied courtesy of the companies they feature. The publishers accept no responsibility for any statement made in signed contributions or those reproduced from any other source, nor for claims made in any advertisement. Sign Directions is available to individuals who qualify within the terms of a controlled circulation
58 Last Word - Mark Godden urges signmakers to bridge the gap
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 3
Oct/Nov 2012
signdirections
Introduction shops, I won’t be responsible for my actions. And frankly, the very idea of turning the central heating thermostat down a few degrees and wearing a cardigan for warmth makes me shudder! If a frumpier looking garment than a cardigan ever existed, I’d like to see it! The really irksome thing is that the same worthies who haunt the local recycling centre on Sunday mornings and knit their own lentils only ever practice greenness up to their own self-imposed limits. When it comes to the long haul holidays several times a year, the trusty Chelsea tractor and their proud ownership of every electronic gizmo known to man, it’s a very different story.
setting the
scene In the same way that you can’t make an omelet without cracking eggs, you can’t manufacture anything very much without using raw materials, energy and water. Hence, practically everything that the sign and display sector, and indeed industry at large, produces depletes the world’s natural resources to a greater or lesser degree. So when the leading brands demand environmentally friendly signs and graphics, signmakers must often feel very tempted to simply shrug their shoulders and say: “Sorry mate, it can’t be done!” I imagine too, that some companies who made such a song and dance about their green credentials prior to this period of financial gloom, have bitterly regretted it ever since they realised that, necessarily, green products often come complete with a premium price tag. Having said that, whether we are natural tree-huggers or not, (and I’m definitely not!) eventually we will all have to confront the reality of the green conundrum, simply because the financial penalties for not conforming to increasingly stringent legislation in terms of chemical usage and waste disposal, plus the growing cost of all forms of energy, will at some stage, force our hand. However, there is nothing more guaranteed to make a reluctant greenie, such as myself, even more rabidly anti-environment than a smug zealot recounting in great and tedious detail all of the steps they take to ensure that they achieve their goal of reducing their carbon footprint to zero! If anyone else boasts to me that they compost all of their food waste, remove all of the packaging from anything they buy at the supermarket at the checkout and always take their own collection of sturdy bags to the Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 4
I often feel equally weary when companies trumpet on about their eco credentials and send me press releases heralding the launch of yet another ‘green’ product that will revolutionise signmaking, because, at best, it can only ever be relatively ‘green’ and suitable for specific applications. Interestingly, I feel much more kindly towards those companies who freely admit that, when it comes to greenness, there are no easy fixes and who understand that when you apply it to one part of the manufacturing process, you are often simply pushing the problem further down the line, for it to emerge in a thoroughly undesirable way sometime later, for example, in a graphic that begins to bio-degrade before its useful lifespan is over. But I can see that many companies – and people - enjoy significant financial benefits when they take sensible steps to conserve energy and limit waste, which brings us neatly on to our EcoVision feature on pages 48-55, where some of the industry’s foremost suppliers explain what they are currently doing to support their customers’ green initiatives, as well as suggesting how sign and print companies can persuade the buyers of signs and graphics that green credentials often come with an inbuilt cost attached. Coincidentally, this month’s cover story also highlights a new relatively green application opportunity, which paves the way for signs and graphics to appear in spaces that were previously untenable. If you want to learn more about Lloyds Bank’s inside out sign at Stratford station, turn to pages 30-31 to get your creative juices flowing! This month’s special feature places sign and display systems under the spotlight and, once you’ve digested a bumper crop of our regular news pages, turn to Mark Godden’s Last Word on page 58 to learn how you can bridge the future signing gap. In the next issue I’ll be discussing how the areas of digital textile printing and promotional products might provide the ideal solution for any sign or print company that is planning on a little diversification next year. Right now though, with colder weather in the offing, its time for me to get onto the internet and order some winter warmers – but you can safely bet that there won’t be a cardigan of any description amongst them! Val Hirst – Editor Email: signdirections@btconnect.com Twitter: @Valthemaghag Web: www.signdirections.co.uk and www.graphicdisplaycommunity.com Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 5
news
news briefing
I saw a ship… Océ’s backing for a £100million fund-raising campaign for the UK Flagship and Oceans of the Seas project launched by the Daily Mail, has been praised by Rear Admiral David Bawtree, a key figure in the project for more than 20 years. Océ printed the original designs for a great sail training ship a decade ago and this year, it has re-enforced its links by providing the printing for the project, which needs financial support from industry and individuals without
Signlex partners Westiform Leeds-based sign and digital signage network consultant and installer, Signlex, has secured a large contract with European signage giant, Westiform as part of a multimillion pound project throughout the UK. In addition to supplying signage, Signlex also provides dynamic digital technology and audio visual solutions. For further information visit: www.signlex.com
Joining forces
using taxpayers’ money. Now the Daily Mail has launched a campaign to raise a total of £100 million whereby the UK Government hopes that the new ship, which will principally provide education and adventure to disadvantaged young people, will also have a representational role for the UK and Commonwealth. It’s anticipated that it will cost £80 million to build, with £20 million needed to provide bursaries for young people. Its first voyage could be as early as 2016.
Two long established Birminghambased companies, Bowden and Dolphin Signs and Embassy Plastics, have integrated to form a company that will continue to support and deliver quality workmanship for their existing clients. The new ship, which will be the largest, most magnificent and modern squarerigged sailing ship in the world will also serve as the University of the Oceans and provide opportunities
for flexible and academic programmes for young people. For further information visit: www.oce.com
15 minutes of fame! The established Fastsigns business in Hammersmith, which was taken over by husband and wife team, Friederike and Simon Slee last November, enjoyed ‘15 minutes of fame’ when it was commissioned to manufacture and install signage for Ealing’s Caspian Hotel. The hotel, which featured in the popular TV programme, ‘The Hotel Inspector’, was advised to swap its outdated signage for something more stylish and contemporary and thus Fastsigns Hammersmith designed and
produced three eyecatching new and improved signs for the entrance, with the installation process being filmed for an episode that aired in mid-July.
Widely acknowledged as the world's market-leading exhibition for wide format printing, the event, which will take place at London’s ExCel exhibition centre on 25th-29th June 2013, will showcase all of the major processes and materials involved in
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 6
the creation of promotional, decorative and industrial print, including everything from digital and screenprinting, to cutting and finishing. The show will be preceded by the third FESPA Global Summit, a two-day event that is scheduled to take place on 22nd-23rd January 2013 at The Brewery and Montcalm Hotel, London and which is designed provide the digital wide format community with an opportunity to address some of the key issues, challenges, opportunities and threats
Applelec has appointed electrician Gareth Smith to its technical team, where he will be responsible for the wide variety of electrical work involved in in the creation of illuminated signage and systems that employ LED Light Sheet, and will additionally research and adapt new technologies in order to provide touch and sense activated on/off control of LED Light Sheet.
For further information visit: www.fastsigns.co.uk
that are currently confronting it.
The 2013 Global Summit is open to sign and print companies, advertising agency representatives and brand owners and the delegate package will
For further information, please visit: www.bowdenanddolphinsigns.com
Appointments
And, as if to prove that its signmaking expertise is more than matched by its service ethos, the business was also nominated by its customers for the ‘Best Customer Service’ business award run by the local Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council!
Confirmed speakers include leading print industry and association figures, alongside leading names in the marketing sector, TBWA Singapore and TBWA London, plus representatives from Unilever, and Shire Business Group and Tim Greene, Director Wideformat, at specialist market research company Infotrends.
Jamie Bowden, Director at Bowden and Dolphin Signs, commented: "The marriage of the two businesses means we have the added advantage of our own CNC machine, which when combined with Embassy's machinery, provides endless possibilities for both plastic fabrication and signage. We've been working with Embassy Plastics for many years and we're very happy to be moving forward with them and our current clients."
As a result of the merger, the integrated
FESPA 2013 is ready for take-off! The FESPA 2013 promotional campaign is ready for take-off, with a newly-launched website declaring that the show is 'Your Destination for Print', since it is designed to be a global hub event that will propel visitors to any number of business 'destinations'.
A family-run signmaker based in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, which was originally founded in 1959, Bowden and Dolphin Signs designs and manufactures all types of signage in its Birmingham workshop for clients throughout the UK, while Embassy Plastics, another long established Birmingham company, specialises in acrylic fabrication, diamond polishing and flame polishing.
firms now have the in-house resources, equipment and expertise to offer a cost effective solution for the production of acrylic signage and fabrication.
include access to all conference sessions, as well as on demand access to all sessions post event. FESPA research will be provided to delegates on an exclusive basis as part of the VIP package and a networking drinks reception and Gala Dinner will be held on 22nd January. For further information on FESPA's Global Summit 2013 and to register for the event, please visit: www.fespa.com/globals ummit.
Gareth previously spent three years with domestic electrical installer, Paul Philips Electrical. E s k o ‘ s commitment to the Polish market and surrounding regions has been further underlined with the appointment of Mariusz Geras as Sales Account Manager. Matiusz will represent Esko’s broad portfolio of hardware and
software solutions in Poland, while also supporting its successful cooperation with existing partners DigiPrint, DMsystem, Dupont and Dantex. He joins Esko from Kodak, where he was Sales Manager, Commercial, for more than five years. CMYUK has appointed Tony Winterbottom to handle the sales of EFI VUTEk’s wide format printing solutions. Tony, who has a long history within the sign and display industries, having previously worked for Granthams and CADlink, has moved to CMYUK from Robert Horne Group where he was also responsible for sales of EFI VUTEk printers. In his new role he will also handle the sales of Zund’s range of precision cutting tables for CMYUK.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 7
news
news briefing
Each November, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on the faces of thousands of men in the UK and beyond, with the aim of both raising vital funds for and awareness of prostate and testicular cancer. This year, the industry’s specialist recruitment consultancy, Pyramid Resource Solutions, has chosen Movember as its latest charity and, in common with the other charities the company have supported in the past, it’s not asking for donations, although of course, they would be very welcome! Pyramid’s primary purpose is to increase public awareness of Movember and with this in mind it is inviting signmakers to visit the charity’s dedicated website to learn more about its aims and to have a good laugh at some of the notable moustaches that it will find showcased there. Meanwhile Pyramid Resource Solutions will be doing its bit by donating 10
percent of the fees generated by any new recruitment assignments, that are registered with it during the month of Movember and are also challenging all Movember participants to get involved, by exchanging weekly pictures of their freshly sprouting moustaches! As a further incentive, Pyramid will also be offering customers who get involved a 10 percent discount off their Movember recruitment assignment, or a voucher for a 10 percent discount which will be valid until 31st January, 2013, subject to them satisfying certain conditions. Explaining his company’s support for the charity, Pyramid’s Managing Director, Julian Briggs said: “Big steps have already been taken towards changing attitudes and habits relating to men’s health around the world, but there is still much to be done before we catch up with the women’s health movement, which is why I am urging Sign Directions readers to get involved.” All donations received are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and its men’s health partners, Prostate Cancer UK and the Institute of Cancer Research. For further information e-mail: movember@pyramidresourcing.com or to check out Movember and to see some stunning moustaches visit: http://uk.movember.com/ team/679897
Trophex to open up new revenue streams Trophex, the only major UK show in the UK devoted to the trophy, awards and engraving sectors, takes place on 13th-14th January at the NEC Pavilion in Birmingham. and provides visitors with the opportunity to see a wide variety of relevant products under one roof. Visitors will be able to see the largest display of trophies, engraving machines and materials, glass and crystal, dye-sublimation materials and equipment, plus a wide range of
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 8
promotional merchandise. The show is free to attend and registration is now open. For further information and to register online, visit: www.trophex.com.
showtime DIARY DATES FOR 2012/13
Money for moustaches
Trophex 2013 13th-14th January NEC Pavilion, Birmingham Organiser: Hill Media Tel: 01442 826826 E-mail: alisoncwhite@aol.com www.trophex.com FESPA Global Summit 2013 22nd-23rd January 2013 The Brewery, London EC1 Organiser: FESPA Tel: 01737 445038 E-mail: info@fespa.com www.fespa.com/globalsummit Sign & Digital UK 2013 30th April-2nd May 2013 NEC, Birmingham Organiser: Faversham House Group Tel: 01342 332103 E-mail: alancaddick@fav-house.com www.signuk.com FESPA 2013 25th-29th June ExCel Exhibition Centre, London Organiser: FESPA Tel +44 (0)1737 240788 Fax +44 (0)1737 233734 E-mail info@fespa.com www.fespa.com If you would like your event to feature on this page, please send full information via e-mail to Val Hirst at signdirections@btconnect.com
Support the Wibbly Wobbly Webster's Wheelers! Shelley Signs Director, Rob Shelley, is getting on his bike to promote awareness of prostate cancer – the most common cancer in men. Every year 40,000 men are diagnosed with the disease and Prostate Cancer UK is a charity that fights to help more men survive it and enjoy a better quality of life. Rob, who owns Market Drayton based sign company Shelley Signs, will be taking to the hills around Malmesbury in Wiltshire to ride 25 miles with four friends, in support of Ian Webster, who was recently diagnosed with the disease. The Wibbly Wobbly Webster's Wheelers
will be pedaling together and you can follow the lead of industry supplier Hybrid Services, by making a donation to this very worthy cause. To support the ride visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ team/WebstersWobblyWheelers.
new projects
Russian Federation | Stirling Council | Cardiff City Football Club | PayneShurvell | Tecalemit
new
projects Morgan Signs recently supplied the signs and graphics for the ‘I Love the City 2012’ event that marked the reopening of the Cardiff City Football Club’s stadium and the debut of its new red 2012 home shirt. The scheme included the installation of signs and graphics throughout the stadium, together with the high impact RGB colourchanging LED illuminated 'Cardiff City Football Club' lettering, which is mounted at the front entrance. The event attracted more than 7,000 fans, who as well as enjoying
Truck and Bus Wales and West, a regional commercial vehicle dealer recently supplied Tecalemit, the UK’s leading supplier of garage servicing equipment, with a fleet of thirty Nissan Primastar and NV200 vans. Thirty vans going about their business represented a great promotional opportunity for Tecalemit and accordingly the vans were delivered with a smart livery, courtesy of Bristol based Avonmouth Signs, a longstanding supplier of livery design, production and installation services to Truck and Bus Wales and West and its clients. On this occasion, the job involved transporting an existing design from the vehicles the new Nissan fleet was replacing.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 10
Working with Interior Designers Alexander James International, BAF Graphics produced and installed a comprehensive graphics package for the Russian Federation’s Olympic Headquarters in St. James, London, in readiness for the host of media events that took place during the Olympic Games.
events, as well as current sporting heroes, BAF Graphics produced fifteen superwide images printed on canvas to decorate the press room, VIP room and study. In addition, various printed canvas artworks of iconic Russian athletes were also set up in the restaurant and served as a backdrop behind the press table.
Using images of Russian athletes from past
For further information visit www.baf.co.uk
With thirty vehicles involved, the potential for replicated errors had to be avoided at all costs, thus a comprehensive visual and project plan was prepared for client approval, prior to production. Having previously used Metamark’s MD5-A digital media to good effect, Avonmouth
the fairground and various stage entertainment, also witnessed the debut of new signing Craig Bellamy. The evening culminated in a breath taking firework display that was more than matched by the inaugural illumination of the new entrance sign, which ran through a full series of different sequences, thus rivalling the glory of the pyrotechnics taking place in the skies above the stadium!
When Stirling Council gave D Signs a last minute commission on a Friday night, the Stirlingbased signmaker was only too happy to take it on. The job involved transforming an open top coach from City Sightseeing Glasgow into Andy’s Magic Bus and back again over the weekend of Andy Murray’s homecoming tour in Dunblane, following his recent win at the American Open. Happily, D Sign’s supplier of
choice, Spandex was able to deliver the requisite amount of red vinyl and application tape the following morning, but even so, the transformation wasn’t all plain sailing. Since the bus was too tall for the only garage available, D Signs had to brave strong winds and wrap it outside. Working a full 12-hour shift and using banners and pictures of Andy Murray created by children from the Dunblane primary school, the bus was ready in good time for Andy’s triumphant arrival. And when the homecoming tour was over, the D Signs team used its expertise to strip off the graphics and return the bus to its original condition so that it was ready to resume its usual role in Glasgow the following Monday morning. For further information visit: dsigns.co.uk
For further information visit: www.morgansigns.co.uk/news/ cardiff-city-football-club-i-lovethe-city-2012
decided to use the air-evacuation featured reference quality media again. Despite the length of the production run and the fact it crossed roll-boundaries, the printed results are indistinguishable from each other and show remarkable quality and consistency. The printed output, which was finished with Metamark’s matching laminate to give the graphics the ultimate in durability, was complemented by some cut and applied letters. For these, Avonmouth Signs skillfully applied Metamark M7 to complete the crisp and instantly recognisable livery. For further information visit: www.avonmouthsigns.com
The gallery’s latest show, entitled Islands of Swarm, is a joint venture between PayneShurvell, the Berlin based artist Kai Schiemenz and architectural practice Casper Muller Kneer, who is perhaps best known for its RIBA award winning design of White Cube, an exhibition space and gallery in Bermondsey.
arenas, auditoriums and related architectural forms, including their history, social role and relationship with the people who use them. Drawing on Kai Schiemenz’s extensive archive, Robert Horne Group worked closely with the gallery team to specify and supply the materials needed to create a sculpture, which is entitled ‘Mr Hyde III’. Made from white gloss foam PVC, a material recommended by Robert Horne because it is easy to fold, drill and rout, this stunning site-specific installation now provides a major talking point for visitors to the gallery.
The exhibition explores the many facets of stadiums,
For further information visit: www.roberthorne.co.uk
When Contemporary art gallery PayneShurvell needed help with the selection of materials for a key exhibit at its Shoreditch gallery, it turned to Robert Horne Group for advice.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 11
new projects
Lotus Sport | AVC | JD Sports | Lego Star Wars Miniland
Eastbourne-based Signtek was recently commissioned by Lotus Sport to wrap a Lotus Evora in time for a race in the British GT Championship barely 36 hours later! The challenge involved the team at Signtek in the both the design, print and application of the wrap after stripping the car of the previous season’s livery and preparing it for the new one. In addition, the end result had to reflect Lotus’s standing as a high profile team in the GT Championship.
Following its win of a major rebranding contract for global service company AVC, which involved the production and application of new liveries for over 1,000 vehicles, PVL UK selected 3M’s IJ180Cv3 wrapping vinyl, supplied by William Smith, as its material of choice. PVL UK worked closely with AVC to develop the company’s snow leopard imagery into a suitable format for reproduction into digitally printed vehicle wraps, before
For further information visit: www.roberthorne.co.uk
liaising with AVC’s own fleet and regional managers at multiple locations in order to ensure that the right vehicles were available for wrapping at the appropriate time. Using some 18,000sq.m. of IJ180Cv3 vinyl in total, PVL produced and applied the wraps for 40 vehicles per week, thus facilitating a nationwide rollout with the minimum amount of disruption for the company’s fleet. For further information visit: www.williamsmith.co.uk
As part of the creation of the newly launched Lego Star Wars Miniland Experience at the Legoland Windsor Resort, Fastsigns was commissioned to produce and install all of the internal wall graphics and a large exterior window graphic, as well as signage for the entrance. For further information, email: kingston@fastsigns.com.
A digital LED display screen from Messagemaker Systems, the Imposa Lite System, is helping to increase footfall at JD Sports’ flagship store in Oxford Street. Installed in time
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 12
Signtek’s material of choice was Orafol vinyl film, supplied by Robert Horne Group, which offers exceptional rendering, durability and ease of use. Working around the clock, Signtek completed the work in time for the Evora to be transported to the Nürburgring, where it qualified in the fastest time and came third overall in that race of the British GT. Lotus was so delighted with the end result that it has since used Signtek to produce further wraps for its racing fleet.
for the retailer’s key selling period, the 3m x 2m moving display delivers an immediate visual impact, providing a bright counterpoint to conventional printed window displays, while a full colour display and looping video content is designed to capture the attention of passers-by on both sides of the street, thus helping to promote the JD Sports brand 24/7 while also drawing attention to current promotions and offers. For further information visit: www.messagemaker.co.uk.
Sign Directions September 2012 | 13
news
news briefing Supplier News
Roland features at Spandex Open Day The forthcoming Spandex Open Day event, which will take place on 7th-8th November, at the Bristol-based company’s headquarters, will also celebrate its appointment as a UK authorised dealer of Roland DG's print-and-cut systems. The well known VersaCAMM VS series of print-and-cut machines comprises four different models, which in addition to the high speed dual CMYK ink set, also offer metallic and white ink options that enable users to output sophisticated graphics that were only previously possible via screenprinting. Another recent addition to the Roland print and cut portfolio is the desktop VersaSTUDIO BN-20 model that facilitates the production of durable graphics for outdoor applications, as well as labels and decals, where Its metallic ink is perfect for creating striking effects, and its white ink is ideal for use on both transparent and coloured media.
As well as enjoying demonstrations of the various Roland machines, visitors to the Open House will also be able to attend a variety of conferences and workshops, take in an extensive tabletop exhibition, where companies including Avery, 3M, American Bltrite and Onyx will be showcasing their wares, and benefit from a host of free prize
draws and giveaways. In addition, visitors who choose to attend the event on the first day are invited to join Spandex in an entertaining evening of good food and drinks, starting from 6pm. The Open House starts on 7th November, when it will run from 10.00 am to 20.00 pm and concludes
on 8th November, when it will open at l0.00 am and close at 17.00 pm. Spaces are strictly limited, so prior registration, online at the Spandex website, is strongly advised. For further information and visit: register, to www.spandex.co.uk
DISQ Group becomes a quartet The DISQ Group, a unique combination of UK-based product display manufacturers, has expanded its membership to include Alfa Display, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of modular exhibition solutions to the trade. The DISQ Group, which originally came together with the sole aim of providing resellers with the best products, service and support available in the UK, three comprises currently businesses: Eurostand Display, one of the UK’s leading
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 14
manufacturers and distributors of indoor and outdoor display products, Promotor Industries International, the world’s leading manufacturers of promotional units for the retail sector and Eve Products, the UK’s leading display product innovations company and creator of the Twist range. Commenting on the addition of Alfa Display to the DISQ Group, Philippe Jeffery, Managing Director of Promotor Industries explained: “The Group has made great progress over the past year and our clients have begun to see
the benefits that our partnership brings, in as much as we have been able to better support our clients’ sales teams, which has lead to a greater volume of sales. We now want to take the Group to the next level and the inclusion of Alfa Display further bolsters our overall product portfolio and enables us to provide resellers with a total event and display product support service, which includes the provision of everything from large exhibition stands and innovative display systems to portable displays for event and retail use."
Luke Facey added: “I am delighted to have joined the DISQ Group as I believe that our inclusion will offer significant benefits to both the group and our clients, as we are all determined to provide the very best trade service to our customers." For further information visit: www.disqgroup.com, www.alfadisplay.co.uk, www.eurostanddisplay.com, www.eveproducts.com, www.promotor-uk.com
news
news briefing Supplier News
Get a quick return on investment and less prone to failure, due to its compact design and single-operator capability, which enables huge savings in running costs.” Managing Stephenson, Mike Director of Paramount Imagination & Creation, added: “We have achieved savings in production time of up to 50 percent, coupled with a much higher standard of output and less wastage. The RollsRoller has made a huge contribution to our overall efficiency and profitability.” Vaughan Allcock, Founder and Director of Eventsigns, reported: “Thanks to the RollsRoller, we have significantly reduced the time it takes to mount large-format graphics, as well as eliminating the air bubbles, creases and other imperfections frequently alternative with experienced methods of application.” Flatbed RollsRoller The Applicator has been the subject of a market survey conducted by William Smith, the machine’s first exclusive and longest Ireland and UK serving distributor. Involving some of its most successful owners, the survey confirmed the RollsRoller as being the most costeffective and accurate method of
applying a vast range of materials to virtually any substrate. It also confirmed a faster than normal return on investment, achieved via greatly reduced production time and running costs, a significant reduction in material wastage and a far superior finish, by comparison with other methods of application previously used by the machine’s owners.
Typical responses came from Gary Phipps, Commercial Sales Manager who Signs, Nuneaton at machine “The commented: represents the perfect middle ground between time-consuming and costly manual application and direct-toexpensive equally substrate printing”, while Richard Monk, Founder and Director of Blueprint Nottingham, observed: “The RollsRoller is much easier to use
The high level of service and technical support, five-year ‘noquibble’ performance guarantee and choice of finance packages provided by William Smith also rated highly in the survey. For further information, visit or www.rollsroller.co.uk telephone William Smith on Tel:01833 690305
Many happy returns for Vivid New website for Mutoh Following another successful Laminating Vivid year, Technologies is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. The company attributes its growth and longevity during the last quarter century to the fact that it has been able to remain one step ahead of the
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 16
competition, as is further evidenced by its recent launch of a new range of laminating systems, the introduction of a rebrand of its laminating supplies and its participation in two major US printing exhibitions. For further information visit: www.vivid-online.com.
Mutoh Belgium has launched a completely revamped website that features a clean uncluttered design and a simplified structure, as well as updated content. Visitors will now find a comprehensive listing of Mutoh’s wide format printers and cutting plotters for use in sign and display, indoor and digital transfer and direct textile applications, plus suggestions
and ideas regarding the myriad application possibilities that can be achieved with Mutoh equipment and instructive videos.
Registered members will be able to avail themselves of the extensive download facility, which includes indepth product information, an ICC profiles library, drivers and user tips. For further information visit: www.mutoh.eu
news
news briefing Supplier News
Applelec generates new growth plan Applelec’s Managing Director, Ian Drinkwater (pictured) has recently completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses scheme, which aims to generate a tailored growth plan for participating companies. In order to be selected for the programme, each business had to be scalable and capable of local additional generating employment, as research indicates that an investment in small
businesses is the best way to stimulate regional economic growth, a concept that provides the strategic aim of the scheme, which helps businesses with high growth potential to create a customised and measureable three to five year growth plan. Ian Drinkwater explained: “The course forced me to step away from day-to-day business activities and to concentrate instead on the formulation of an overarching plan for Applelec’s growth, while also sharing knowledge and insight with other businesses that are entering a
similar growth phase.” Facilitated by Leeds University Business School (LUBS), the fivemonth course, which offers modules that cover people and management, marketing and sales, operations and business finance, also identifies the funding streams open to small businesses. The tough application process involved an in-depth assessment with around 60 companies competing for 25-30 places in the Yorkshire region. Based on a successful model that Goldman Sachs currently runs within the US, the LUBS scheme provides
and networking mentoring, workshops that are rooted in the local business environment. Over the last two years, Applelec has seen its staff numbers double and has opened a second manufacturing site in Leeds and expanded its existing manufacturing and office complex in Bradford. With the 10,000 Small Businesses course now complete and a new growth plan in place, it is setting firm foundations for future advancement. For further information visit: applelecsign.co.uk
Open Days are the way forward! Over a three-day period in October, when it once again opened its doors to the industry, Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT), scored a number of firsts. The event saw the first UK public showing of all three of Epson’s eco-solvent SureColor machines, as well as the first showing of the new Canon iPF printers. The new Mimaki JV400 LX latex machine was also on display, together with just about the entire range of Mimaki large format print solutions. GPT also used the occasion to launch its own printer, the GPT 190S, which is an adaptation of the Mimaki TS-180 dye sub printer that transforms it into a super speed dual-headed solvent printer. GPT’s General Manager, Stuart Cole reported: “This was our third such event and each one has attracted more visitors and
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 18
Stuart Cole (right) with a satisfied customer.
generated more business, probably because we provide a huge range of all of the latest machines and also field a bevy of experts who can help customers to make the most appropriate choices for their particular businesses and range of applications.” As well as the new printers, visitors to the event were also able to take advantage of many special offers, not least the massive price reductions on the Agfa Anapurna Mw range, including the 1.6m version for less than £50,000. Stuart Cole explained “The opportunity to acquire an industrial level UV-curable printer for that price proved irresistible to a number of people and we sold one machine on the day and took three further orders too!” In total, GPT racked up sales of £200,000 during the three days of the event and a further £500,000
over the following week. Stuart Cole added: “The first deal was struck on the opening morning, when the Mercedes F1 team came in to look at a new Mimaki JV33 to replace its existing JV3. It liked what it saw so much that it asked whether we could deliver the following morning – needless to say we did! That’s how it was all week. People seem to really like being able to see the machines in the flesh and to see them outputting their own files on the media they generally use in their sign and print shops.”
He concludes, “At the end of the three days, we were all as exhausted as we would have been after an exhibition as we were constantly talking to people, but the main difference was that we were talking to serious buyers, some of whom had come from as far afield as Manchester and Wales! And, in addition we felt very happy that we were able to help them to achieve the future success they are looking for themselves.” For further information visit: www.g.p.t-co.uk
news
news briefing Equipment & Material
Glazing with eye-appeal
New Advances in Etch Effects. Trapped air between films and glass is really obvious as it impairs the optical continuity that the film’s adhesive should be achieving and the ugly bubbles completely ruin the effect the graphic is supposed to make. In order to eliminate this unsightly effect, Metamark has recently extended its line of applied Etch Effect films with a line up of new products, all of which feature the company’s System. Adhesive MetaScape MetaScape enables signmakers to eliminate trapped air with minimal effort, even when using cleaner and time saving dry application methods. Further benefits of the MetaScape adhesive system, engineered at the chemical level, ensure that ambient humidity and localised moisture don’t turn the films’ adhesive system milky. Thanks to its novel chemistry, the adhesive remains crystal clear even in the most demanding environments.
The new range includes Metamark Frost, a basic, yet really attractive etch effect, which closely simulates the visual appearance achieved by chemical etching or abrasively blasting glass, but at a much lower cost and with markedly less disruption. The range also includes a Silver Etch that adds a very subtle metallic overtone to the base texture. The metallic hint produces quite a dramatic effect in direct lighting, but still diffuses through vision and renders crisp detail, thus maintaining an
Under cover APA has introduced a new wrapping vinyl, APAWrapFilm, which features an interesting camouflage effect that is currently available in two different variations, with more options to follow shortly.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 20
Camouflage, Safari replicates the warm hues of sand and desert, while Camouflage, Forest reflects the leafy green shades redolent of lush woodlands. Both films are designed for use on both flat and curved surfaces. For further information visit: www.apaspa.com
acceptable degree of transmitted light.
option for customers considering the benefits of applied Etch Effect graphics.
Dusted Etch adds a more granular appearance, rather like the effect that blasting with coarser graded abrasive media achieves. This finish contrasts agreeably with the basic frosted effects and offers potential for introducing stylised detail into designs using cut and applied production methods.
The versatility of the Etch Effect range is further extended by its use in Subtle applications. printing application of colour renders atmospheric graphics and hinted tones possible, all without significantly impairing the passage of light.
Completing the improved line-up, Crystal Etch contributes its own unique and distinctive contrast to the other products and is an alternative
For further information and to e-mail: samples request sales@metamark.co.uk or visit www.metamark.co.uk
Lintec Graphic Films, a supplier of printable window graphics, offers a line-up of premium and bespoke films that enable signmakers to achieve a wide range of glazing enhancement effects. The latest additions to the Lintec range, Vitroflip and Vitroshift, facilitate the creation of 'moving' images, text or colours and, as print density and opacity can also be customised, it offers endless possibilities for the creation of eyecatching images. Dot-on-dot, Lintec Graphic Films vignette film enables users to print a pattern in two different colours and
is already proving popular for use on office partitions, as a different ambience can be created on each side of the glass. Vitrocolour, an ultra-clear polyester film, helps to transform glass into a vibrant advertising, or corporate identity opportunity, as it offers excellent see-through vision and enables images of photographic quality to be printed in vibrant colours. In addition, its hard coating provides excellent scratch resistance and durability and it removes in one piece, thus enabling quick changeovers when rebranding is required.
unique ability to control what can and cannot be seen, by changing from translucent to transparent depending on the viewing angle, has already been successfully used in a number of architectural projects to create privacy and in retail environments for its attention grabbing effects.
Finally, Contra Vision ORS, is a oneway window film, which enables two customised images, both right reading, to be viewed from either side, while also enabling seethrough vision. For further information visit: www.lintecgraphicfilms.com
Lumisty window film, which has a
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 21
news briefing Equipment & Material
news
Bang on trend In view of the fact that vehicle wrapping, particularly where personalisation is ‘concerned, is very much a fashion-led market, the Avery Supreme Wrapping Film range now offers 14 new limited edition colours and finishes that reflect the colour trends presently in vogue. Avery Supreme Wrapping Film now comes in chic matt orange and beige and a selection of coloured metallic options, which again feature a matt finish for added sophistication. These include matt pink, cherry pink, copper, green, silver, anthracite, and grey. In addition, there is also a chrome finish and, finally, ambulance yellow for those desiring real conspicuity!’
The new Avery Supreme Wrapping Film limited edition colours complement the standard range of 33 colourways in ultra-conformable cast vinyl films featuring Avery Easy Apply RS adhesive technology for fast, bubble-free application and easy longterm removability. Avery also offers a further option for colour purists in the form of custom
Linking with latex
colour matching on its entire premium wrapping products range for low minimum order quantities. Full details and special sample swatches of the new Avery Supreme Wrapping Film limited editions colours
Designed specifically for use with latex inks, Sihl Direct UK has introduced two new polyester films, which are capable of withstanding the higher curing temperatures required by this ink technology. The Vivalux Backlit Latex 125 matt 3746, and the Vivalux Backlit Heavy Latex 200 matt 3747, share a similar coating, but the Vivalux 200 is a much thicker film handling better offers that characteristics.
are available by request via the website. For further information visit www.perfectwrap.eu, or contact Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Solutions distributors.
When printed, both films offer a very high colour density and brilliance, are very durable and waterproof and are perfect for use for both interior and exterior applications They are available immediately from Sihl Direct UK and its authorised resellers. For further information visit www.sihl-direct.co.uk
Making an impression
A sophisticated new concept that enhances the appearance and performance of Perspex acrylic has been added to Perspex Distribution’s product portfolio.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 22
Perspex Impressions, which has been developed by Lucite International, was inspired by the emerging trend for greater depth and texture in materials and has been created to appeal to signmakers who require a material that has the potential to create a unique look and feel. The substrate’s design features a contemporary pattern, which is understated enough to complement and enhance a wide
range of display merchandise. Featuring long, irregular vertical lines, interwoven at right angles with horizontal lines to provide a unique and subtle texture, it adds depth and intensity to a range of retail interior applications, including POS and shopfitting, while also offering great resilience and resistance to wear, thus making it an ideal choice for use in any busy retail environment. It is available in a choice of nine
colours, including pillar-box red, a fresh green and a rich purple, plus two new colours, an intense graphite grey and rich chocolate brown. These five new colours are rounded off with a deep black and three classic Perspex choices; clear, opal/white and glass-look. For further information visit: www.perspex.co.uk
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 23
news
news briefing Equipment & Material
Hot colours for cool wrappers Newly available from William Smith are the five hot new colours that have recently been added to the 3M1080Cv3 range of vehicle wrapping films, thus bringing the current total of available colours up to 22.
A choice of matt pink, matt blue metallic, matt orange, hot rod gloss red or matt black colour options provide signmakers with plenty of opportunities to create dramatic effects, whether using as full or partial wraps, or to create striping and/or other decorative effects. 3M 1080Cv3 is a long term, fully removable dual cast film that has been designed with sufficient to rigidity facilitate easy
All change!
All Print Supplies (APS) has introduced the latest version of its ‘colour change’ vinyl swatch, which comprises over 170 different polymeric and cast colour change films that have been specifically developed for use as full and partial vehicle wraps. The swatch, which is available free of charge to all APS customers,
handling, without the need for application tape. Featuring 3M’s Controltac Comply Version three adhesive, pressure-activated 1080Cv3 is easy to reposition and ready to use straight from the box. With up to six years’ durability, these films, which offer excellent opacity and durability, are suitable for use on
both flat surfaces and simple curves.
includes a range of some of the most popular products currently on the market such as KPMF K70000 opaque gloss, metallic and glitter cast vinyls; MACtac TF700 Sublime opaque gloss and matt polymeric vinyls with micro bubble-free adhesive; MACtac TF iridescent, textured, brushed and carbon fibre vinyls and supreme wrap opaque 80μ dual layer cast vinyls with ‘Easy-To-Apply’ adhesive.
All are available under APS’s ‘Buy the metre’ programme, where there is no minimum order quantity, thus customers can buy the precise quantity they require. For a free swatch, contact APS South on 01753 696977, APS North on 01709 829800 or e-mail: sales@allprint.co.uk for further information.
They are available as full, part or custom slit rolls, with same day despatch on all full or part roll orders received by 6.00pm. For further information visit: www.williamsmith.co.uk.
For further information visit: www.allprint.co.uk
Make money with an all-in-one label printer For signmakers who want to extend their core production capabilities in order to introduce vital new revenue streams, the LCX603 label printer offers yet another conduit through which this can be achieved with only a nominal initial investment. The printer has been designed to enable high quality printing, cutting and laminating to be carried out via a single all-in-one solution, thus enabling considerable savings to be made possible on the normal cost of independent otherwise these processes. Key features of the LCX603 include six-
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 24
colour printing at 600 x 1200dpi, a new thermal printhead, integrated cutting based on Graphtec’s ARMS proprietary renowned (Advanced Registration Mark System) facility that ensures optimum reliability on media alignment and cutting accuracy and a built-in laminating unit. The printer has a cutting speed of 300mm/sec and a cutting force of 300gf and is supported by a PC-compatible Illustrator or similar design and production software.
Minimum print character size is eight point. Typical applications include industrial and commercial-grade labels and nameplates, small signs and sign elements and stickers. For further information visit: www.graphtecgb.co.uk.
The LCX603 will handle media in incremental 10mm widths from 50 to 30mm and laminating material in the same increments from 50 to 110mm.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 25
information
Tips and Tricks Q A customer has asked us to supply them with some graphics for a number of cars in their racing team. The graphics, which mainly comprise sponsorship branding, will need to be of the highest quality, as well as highly durable. Could you please steer us in the right direction regarding the best material for this job? Bloomdale Signs, Warwick
A
In this situation, the first thing you would need to do is source a selfadhesive wrap vinyl. There are very many to choose from, but go for
This month, Fujifilm’s Euromedia experts turn their attention to vehicle wraps
something with maximum quality and longevity, as this will ensure the graphics stay put for longer.
The most up to date long-term vinyls, such as 2D Smart Apply, for flat and slightly curved surfaces or 3D SmartApply, which can be used for full wraps or stickers, both of which are available from Euromedia, have innovative air-channels incorporated into the design which collapse by 98-100 percent after application, in order to provide maximum adhesion to the most complex of shapes, including curves, seams and rivets. Not only does this make it quicker and easier to apply with just the use of a squeegee, it also means the chance
of getting unsightly blisters or creases is significantly reduced, thus resulting in a smooth and professional finish. With long-term vinyls such as these, the superior adhesive means the graphics will last between five and seven years without shrinkage or peeling. However, if there is a need to change the graphics, they can be easily removed without leaving any unsightly residue. In order to obtain maximum impact from the graphics and to offer added protection, it is essential that you use a varnish or laminate to safeguard against scratches and colour fading, for example
Euromedia’s 2D or 3D Guard in gloss or matt finish. Whichever vinyl and laminate you choose it is vital that you follow the guidelines set out by the manufacturer and prepare the cars’ surfaces accordingly in order to achieve the best application possible. Good luck! For further information on the Euromedia range of products visit: www.euromedia.eu. com
Sign & Digital UK returns with a brand new feature
Sign & Digital UK 2013 has enjoyed a flurry of bookings with big name exhibitors already booking significant space at the event. Agfa Graphics, All Print Supplies, AXYZ, Digital Print Innovations, DoroTape, Epson, Hybrid Services/Mimaki, PrintMax, Roland DG, Signwaves, and The Sign Group are just some of the companies that have confirmed their commitment to the show, which will also see the introduction of a brand new feature. The Business Development Learning Zone will focus on the growth and potential of several niche areas and enable visitors to discover how they can be successfully used to both improve Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 26
the scope of their businesses and to increase their overall profitability. One company that visited Sign & Digital UK 2012 certainly found plenty to inspire it. Tapestry, one of the country’s longest established media production companies, having celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, used the event to assist in the selection of its latest acquisition, a Mimaki CJV30-160 printer/cutter. Based in the trendy Clerkenwell area of London, Tapestry’s clients include some of the world’s leading photographers, galleries, designers and retailers, including Alison Jackson, Phase Eight, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, plus institutions such as the
National Theatre, for whom they produce everything from fine art and photographic reproductions to window displays and graphic installations. Having whittled down its choice to two machines, Tapestry finally decided on the CJV30-160, which it purchased from show exhibitor Granthams.
Since then, it has used the machine to produce the graphics for two highly prestigious projects for The National Theatre. The first was an interactive exhibition that was designed to showcase the making of the stage production of War Horse, using original designs, costume, models, puppets and film, whilst the second involved a similar exhibition, The Making of Timon, which celebrated the Shakespearian play Timon of Athens. Sign & Digital UK 2013 will take place in Halls 3 and 3a on 30th April to 2nd May, 2013 at the NEC, Birmingham. For further information visit: www.signuk.com Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 27
going in
The ace performer
Upping the tempo at Blueprint
A preferred routing, cutting and engraving solution in the sign industry, the AXYZ 4008 router from AXYZ International has provided the perfect answer to the precise cutting of polycarbonate at Somerset-based Teklagraf. The company is a specialist manufacturer of bespoke polycarbonate and anodised aluminium labels and placards used primarily in the aerospace and OEM industries.
Supplied and installed by UK distributor William Smith, the RollsRoller Flatbed Applicator is enabling huge savings in production time and material wastage at Blueprint Nottingham.
The AXYZ machine installed at the 3000sq.ft. facility incorporates a dual cutting head, camera registration system and the latest A2MC machine controller and uses ArtCAM Insignia software from Delcam. Teklagraf director Don Towie commented: “The machine was purchased for knife cutting polycarbonate and for routing
small shapes in aluminium. Due to the camera registration system, shapes can be cut more quickly without having to align the material when placed on the routing table.” The AXYZ 4008, which has a processing area of 2,440mm (length) x 1,466mm (width), is supplied as standard with the A2MC machine controller that is said to offer the highest possible control capabilities by comparison with any similarly positioned system. It delivers much faster and smoother motion based on S-Curve (Seven Segment Velocity) trajectories, leading to a significant reduction in ‘bounce’ and vibration caused by sudden acceleration or deceleration that is often found with other control systems. The controller is also fully NC codecompatible and will therefore work with all popular CAD/CAM packages.
For AXYZ router owners, the learning curve for the A2MC controller is made easier since the system functions in a similar fashion to the existing AMC controller. This allows a natural progression for AXYZ customers who want either upgrades or new machines. Furthermore, there are no limits to the size and complexity of the work that can now be undertaken. Tests on threedimensional surfacing files in excess of 80MB have been carried out with no operational issues experienced. AXYZ routers also provide a host of optional peripheral production tools. These include a recently expanded Automatic Tool Change (ATC) facility, the latest AXYZ Vision System (AVS), the new helical rack and pinion drive system and a wide choice of tangential and oscillating cutting knives, drill heads, automatic vacuum switching and twin
The company is the leading East Midlands-based provider of largeformat graphics and, in particular, those used for vehicle wraps, internal point-of-sale, banners and posters for which the machine has provided an ideal cost-saving finishing solution.
or triple cutting heads. AXYZ International is renowned for its technical and after-sales support facilities and these were much in evidence at Teklagraf. Don Towie added: ‘The service provided before, during and after installation was excellent.’ For further information www.axyz.co.uk
visit:
Leading manufacturers, such as GE and Osram, have continually developed and improved LEDs by achieving increasingly more light out of fewer watts, without compromising the life expectancy the industry has come to expect. The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme, administered by The Carbon Trust, has further helped to set a benchmark in LED performance which has, in effect, ‘weeded out’ the low end, low quality manufacturer. The scheme has also ensured that claims relating to module performance need to be supported by evidence based test data. Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 28
Manufacturers have now reached the level whereby the benefit of any improvement in diode performance is nominal. Thus, the next logical step was the introduction of optical lens technology, an innovation that helps to make maximum use of the available light to suit a particular signage application. The pairing of specially designed optics with modern high light output diodes has seen a sea change in the way signmakers use LED to illuminate their signs. Although there are still systems on the market that use basic exposed SMD packages, these are rapidly looking somewhat antiquated. GE Lighting Solutions, with its patented ‘Optilens’ and Osram, with
its ‘Flat Ray Technology’, are both investing heavily in the development of optical lens formats across the range of modular LED systems. The so called ‘Batwing lens’ is a simple version of an optic that can alter the spread of light emitted from a single source. It flattens out the light so that it spreads over a larger surface area enabling the use of more widely spaced LEDs, whilst still maintaining even illumination on the sign face. The use of this type of lens effect results in a significant reduction in the quantity of product required to evenly illuminate the sign face. The GE Tetra MiniMAX Generation 3 module comprises of three lensed diodes, with the centre lens creating a different light pattern to the two outer lenses. The result of this combination of lenses is a module that provides excellent uniformity and brightness, even at return depths as shallow as 40mm.
The RollsRoller installed at Blueprint incorporates the optional illuminated glass bed, which greatly increases the accuracy with which materials, especially those used for multicoloured or translucent graphics applications, can be applied, reducing wastage and providing a much higher quality of finished product. A typical recent project undertaken by Blueprint in which the RollsRoller played a pivotal part, was the wrapping of 600 cars with an Olympic
theme, all of which required masking using the machine.
For further information visit: www.blueprintnottingham.com www.williamsmith.co.uk
Contract win for GE
LED evolution – the next step In the space of just a few short years, LED technology has improved to such an extent that it has overtaken other traditional methods of illumination, such as cold cathode and fluorescent lamps, and is now firmly established as the signmakers’ first choice of lighting product.
Founder and Director, Richard Monk commented: ‘The RollsRoller, with its single-operator capability, is much easier to use and faster than the previous manual method of finishing employed, which required two people to mask, for example, 1,220 digital
prints, but which can now be carried out by just one person and in a fraction of the time. The machine has saved us a lot of man hours and in view of its compact design there is little that could be exposed to damage, leading to problem-free operation.’
There are further advantages to designing a module with a lens as it also protects the diode from moisture, humidity, corrosion and physical damage. Moisture ingress is particularly harmful to LEDs as it rapidly degrades the phosphor coating on the diode itself, resulting in substantial premature lumen degradation, along with noticeable colour shift. White face illuminated letter signs are particularly prone to this effect. Rarely are we offered a technological development that delivers such a substantial improvement in performance while at the same time costing far less to apply. For further information contact Vink Lighting Solutions, on Tel: 01902 409205, e-mail info@uk.vink.com or visit www. vinklightingsolutions.com
GE Lighting has been appointed to update the signage atop all four sides of the HSBC building in London’s Canary Wharf using its highly efficient Tetra PowerMax LED modules. Work at the building is scheduled to commence this month and will see the removal of the out-dated signage and the installation of new five metre high letters and a logo spanning almost 30 metres. Both signage and logo will then be illuminated using 16,000 Tetra PowerMax LED modules in white, 6,300 modules in red and 500 LED 0-10V dimmable drivers.
lighting is switched on, thus enabling the building to enjoy maximum impact on the Canary Wharf’s highrise skyline. David Williamson, Regional Sales Manager - Western Europe for GE Lighting commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract, particularly since our Tetra PowerMax LED Module is ideal for signage projects on this scale, as it delivers super long life, greater energy efficiency and total reliability." For further information visit: www. vinklightingsolutions .com
When completed, the lettering will appear black during the day and will shine bright white at night when the
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 29
cover story
Inside out suggests an available and practical means to overcome solid graphics’ shortcomings in this application, but conventional see-through graphics introduce limitations of their own.
Occasions don’t come much bigger than the Olympic Games. And, thanks to a sensational building wrap enabled by see-through graphics that are visible around the clock, neither does visual impact.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 30
Advertising and promotional graphics are typically contained within, and further constrained by, formats imposing limitations in scale. Available space dedicated to their display is metered too. Practical considerations may legislate against the use of a promising site and so may restrictions of use imposed by planning codes and other local considerations.
impressing those exposed to it in a positive and enduring way. Occasions don’t come much bigger than the Olympic Games and neither does the impact accomplished by Lloyds Bank, in using three sides of London’s Stratford Station, and an adjacent building, as means of promoting its involvement as a tier one sponsor of the games.
Occasionally though, occasion itself can be the catalyst needed to sweep such practical impediments aside. In such situations the result can be notable, groundbreaking and sensational in its impact. Something that transcends the notional value of the exercise to the advertiser it promotes, and that lends itself to reinforcing the sense of occasion that surrounds it, fuelling atmosphere and
The Olympic Games attracts huge audiences and, in the case of the most recent in London, about seventy percent of those attending would pass through Stratford Station. The opportunity for Lloyds to showcase a personalised continuation of its “For The Journey” campaign and achieve exposure on such a scale is an obviously compelling one.
Covering any building with printed and applied graphics and certainly one with the amount of glazed surfaces found at Stratford Station, is something that needs to be approached with due regard not only to the aims of the exercise overall, but with the needs of those who use the building in mind. Applying solid graphics covering the available surfaces would achieve much the same effect inside the building as would be accomplished if it were boarded up. Daylight would be excluded from the buildings’ interior spaces and the structure would close in upon those using it, creating a feeling of confinement and claustrophobia. The application of see-through graphics, rather than solid ones,
Conventional see-through graphics are very effective in displaying the printed matter upon them and in providing those on the other side with a view through. They also admit the passage of a percentage of the available light and so help to eliminate the feeling of confinement solid graphics on this scale would impose. However, despite these attractions, conventional see-through graphics tend to wash out when the favourable lighting conditions that supports them changes. When darkness falls, the light inside the building to which they are applied dominates that available outside, and the effect fails, rendering the printed matter practically invisible. The questions these limitations raised in the case of Lloyds’ Stratford Station campaign, were answered by Contra Vision Backlite Performance, part of the Contra Vision Performance range of perforated windows films. Contra Vision Backlite supports through-vision and displays printed matter with the potency and impact that advertisers demand. What distinguishes it from conventionally constructed see-through graphic
materials is that the printed matter upon it can be seen day and night.
reversed image that is between the observer and the view out.
How does it work?
From the side of the applied graphic displaying the printed matter, a substantially solid graphic is perceived in daylight conditions, much the same view that would be appreciated had the applied graphics actually been solid. Lloyds’ campaign at Stratford Station exemplifies this principle and turns the whole station into a statement on its behalf.
Consensus opinion holds that in the case of the campaign to which it was applied for Lloyds at Stratford Station, it works brilliantly. Its technical underpinnings deserve some elaboration though, as it is certain to be considered for other campaigns of similar importance, and it is likely to find a home in many other areas of opportunity where it can be applied. Contra Vision Backlite looks rather like a conventionally understood roll of perforated window film. It is constructed however, not with a perforated black and white layered face stock, but with a carefully formulated perforated translucent white face stock. Contra Vision Backlite is printed in the same manner as a conventional seethrough graphic material and requires no specialist application techniques. Once applied, the differences are readily appreciated. From the side of the graphic supporting through vision, a reversed and ghosted impression of the printed matter on the other side is seen - and seen through. A principle behind the Contra Vision Backlite innovation uses the remarkable faculty of the brain to actually select what it sees without conscious effort on the part of the observer. So, in looking through the applied graphic, it is the view through that is perceived and not the faint
It’s a comparative rarity that promotional graphics have an opportunity to impress on the scale of the architecture surrounding them and the Lloyd’s campaign takes full advantage of its impressive position and timing. The Contra Vision Backlite graphics continue to exert their presence as dusk falls and into the hours of darkness. In conditions that would normally render see-through graphics virtually invisible, the Lloyds’ campaign continues to radiate powerfully through the surrounding lighting and to register its presence on all who see it. Contra Vision Backlite uses available ambient light from the building’s interior, which it diffuses within the structure of the material, to illuminate the graphic printed upon it. The material also works well if directional lighting is deliberately played upon it. CBS Outdoor worked with Rainey Kelly, MEC and Kinetic to produce this groundbreaking application which
was expertly printed by Reading based VGL. The dramatic results are said to have delighted the client, and the agencies involved. From the perspective of signs and graphics producers everywhere, the Contra Vision Backlite installation at Stratford Station demonstrates that application possibilities and commercial opportunities exist where conventional solid graphics simply won’t work. Even on a much smaller scale and using the most basic of printer hardware, dramatic results are easily attainable. To most companies, the output represents a new medium to promote something that many potential customers and markets may not have seen before. These new areas of opportunity are capable of producing overall growth of the market as they create new appeal and typically do not substitute other forms of applied graphics. Taking the seen, and seen through, formula that has propelled seethrough graphics to the point where use is widespread, and adding an additional and very desirable benefit that means they now work around the clock, is certain to mean more installations on the scale seen at Stratford Station, and further growth in countless other areas of opportunity that are waiting to be exploited. For further information visit: www.contravision.com
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 31
inspiration
Opportunity knocks!
A trick of the eye Before
This new regular feature hghlights some of the unusual and novel and, most importantly, lucrative applications that can be achieved using everyday signmaking equipment and materials
Creating a lasting impression Create Signs has certainly moved with the times since directors Ian Lamont and Andrew Fogg first established it in 2002 with a view to providing customers with a combination of creativity, quality and service. Now, a decade later, the Bristol-based company, which boasts a customer portfolio that includes both small local businesses and much larger organisations operating in the healthcare, education and retail sectors, has built itself a reputation for delivering striking signage. Have realised a couple of years ago that it was spending a considerable sum on outsourced printing, Create Signs decided it needed to acquire a wide format printing system of its own. Accordingly, it purchased a Mimaki CJV30-160 printer/cutter from Hybrid Services reseller, Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT). Andrew Fogg explains: "We did initially consider alternative machines, but we're very pleased with the CJV30 and we're now making substantial savings, as it
After
enables us to turn work aroundmore quickly, helps us to provide better customer service and ensures that we're in control of how we manage our jobs." One of the company’s most recent offerings was an impressive six metre wide typographical work for Redland Green School, which spans three floors of the atrium in the school’s main building, together with a selection of graphics that extend throughout classrooms and assembly halls. The school, which had commissioned Create Signs to provide it with a tangible reflection of its ethos of positivity and inclusivity, was delighted with the colourful word clouds and vinyl graphics that were designed by Create’s Calum Bradley before being printed and cut on the CJV30 and installed by the Create Sign’s team. The technique used by Create Signs for this job was later used in another substantial commission for public space decoration at Weston town hall. After winning part of an estimated
reproduce the work in a printed format, using the CJV30’s accurate contour cutting to plot around the outline. The final result is a precisely matched colour scheme that also replicates the clean lines achieved when using self adhesive vinyl.
£25million contract, the company delivered striking window and wall manifestations in both public and office spaces, taking as its inspiration the paint colours that were used on walls, pillars and fixtures around the building. However, in a neat twist, rather than simply striving to match the shades with stock coloured vinyl, Create Signs opted instead to
Large and loud Cardiff’s SWALEC stadium is home to the Glamorgan County Cricket Club and is a prime destination for its legions of fans and supporters. Now, thanks to a novel application at the
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 32
expert hands of Dragon Signs, with a little help from Metamark’s ever compliant M7 SignVinyl, the Club sponsor’s identity and brand is in no doubt at all. When the prospect of buying different coloured seats depicting the Fosters’ logo loud and large in the stand was
In addition, Ian Lamont also elected to use printed etched vinyl for the manifestations that cover the large expanse of windows, so that they blend perfectly to deliver a seamless effect that successfully enlivens both the building’s public and private spaces. For further information visit: www.create-signs.co.uk
discounted as an unrealistically expensive exercise, Heineken, Fosters’ owners, consulted with Dragon Signs, the official signage partner of Glamorgan Cricket Club, who proposed a novel solution. Instead of swapping out the seats, why not inlay a suitably coloured panel and deliver the full effect, but at a relative fraction of the cost? A prototype was produced and tested and declared a winner.
Yellotools, a leading European manufacturer of sign shop and wrap tools choose Arlon’s DPF 8000 Engineering Grade vinyl to produce some dramatically deceptive effects on one side of its headquarters in Windeck, Germany. The gable end of the bulding sports a vast graphic, measuring approximately 50’ wide by 35’ high, which cunningly depicts the interior of a derelict workshop. Once printed, the DPF 8000 was simply applied directly to the blank concrete wall. Originally designed to cater for the marking requirements of the transportation, vending and automotive industries, DPF 8000 is a white satin high-tensile polyvinyl chloride film, which features an extra strong permanent pressuresensitive adhesive and offers the ideal solution for indoor and outdoor graphics on ‘hard-to-
The job itself involved the production of all the panel parts, plus spares in the event of damage. The seat’s surface is reasonably compliant, but application had to be handled with considerable precision, so as to avoid the potential for loose margins that would encourage peeling. The Metamark M7 material used demonstrated great opacity and did a good job of covering the strongly coloured substrate. In total, Rhys Harrington and the team at
stick’ and low energy surfaces. It conforms well to flat and slightly contoured surfaces on substrates such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polyurethane and can be applied in cold temperature environments. It offers an outdoor durability of up to seven years. Arlon’s DPF 8000 is available ex-stock from William Smith with next day delivery available on orders received before 6pm. For further infromaion www.williamsmith.co.uk
visit:
Dragon Signs inlaid two hundred and fourteen seats with white Metamark M7 panels and three hundred and seventy eight with red. Up close, the result is colourful. From the intended distance, the application resolves itself into the brand’s unmistakable logo. The overall effect is nothing less than stunning and the client was suitably bowled over! For further information www.dragon-graphics.co.uk www.metamark.co.uk
visit: and
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 33
software
The mysteries of MIS uncovered In the first of a series of new regular columns, Paul Deane, joint Managing Director at Shuttleworth Business Systems, explains how sign and digital companies can effectively increase their profitability when they invest in a Management Information Systems (MIS).
Optimise CorelDRAW with Mimaki
Caldera goes with the flow Caldera has unveiled the latest version of its comprehensive workflow solution, Flow+ 1.6, which boasts major enhancements to the quoting system and customer relationship management and user interface, as well as a number of new tools and a faster processing engine.
Why is investing in a MIS so important? I think it is true to say that many companies underestimate the value of their MIS investment. The industry has certainly gone through, and continues to go through, significant changes and it is no longer just about marketing your production ability and what resources you have to offer the customer. It is about providing value for money and goods and services backed up by world-class customer service.
that can help support business decisions. Many small companies and large ones too, are simply using their MIS as an electronic admin tool. This is a huge missed opportunity, as MIS can be used in so many ways to improve efficiency, enhance customer service and provide vital data to help improve business decision-making.
minimum business disruption. Good MIS providers are also making it easier for companies to acquire a system by offering rental options, thus providing a simple and cost effective way of reaping the benefits of good management information.
How can MIS suppliers help?
In order to achieve this, understanding the true cost of providing these products and services is key to making a profit. Many sign and digital companies still don’t understand the true cost of what they provide. Without this understanding, it’s difficult to make your MIS work hard for you and to provide true management data
There is a responsibility on MIS suppliers to make the path to generating and using decent management information as easy and cost effective as possible. MIS suppliers have spent a considerable time developing an implementation process that enables companies to be up and running with their MIS very quickly with
Your MIS is a long-term investment and you need to make sure that you are continuously challenging it. It’s important that time is devoted to investigating upgrades and that proper use is made of all new features in the latest releases.
Why upgrade?
Good MIS providers are continuously looking at ways to improve communication, by using such avenues as regular webinar programs, videos and
seminars, all of which are aimed at making the most of their latest releases. For example, our own latest upgrade includes a new ‘Drag and Drop’ functionality that enables information to be quickly and easily updated on the MIS. It is only a small change, but has a huge impact on efficiency and reduces time spent in dealing with queries, as all the information is available in one central database. It’s these small changes that ultimately help to increase profit, which is something that no sign and digital printer can afford to ignore! For further information on Shuttleworth business systems visit: www. www.shuttleworth-uk.co.ukt
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 34
Corel Has introduced an exclusive cashback promotion on CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, which will enable purchasers of a full standard version of Corel’s latest flagship graphics suite to claim £90 cashback. The promotion runs until 31st January 2013 50 modifications and comprises a multitude of integrated timesaving features that make the design process faster, while also improving productivity. Major features include a fully-equipped interface containing enhanced nesting options, an expanded relief creation and editing function with new offsetting and distortion tools, plus new ways to distort contours and toolpaths.
v6 or v7 original installation disc in order to verify the process. In order to download the update, users should navigate within the given page address (see below) to select options for Software; Cutting; FineCut8 for CorelDraw; and then the appropriate operating system for their PC. It is then simply a matter of following the instructions for installation.
The CRM module has also benefited from a number of improvements, including better filtering of customer information and a host of new tools have been introduced to make resource planning and production monitoring even more intuitive. Another invaluable new tool is the Installation Planning feature, which helps users to schedule installations for each job in the system, set deadlines and assign sub-contractors for each project, and to group jobs together for improved efficiency. For further information www.flowplus.net
visit:
To download FineCut 8.0.4 visit: http://eng.mimaki.co.jp/download For further information contact an authorized Mimaki reseller or visit: www.hybridservices.co.uk
Get cashback with Corel
SAi International (SAi), a provider of software solutions for sign and digital printing companies, has launched EnRoute Version 5,which is designed to provide a powerful and easy way to create and output files.
As the most powerful EnRoute software produced to date, Version 5 includes over
Mimaki FineCut 8 is a powerful plug-in cutting software that is provided as standard with all Mimaki cutting plotters and printer/cutters and provides signmaking specific tools within industry standard graphics software, such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. For existing Mimaki FineCut customers, the upgrade to version 8.0.4 is downloadable from the Mimaki website and will require a
EnRoute to profitability
EnRoute 5 builds on the established capabilities of SAi’s popular EnRoute family of versatile CAD/CAM software, which delivers intuitive, easy-to-use creative tools and accurate toolpathing for carving and engraving needs and has been specifically introduced to facilitate integration with three-axis CNC machines.
Mimaki has now released the 8.0.4 version of its cutting plug-in software; FineCut, which supports CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 professional graphic design package.
Improvements in the quoting system include a more flexible quotation builder, which is designed to assist companies implementing an MIS for the first time, by enabling the creation of quotes with a free text field. This enhancement will help sales teams to learn and adjust to the Flow+ system more gradually, whilst also making for a smoother and quicker integration. In addition, the quoting wizard has also been enhanced, enabling groups of finishing processes to be added to a job. For example, a 'Banner Finishing' group could contain 'pocket sewing' and 'eyelet positioning', thus helping to prevent work being done without being invoiced.
Importantly, EnRoute 5 is able to handle a wide range of applications via tools that address the needs of high-volume commercial applications, including the ability to nest materials together to reduce waste and to cut more parts per hour thanks to shorter production times. In addition, it has been designed to undertake detailed 3D work with surface
creation and texturing. EnRoute 5 is available in Basic, Plus, or Pro versions to suit the specific production needs of users. For further information, please email enroute@saintl.biz or visit:
With superior vector illustration and page layout, versatile drawing and tracing tools, professional photo editing-capabilities and powerful website design software, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 is the perfect all-in-one solution for any type of graphics project, supplying everything required for users to properly express their style and creativity.
To be eligible for the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6 cashback promotion, users need to purchase a full standard version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X6, either through one of Corel’s authorised resellers or direct from Corel’s eStore. The suggested retail pricing (SRP) is £399, excluding VAT. The promotion is only valid for box or electronic software download purchases of specific CorelDRAW product codes. For a full list of codes and details of Corel resllers visit: www.corel.com/cashback For further information www.corel.com/coreldraw.
visit:
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 35
digital news
Get into a bundle with Colourgen!
Sample the benefits ArtSystems has launched a new support programme to help HP Latex authorised resellers to properly demonstrate the benefits of HP Latex Large Format Media. The programme offers a selected range of free HP Latex sample rolls, with free delivery to the reseller’s customer. With 15 media types on offer, including PVC wall paper and HDPE banner, the aim is to enable users to expand both the number and scope of applications that can benefit from digital printing technology. The programme will run until November 2012. For further information artsystems.co.uk
Colourgen has launched a series of unique Mutoh all-inone print and cut product bundles that are designed to simplify the buying process and ensure the best possible value for its customers.
visit:
Seeing the light LightWords Imaging, a digital imaging market research, analysis and consulting agency that specialises in digital imaging applications within the graphic arts sector, has launched a new Graphic Applications Service to provide crucial insights into the wide format inkjet market. The LightWords’ service is unique, as it views the sector from an application perspective, thus ensuring maximum focus on market trends, an approach that provides its subscribers with all of the information they need to identify the opportunities offered by new and emerging application areas, such as the
decorative graphics sector. The Graphics Application Service, which will focus on the five groups of key graphic applications at the core of the wide format inkjet market, namely point of sale/purchase, mass marketing, event graphics, signage and decorative graphics, will provide quantitive media and hardware shipment and forecast information for these five groups, with multiple sub segmentation breakouts. Subscribers will also benefit from research reports and bespoke consultative briefings with LightWords analysts. For further information www.lightwordsimaging.com
visit:
Each solution includes a ValueJet printer, of which there are three models available, a Kona cutter, which is specially selected to match the printer width, an inkset, plus either a RIPCentre or Caldera VisualRIP, delivery, installation and training. There are four different bundles to chose from, including an Entry-Level Solution, a Semi-Pro Solution, Pro Solution One and Pro Solution Two, which range in price from £10,895 (SRP) to £17,995 (SRP), representing savings of up to £3,000. For further information visit: www.colourgen.com
John E Wright adds value John E Wright, the Midlands-based large format print and imaging reseller has now also been appointed as a Value Added Reseller for the Contex HD range of scanners. John E Wright has served as a Contex partner for well over a decade, but this latest appointment marks it out as a
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 36
very special partner, as membership of the Contex HD VAR channel demands high levels of expertise and commitment, together with the ability to provide excellent technical support.
although the Contex HD VAR channel centres on the ground breaking HD Series of scanners, John E Wright will continue to sell and support all Contex products, including the SD series.
The company is now authorised to use its own service teams to install and to provide warranty cover on Contex scanners anywhere in the UK and,
For further information on Contex scanners visit: www.johnewright.com/hardware and www.artsystems.co.uk
Colour it neon Colourgen, the exclusive UK distributor for Seiko I Infotech, has announced the immediate availability of new fluorescent ink for the ColorPainter W-54S and 64S mild solvent wide format printers. The two new colours are Neon Yellow and Neon Pink, both of which have been optimised to work with Seiko’s ColorPainter GX inkset. They are the world´s first mild solvent fluorescent inks. The new colours can be used as either spot colours or as part of the traditional CMYK process and, by mixing the fluorescent colours with the standard process colours, the finished output takes on a fluorescent effect, thus a variety of other fluorescent colours can also be created using this method. The inks provide brilliant eye catching colour under normal lighting conditions and spectacular results, particularly for short-term POS applications, special events and trade show decorations. They are also ideal for use with signs and graphics located in dark environments, such as amusement arcades, nightclubs and so on. Supplied in 500ml cartridges, the new ink can be used with the ColorPainter W-64s and W-54s running SII’s ColorPainter GX inkset. The fluorescent ink is easily exchanged with the light colours, Light Cyan and Light Magenta in the ColorPainter WSeries printers. The Seiko II ColorPainter W-Series and neon inks are available from Colourgen authorised Channel Partners. For further information visit: www.colourgen.com
Big advances for SolJet Roland DG’s new SolJet Pro4 XR-640 a 64" wide cutter/printer features an innovative new printhead design and, according to Roland, is the industry’s most advanced machine of its kind to date. Combining accelerated print speeds with Roland’s proven integrated print/cut technology, it is offered in both seven and eight-colour configurations, together with new Eco-Sol Max2 inks in nine colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK), plus light cyan (Lc), light magenta (Lm), white (Wh), metallic silver (Mt) and new light black (Lk). The XR-640 is purpose built for production printing with a dual inline printhead configuration that yields high image quality at a maximum print speed of 49.1 m2/h. It fires droplets of seven different sizes to deliver both smooth gradations and solid colours, while integrated contour cutting produces graphics of any shape in one seamless workflow. The Pro4 XR-640 uses Eco-Sol Max2, a new
generation of Roland’s award-winning eco-solvent ink, which is available in four configurations: CMYKLcLmWhMt, CMYKLcLmLkWh, CMYKLcLmLkMt and CMYKLcLmLk. Eco-Sol Max2 is fast drying and offers long-term outdoor durability, scratch and chemical resistance, broad media support and a wide colour gamut. Fully optimised for the XR-640’s new printhead design, Eco-Sol Max2 is ideal for use in all popular sign and display applications. Further, the light black ink ensures a neutral grey for smooth grey scale gradations, natural skin tones and precise photographic images, while the reformulated white ink delivers even greater opacity to produce exceptionally bright white text, graphics and floods. The metallic silver option, which has also been improved for brighter colours, can be printed as either a pure spot colour, or combined with CMYK to create hundreds of shimmering metallic colours and effects. For further information www.rolanddg.co.uk
visit:
FESPA endorses promo FESPA, in partnership with European promotional products show organiser CTCO, is expanding the opportunities for sign and print companies to grow their business at FESPA 2013 by providing fresh insights and practical tools for entry into the promotional products sector.
promotional products are currently trending and what financial returns they can expect. In addition, they will also be able to connect with wholesale suppliers of promotional products and receive a free subscription to Europe's largest database of the suppliers of these items.
Visitors will thus be able to discover key market-entry facts in the Promotional Product Business Academy, such as identifying new product groups to which printing can add value, learning which types of
FESPA 2013 will take place at London’s ExCel exhibition Centre on 25th-29th June 2013. For further information visit: www.fespa.com
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 37
my way
Worthwhile Investments
(64") wide format printer, which EGN purchased from Colourgen reseller Lomas & Thorpe, is the fastest ValueJet in the Mutoh range and, as well as incorporating Mutoh's proven design features, it has a brand new drop-on-demand printhead with 1440 nozzles that delivers speeds of up to 29m²/h, as well as improved print quality at higher speeds.
Companies explain why they chose the equipment they use fabrication/display products and its new acquisition will play a major role in the production of the comprehensive range of design and display products that the company provides to customers throughout the UK, including major retailers, estate agents, property developers and government agencies.
Hull based SignsDisplay.com is the first UK company to invest in Agfa’s new :Jeti Titan UV inkjet printer, which delivers high resolution quality and high production speeds and features a unique design that enables it to be upgraded in the field in order to meet customers’ changing demands for increased
productivity and quality as their businesses grow. Established in 1992 by Mike and Celia Hitchman, SignDisplay.com now offers a comprehensive range of services, ranging from traditional screen printing to advanced digital printing, signmaking and acrylic
Mike Hitchman, explained: “We chose the :Jeti Titan for a number of reasons. Firstly, for its size as it has a print area of 3 x 2 metres – and secondly, for its productivity - it outputs quality prints at almost 200 m2/hr. We opted for the 36 printhead version, with 32 printing colour, plus four printing white, but in the future we have the option to upgrade the machine’s performance if we feel it is necessary. We could also increase the number of printheads to 40 or even 48 if and
decided to go with Fujifilm's Acuity Advance." Set up thirty-three years ago in County Durham, Screenprint (Peterlee) is a family-run business, which, as its name suggests, originally focused exclusively on screenprinting, but in 2002 it decided to expand its range of services and added digital printing to its product portfolio in order to improve turnaround times in order to remain competitive. However, although the company’s
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 38
investment in its digital department has enabled it to produce a more varied range of work over the last ten years, a recent increase in the demand for wider substrates for applications, such as exhibition banners, persuaded it that it was time to invest in a new, wider printer. Managing Director Philip Lay explained: "After assessing the market thoroughly for the most suitable printer for our needs, we
The Acuity Advance HD2565W is a flatbed machine that offers an ideal combination of near photographic print quality and high productivity, whilst also providing a roll-to-roll option and its ability to print onto a wide range of rigid and flexible surfaces, ranging from paper to wood and metal, together with a white ink option has proved to be a godsend for Screenprint.
when required.” Mike added that the installation went very smoothly. He said: “The printer was up and running in just a couple of days and as Agfa has ably demonstrated that they really understand our business, we are looking forward to building a longterm relationship with them.” For further information visit: www.signsdisplay.com and www.agfa.com
Philip continued: "We work with all kinds of substrates in order to produce signs and graphics for retail and other markets and have also explored industrial applications. In fact, we have just completed a project that required us to print directly onto kitchen doors and ceramic tiles as part of the decoration inside a pub, which would have been a lot more difficult and time consuming without the Acuity.” He concluded: "It's a brilliant purchase, matched by the high level of service and support we have received from Fujifilm and when we need our next machine we’ll definitely be returning!” For further information visit: www.screenprintltd.co.uk www.fujifilm.co.uk/gs
Exhibition graphics printer, Extreme Graphics Northern (EGN), based in Hindley near Wigan, has been active in the exhibition market for over four years, during which time it has built up a large portfolio of customers. Until recently, all its work was printed on a 64” aqueous printer, that has now been further complemented with the acquisition of a new 64”
Norwich-based Sign Force has amassed an impressive arsenal of Roland DG printing and print and cut technology, including two SolJet Pro III XJ-740 printers, a SolJet Pro III XC-540 printer/cutter and a VersaCAMM SP-540i, all of which have helped it to establish itself as one of the South’s premier trade suppliers of display graphics.
eco-solvent Mutoh ValueJet 1624, which was selected on the basis of its ability to increase the company’s capacity for exhibition work, coupled with the fact that since it enables EGN to produce a more varied portfolio of applications it would also help it to attract new business. The new four-colour, ValueJet 1624
Jeff Pilkington who co-owns the company with his wife Amanda explained: “We wanted a machine that was capable of producing outdoor applications as we have had a greater demand for this type of work recently and we want to broaden our horizons. As I had previously worked with one of the first Mutoh ValueJets that incorporated Interweaving Technology several years ago, I knew how good the quality was and how reliable they were. We did look at several other options, but nothing
seemed to suit us as well as ValueJet 1624.” Amanda added: “There were several factors working in its favour, but the key one was its output quality. The speed was good, as was the price, but quality was what really decided it for us. It was spot on. We opted for the 64” ValueJet, simply because we’re used to working with a printer of that width and we also thought it would offer us greater flexibility in the future.” She continued: “In the month since we’ve had the ValueJet, we’ve already printed banners, canvasses, posters, backlit and external signage, so we are confident it will be very busy in the future - it’s going to be a real workhorse!” For further information visit: www.extremegn.co.uk, www.entwistlegroup.co.uk and www.colourgen.com
have to deliver the best quality at all times and, as we are invariably dealing with customers who know exactly what to look for, everything has to be spot on.”
The company, who produce a wide gamut of vehicle graphics, roll-up/pop-up displays, canvases, exhibition signage and banners, plus stickers and decals, uses Roland’s Eco-Sol Max ink to deliver a level of quality and performance that it can rely on time and again. Indeed, Sign Force Managing Director, Justin Watts, believes that by using genuine Eco-Sol Max inks, he can guarantee the consistently high standard of vibrant, durable output that has helped him secure a high level of repeat business.
During more than six years as a Roland customer, Justin has been approached many times by suppliers of third party inks but he feels that the risk of using a substandard product that may fail later down the line is not worth taking. Roland’s Eco-Sol Max ink offers fast drying time, high density, wide colour gamut, good scratch resistance and has a low cost per square metre, as well as supporting both coated and uncoated media. It is available in CMYK+Lc+Lm+Mt+W colours, is virtually odourless and is water and UV resistant for up to three years outdoors for CMYK graphics and up to one year outdoors for white ink and one to three years outdoors for metallic silver ink.
He said: “As a trade supplier, we
Justin continued: “We get fantastic
peace of mind from the Gold RolandCare warranty coverage and, as third party inks would jeopardise this, it’s a false economy to risk it for short-term gain.” Sign Force typically runs its Roland machines on the high quality, lower speed setting in order to maximise the durability of the graphics produced, but the SolJet Pro III XJ-740 will print graphics for almost any application at speeds of more than 40m²/hour. Justin observed: “Customers often comment on the durability and
quality of the prints, which plays a huge part in securing their repeat business. In fact I’d go further than that; both the printers and the support we get from Roland have played a major role in the growth of our company and it would take a truly extraordinary machine to lure us away! I certainly won’t be using anything else in the foreseeable future.” For further information visit www.signforce.co.uk and www.rolanddg.co.uk/ EcoSolMax
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 39
special feature Sign and Display Systems
Bringing signs and displays to life Sign and display systems are becoming increasingly inventive and inspirational, whether they are supplied as bespoke solutions that have been specifically tailored to suit customers’ specific requirements or standard off-the-shelf solutions that can be customised to integrate seamlessly within a broader sign or display scheme. Mike Connolly looks at some of the options currently available.
The ‘liquid equinox’ brought to life In this latest example of its ability to produce unique interpretive signage solutions, North Walesbased IS Group was contracted to design, manufacture and install a signage package that helps to preserve the history of the Rochdale Canal throughout its passage along the Pennine section of this famous waterway. Working in collaboration with conceptual design specialist Imagemakers, who had been commissioned by Pennine Prospects in partnership with Calderdale Council and The Waterways Trust, acting as part of the Canal Connections initiative, IS Group’s brief was to produce directional signage and special interpretive features that celebrate the history of the Rochdale Canal. The materials IS Group used for the signs and interpretive features required special consideration, in terms of both their quality and durability, given the frequently harsh outdoor environment in which they were to be located. The signage includes primary hubs that link various towns with the Canal, secondary directional hubs, milepost signs and towpath ribbons that are installed into the ground to indicate the distance
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 40
and travel time to various places of interest. The interpretive features at Lock 39 and the distinctive hump backed Watershed feature historical facts relating to the Rochdale Canal and the direction of the North and Irish Seas and also confirm the location as the highest point of the Canal in its journey over the Pennines. A poem composed by local poet Andrew McMillan, which describes the Canal as a ‘liquid equinox’ and marks this as the point that the water flows into the North and Irish Seas, was also cast into the Watershed feature.
The signage and special features presented IS Group with several engineering challenges. The interface between the cast SG iron and the vitreous enamel panels required particularly close consideration and R&D support, in order to ensure technical excellence whilst also maintaining aesthetic appeal, with cast iron sculptural elements sitting alongside high-quality totem signs that are used to introduce the Canal and detail its social and economic history.
now working hard to secure further funding so that the project can be rolled out along the full length of the Rochdale Canal. Commenting on the project, a spokesperson for Pennine Prospects said: “We were pleased to work with IS Group and were very impressed by its service, interest and desire to deliver top quality work. Few projects run smoothly and this one was no exception, with one of the sites hit by the recent flooding in the Pennines, a set back that IS Group dealt with in a highly positive and flexible manner.”
Interestingly, the totem signs are QRcoded to enable members of the public to easily obtain further historical information directly from the Canal’s new website on their mobile devices.
Jamie Trippier of IS Group responded: “Fortunately we always relish a challenge and were delighted to be involved with this collaborative effort that has really helped to put the Rochdale Canal firmly on the map.”
This fascinating project has completed its first phase and Pennine Prospects is
For further information visit: www.is-group.co.uk
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 41
special feature Sign and Display Systems
A new direction for Signscape According to Signscape, The Avenue range offers a larger number of mounting formats and customised options than any poster case currently on the market. It is available in wall, rail and post-mounted formats as standard, with optional header and/or shaped sign panels, post finials and special lectern/map board supports.
With the introduction of The Avenue poster case range, Signscape is now offering a more cost aware option to supplement
its range of premium grade and higher end sign and display systems.
Available at a lower price point, the system could also be ideal for projects that require displays made from several sign-based products, a common example being the use of poster cases with bespoke aluminium sign panels and bespoke graphics. This combination creates a static and
changeable display solution for a host of different environments including, for example, educational establishments, hotels, restaurants, airports and leisure complexes. The Avenue range can also be combined with other products in the Signscape range. These include post and panel and interior directional sign systems, Lynester notice boards, including a new solar-powered illuminated model, fingerpost directional and banner-fixing systems and the Infocurve curved sign system. For further information visit: www. sign-making-supplies.co.uk
Evergreen solutions The UK’s longest established and most prolific supplier of sign and display systems, William Smith supplies the trade and selective end users with a choice of three solutions that are available either as finished products, complete with graphics in any stove-enamelled BS, RAL or Pantone colour, or in component form for client customisation and on-site assembly. The Stylos fingerpost is a very adaptable multi-directional sign system, the popularity of which is evidenced by the large number of local authorities that have adopted the system for street refurbishment and inner/outer city and town centre directional and information signage programmes. Each Stylos system can have ‘fingers’ pointing in up to eight different directions and at varying heights. A key design feature is the concealed inner fixing device that makes it very difficult for the fingerposts to be vandalised. The system can also be adapted to create associated boundary and city and town centre information and map signs, while for areas of poor or reduced
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 42
lighting, an illuminated version is also available. The Luminedge edge-lit display system incorporates patented Prismex lighting technology that guarantees an even and powerful distribution of light and optimum clarity for the retained graphics. Available in profiles as thin as 45mm, this energy-efficient and lowmaintenance system can be supplied with or without graphics and in a nonilluminated version as required. The Flexfast flexible-face backlit box solution claims one of the fastest and most reliable sign tensioning systems available and can reduce normal installation time by as much as 50 percent. Removable cover plates enable easy access to all electrical components, while the rigid construction of the sign box will withstand the most hostile weather conditions likely to be encountered.
used for both short- and long-term applications. Being 25 percent lighter than the standard Flexfast system, Flexfast Light offers the same design and performance characteristics but is commensurately cheaper and is better suited to applications where weight is a major installation consideration. For further information visit: www.williamsmith.co.uk
Supporting graphics can be produced using a wide choice of translucent and opaque materials, including premiumgrade cast options from William Smith’s principal supplier and long-term business partner 3M. The system can be
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 43
special feature Sign and Display Systems
Hang it up
Exciting new products from Onthecase
Onthecase has had a busy year introducing some exciting new products, a number of which use LED technology to increase their cost effectiveness. The solar-powered illuminated notice board operates via a sensor system whereby the notice board case illuminates only when approached by members of the public. The system uses a 10 year-life battery to power the internal LED modules, thereby creating
significant savings in installation and operating costs, since there is no need for any cabling or connections to the mains supply. At just 30mm deep, the Series 30 Poster Cases are now available with top illumination. Supplied in a range of sizes from A4 to A0, the cases are all side-hinged with face locks and toughened acrylic covers. The Series 65 range continues to be very popular with architects and designers and
Renowned for its superbly engineered interior display solutions, Albion has introduced its latest Internal Store Directory. The Internal Store Directory features an interchangeable poster frame that enables graphics to be replaced as often as required, while clever use of mirrored surfaces, as part of the design, provides a seamless illusion of black glass to enhance the directory’s aesthetic appearance, whilst also obscuring from view the internal mechanism of the system.
The range includes 1.5mm cables and rods in widths of three and six millimetres. Signs can be fitted from the side with supports up to seven millimetres thick or sited to overhang the suspension system and enable wider panels of up to 20mm thick, to be fitted.
special sizes up to 2000mm high x 2500mm wide, featuring both backand top-lit LED illumination are now available. The cases can also be supplied in both single (monolith) and double-sided formats, with RAL powder-coated silver and/or stainless steel anodised finishes. The Vitrium cases also continue to be a popular choice, having recently been specified for use by the Austrian Rail Network. The cases have frameless four-millimetre toughened glass covers with ceramic borders to house the posters, while the case doors are
Good directions
Installing suspended signs, particularly those positioned at a high level, can be time consuming. To make life easier for installers, Fairfield Displays & Lighting has launched a range of hanging sign systems.
either top or side-hinged with gas cylinders. All of the cases feature a pressurised mechanical locking system. For further information, visit: www.onthecase.com
Fairfield has also introduced a range of aluminium sign support systems. These have been designed for short-term projects or for projects where low cost is a major consideration. The systems have a satin finish and look similar to the company’s standard range, which is made from solid brass and includes end
caps from 16 to 25mm diameter with an internal brass boss capable of taking a screw size that makes them ideal for mounting large panels. For further information www.fairfielddisplays.co.uk
visit:
The directory can be used either as a permanent freestanding display or adapted to form part of a hanging or wall-mounted feature. In addition to its use in the retail sector, the Internal Store Directory can also be used to
complement a range of commercial and public environments, such as business reception areas, hotels, restaurants and leisure centres. For further information visit: www.albiondisplay.co.uk
iPad holder all the rage at Eurostand A leading supplier of display solutions to the trade, Eurostand Display reports a 30 per cent increase in sales of its new iPad product range, fuelled by sales by Apple of 84 million iPads worldwide. The range is based on an iPad holder used in conjunction with Centro freestanding display systems. The holder facilitates the secure use of the popular tablet on desktops, counters and freestanding Centro units, with resellers benefiting from the subsequent sales and hire opportunities created. The Centro system can use simple fixings to enable the use of graphics to enhance the iPad system and thus to help drive graphic sales for the print production houses.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 44
At an exhibition or similar promotion the high quality screen in iPads provides an instant access point for customers to view product features and sales proposals, while the devices’ 10-hour battery life enables the system to run continuously throughout a busy event long after a laptop would have faded. Installation of the Centro iPad information stations allows prospective customers to view detailed information and/or promotional videos, with the touch screen capability encouraging their interaction. The large screen, combined with the swivel feature of the holder facilitates both landscape or portrait viewing, thus making the system the perfect solution to the display of brochures, web content or videos, whilst also enabling the
capture of prospect data more quickly. Security for these expensive items is a real issue during a busy event, but this problem has been resolved by use of a Eurostand iPad security
display case. This bolts on to the Centro system or counter top and acts as a visual deterrent, providing peace of mind to users. For further information visit: www.eurostanddisplay.com
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 45
special feature Sign and Display Systems
All lit up
Double celebration The T3 exhibition framework developed by Tecna Display was chosen for a prestigious promotion celebrating the winners of the Queen’s Award at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) in Sheffield. This is the second Queen’s Award exhibition in which Tecna Display has made a major contribution since winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise itself earlier this year, which resulted in the company being included in a special display at the BIS offices in London.
T3 is a strong, lightweight and easy to build framework which, when clad in graphics, can create visually stunning backdrops, walls and stands. The system has been used for many high-profile projects and company promotions worldwide, including the Brit Awards and Dyson in the UK, X Factor and Nintendo in South Africa, HSBC in Australia, Nespresso in France and the Buddha Museum in Singapore. For further information www.tecnadisplay.com
UK Point of Sale has been supplying LED-based products to key customers for the past year, but has now included the range in its 2013 Buyers Guide in order to meet a wider market requirement.
visit:
Sailing to success
Multiple options With a range of 14 different extrusions to chose from, including round, square and D posts, Nova Aluminium’s Pole and Plank sign system provides a wide array of different options.
When Orca Balearas Signs, in collaboration with Applelec, was contracted to produce ID signage for its client Motor Yacht Emotion, the Premium range of built-up LEDilluminated letters from Applelec was the chosen product. LED illumination for the luxury Mediterranean yacht Emotion comprised two logos featuring white LED modules and one more dramatic logo for the stern of the ship, which featured Applelec’s RGB colourchanging LED modules that were programmed to glow red and warm white. Location of the signs was crucial in the design and construction of the built-up letters, which were constructed in marine grade stainless steel 316 and featured a polished mirror finish. Following construction of the metal letters, LED modules were inserted to provide halo illumination for each of the signs, with warm white modules used for the port and starboard branding and
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 46
colour-changing red and white modules for the stern. The letters were then potted in a process that involved filling each built-up letter with waterresistant glue that sets around the modules to create a sealed, waterproof illuminated letter without compromising the thermal properties of the LED modules. Additional sealing was applied to the tough polycarbonate back trays before the branding was shipped for installation on the yacht.
Header panels can easily be fabricated to bespoke sizes, and supplied as either a double-sided panel, or a budget composite panel for more cost-effective signs. Both the square post and the D post can be used to fabricate monolith signs, which can also house electrics for back lighting, while the round post, V carrier, and the quad post, can all be successfully used to create both triangular and V shaped signs. For those who need to incorporate overhead lighting with Pole and
Plank, Novahood with its continuous extruded fixing ledge is the ideal option for illuminating panels of up to 650mm on depth. Alternatively, for the illumination of larger signs, Novatube, with its telescopic fixing brackets for both single and double-sided applications, provided the perfect solution. All overhead lighting options are available for use with either tubes or the ever-popular LEDs. For further information, or to request Nova Auminium’s new signage brochure, e-mail sales@nova-aluminium.com, or visit: www.nova-aluminium. com
Mindful of the current trading difficulties in the retail and other sectors, over 700 of the products featured are now available at reduced prices. Over four million POS products and accessories are available from stock on 24-hour delivery, thus confirming the company’s commitment to its wide customer base. UK POS display systems with built-in LED facilities accommodate a vast range of applications and include floor-to-ceiling cable solutions, freestanding poster frames, halo ‘snap’ frames and wall-mounted edge-lit poster holders, all of which draw the attention of potential buyers through the use of lighting, without the need to re-design the retail space. UK POS has been supplying point-ofsale products for 25 years and is continually adapting to changing market trends. Best-selling products include acrylic freestanding poster holders and ‘snap’ frames. For further information www.ukpos.com
visit:
Sales Director of Applelec, Sam Armstrong explained: “This stunning yacht required branding befitting its luxury status and Applelec’s Premium range of letters was selected to meet the standard required. Accordingly, we took every precaution in the construction of the signs to ensure they were suitable for a marine environment without compromising the elegance of the finish.” For further information www.applelecsign.co.uk
visit:
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 47
ecovision
Made from recycled or natural waste materials, Envirowall Strawboard is an award winning panel product that provides a cost-effective eco alternative to MDF, chipboard and plasterboard.
In the past, sign and print companies faced a simple ‘dilemma’, which could best be described as ‘cost versus quality’. This obliged them to ensure that the finished product met the client’s budget, while also meeting the requisite quality standards. These two opposing forces have often proved challenging enough, but now there is a third, more complex factor to add to the ‘cost versus quality’ mix – sustainability.
The recent EcoPrint exhibition in Berlin focused on the new challenges that face sign and print companies when they attempt to fulfil the needs of customers who operate a strict environmental policy. Here, some of the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers discuss their own green initiatives and reveal what they can do to help
While the cost debate has always been a highly subjective one, because everyone’s definition of what constitutes cheap or expensive is different, and the queston of quality is even more vexing, since quality requirements change in relation to applications, the issues surrounding sustainability can, at first sight, appear to be deceptvely simple. But it’s here that things can get really difficult, because the customer who is so insistent on implementing its green initiative to the letter and who is also extremely exacting when it comes to quality, will still haggle every bit as aggressively when it comes to cost. We have all heard about the sign and print companies, who in order to meet a customer’s often unreasonable cost expectations, substitutes the specified material for a cheaper alternative that looks and feels the same. The fact that this is unable to offer the same level of performance is often not discovered until much later down the line. In the same way, if this solution is applied to sustainability, a material’s shortcomings may not come to light until it needs to be recycled, when it could then pose a huge problem for the client who is likely to incur substantial extra disposal costs.
Getting to grips with green
So, in precisely the same way that customers have to be educated as to the possible quality v. cost trade-offs, if they are determined to satsify budgetary considerations, they also have to be made fully aware that similar trade-offs might be necessary when it comes to sustainability.
The new trilemma Steve Lister, Group Business Development Director, Robert Horne Group, looks at the new challenges facing sign and graphic producers as we move into a
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 48
greener future where sustainability will play a much larger role in materials selection. “Over the past few years the issue of
sustainability has featured highly on the agendas of the companies who buy and specify signs and graphics, with most major retailers, including Tesco, ASDA, Sainsburys, Morrisons
and Boots implementing highly visible sustainability campaigns and many smaller retailers also following suit. So where does this leave the industry?
When faced with this ‘trilemma’, it might be helpful for sign and print companies to offer a variety of material choices, some ‘green’ some traditional, with a clear explanation of the various costs and consequences of using each one. This way, the customer can view the project holistically and decide for himself which product offers best overall value or where any compromises can best be made. Of course, there are far more suppliers offering ‘sustainable’ alternatives than there were a few years ago, but not all of these materials are really
as green as they purport to be. At this point, it’s truly a case of ‘let the buyer beware!’ There are products that supposedly have sustainable credentials, which, I would say, are less credible once their antecedents are properly examined. I know this doesn’t make it any easier when it comes to product selection, but the onus is on sign and print companies to find out exactly what they are being offered, what the sustainable benefits are and whether a biodegradable product is actually the most appropriate choice for a client that has a zero landfill policy! In the first instance it is vital that sign and print companies really understand the provenance of a material’s sustainability credentials (what is it made from and why is it sustainable?), the chain of custody (where and how it is made), its recyclability and ultimately, what extra benefits it offers when compared to similarly sustainable products. Matching the suitability of a material to an application is a little easier as projects can easily be segmented into three categories: temporary, semi-permanent and permanent So if, for example, the application is of a more temporary promotional nature, the most important criteria will probably be sustainability and recyclability, whereas for a more permanent sign or graphic, the material’s projected lifespan may well be the overriding factor. Most signs and graphics can be recycled at the end of their useful life unless they contain loads of different product types. For instance, an acrylic POS unit is 100 percent recyclable until self adhesive lettering is stuck all over it, while a hanging display board, printed onto a recycled board, is 100 percent recyclable and thus has significant sustainable credentials. If a sign and graphic demands a mixture of different materials to ensure its impact and durability, it pays to plan in advance how it will be dismantled and disposed of when it reaches the end of its natural lifespan. So as we move forward in this ultra competitive environment, we are all facing many new pressures, in addition to the ever-present financial ones. But sign and graphic companies who can master the new ‘trilemma’ of cost, quality and sustainability will have a competitive advantage that will help to ensure their future success.” For further information www.roberthorne.co.uk
visit:
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 49
ecovision
The quick quizz Antacote Liteboard can be used for many different applications
Material suppliers have been amongst the first companies to offer greener alternatives to traditional sign and graphic substrates. We quiz Antalis McNaughton on its green policies Q. As a company, how seriously do you take your green responsibilities?
Q. How do you plan to educate sign and print companies as to these current and future green demands from their customers?
We try to offer a green solution for all traditional and niche applications, which perform in terms of both the job and the environment.
We always case study our greener products, which helps to reassure customers that they really do work in the field and that they provide an
Q. Do you agree that sign and print companies walk a bit of a tightrope when it comes to providing the most ecologically responsible signs and graphics for their customers? All businesses try to be more ecologically responsible, which is why a green solution for every job is an ideal scenario and the way that we intend to continue our range development. The current products on offer are mainly aimed at the digital and POP sectors, with regard to promotional and display graphics that have a short shelf life and ideally need to be recycled or biodegraded in volume. A more permanent solution, such as a sign or fixture, brings with it immediate durability issues, which means that customers probably need to consider using one of our more traditional products. However, these can still be used in a greener way, for example, by harnessing one of the many take back or recycling schemes now available, the best of which recycle the original material in order to produce a brand new product! Q. When offering your customers a greener alternative, what do you do to ensure that these products areas are green as they purport to be? We always investigate the full
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 50
As the end user becomes more demanding with regard to greener material options, we can offer a selection of tried and tested products, backed up with closed loop data and
Q. Give us a sneak preview of any up and coming developments! Over the past two years we have introduced a number of greener alternatives, such as Antacote Lite board/NU Stone/Smart X and a wide
range of polypropylene and polyester films, and PEFC/FSC papers, and can pretty much offer a greener option for all applications. New launches will include exhibition and display films, BIO media and films that contain postconsumer waste. For further information visit: www.antalis-mcnaughton.co.uk
New green alternatives from Sihl
manufacturing and product life cycle of all the ‘green’ materials we sell and insist on lab reports and full product testing, before we launch a new range. If a supplier claims that a product biodegrades in two years, we need to see the evidence, and if it recycles, we need to see and test the recycled result.
With the demand for greener products continuing to build, Sihl Direct UK, along with its sister companies around the world, has already developed several green products with more in the pipeline.
Customers should check that the product they chose is fit for purpose in terms of the application it will be used for, using the technical information that we provide to ensure that it will deliver in terms of the printing method, the location and the level of durability required. We are always happy to provide samples so that customers can carry out their own tests and assessments, which is particularly desirable if a product is to be used in conjunction with different printers and printing processes.
Earlier this year, the company presented two new coated weather and wet-resistant bright white papers that have been specifically developed to meet the requirements of modern super wide format printers using solvent, UV or latex inks. EcoArt Paper 110 with a blueback, qualifies to be used as a billboard paper, whereas the EcoArt Paper 110 with a whiteback, can be used for both indoor and outdoor posters. Both products are easy to paste, best-buy papers that have a higher brilliance after printing, in comparison with well-known standard papers.
Q. What do you do to ensure that your products keep abreast of current and future green demands? We gather information from across Europe via trade organisations and our vast customer base and thus get to hear about a new application, printing
acceptable alternative for use in specific print, sign and display applications.
the factual evidence they need regarding the product’s performance and environmental credentials.
method or requirement every day! Our Connect and Solutions teams are trained across all print sectors and are constantly in contact with designers/print management
companies and end users, so we can identify the demand for new products at a very early stage and respond accordingly.
In addition, Sihl Direct has three new 'eco-friendlier' multi-purpose poster papers including the 'wet strength' Post-2-Cure Papers, which have been specially developed for use with the latest generation latex inks from HP
and are suited for both indoor and outdoor use. Ian Turnbull, Operations Director for Sihl Direct UK, said: “This is the ecofriendlier option. These bright white poster papers enable digital service providers to produce prints with a high productivity that are significantly less harmful to the environment and our health than solvent inks. The Post2-Cure alternatives are in addition to the six solvent-based printing media from the speciality sector, which we have already introduced for the HP DesignJet L65500 (the first printer to use the new water-based HP latex ink) and the brand new HP DesignJet 25500." However, it’s not just eco products that companies need to think about – crucially, sign and print companies also need easy access to the right advice if they are going to use them to their best advantage, such as how their customers can avoid waste charges. To aid this problem Sihl Direct offers TriSolv SA as a sensible alternative to self-adhesive vinyl films.
TriSolv SA as an alternative to self-adhesive vinyl films.
Businesses often use free standing or suspended panels for internal product advertising and laminate materials made of plastic, in combination with films, are still widely used. These have to be disposed of when advertising campaigns end, so instead of using the more traditional vinyl films, a more environmentally friendly alternative is now available for all those who work with solvent ink systems. TriSolv PrimeArt Paper SA 275 glossy 3685 and TriSolv PrimeArt Paper blueback SA 210 glossy 3682 are ideal
for use with cardboard or pulp board. Signs that are made in this way can be recycled in small quantities, along with waste paper and card from packaging, while larger quantities, are perfect for incineration, because they have a good thermal value and are thus more eco friendly. Moreover, very little additional Co2 is produced during this procedure as both the boards and the TriSolv comprise primarily of renewable materials. For further information visit: www.sihldirect.co.uk
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 51
ecovision
A collaborative effort As the companies that buy sign and graphics become increasingly environmentally aware, Fujifilm explains why sign and graphic
providers will have to choose their own suppliers with extra care “These days, when we are all being
asked to think more about the environment, most of the major buyers of signs and graphics prefer to deal with environmentally conscious suppliers, which means that sign and print companies will have to provide the right ‘eco’ credentials if they want to maintain their credibility and ensure their future success and survival.
reduce waste in the manufacture, distribution and use and disposal cycle of all of our products. To this end, all of our manufacturing facilities are ISO 14001-accredited and we run ongoing programmes in order to reduce energy consumption and waste as part of the ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ principle.
However, as well as implementing their own green strategies and practices, sign and print companies will also have to demonstrate that their supply chain is operating in an equally environmentally responsible way, which is why we are working hard to ensure that our own credentials are unimpeachable. Central to our strategy is our ‘Design for Environment and Lifecycle Assessment’ initiative, which aims to
We have also implemented an internal policy to limit the exposure of our employees to hazardous chemicals and are proactively developing products that will have minimal impact on human health and the environment. This ethos also runs through our ongoing product research and development and ensures that our hardware and inks work together to
Every which way Colourgen’s approach to the whole green issue is both measured and realistic. Melanie Enser, the company’s Product Marketing Manager explains how it takes an holistic view'. “It would cost a lot of money to be totally green. In fact, totally green doesn’t exist, because no matter what you do, there is always a cost to the environment. But like most other companies we endeavour to meet our customer’s demand for green solutions within the parameters of what they can afford and what our suppliers can provide.
Printed textiles offer many green advantages
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 52
Currently, our efforts are mostly concentrated in the area of the inks we supply from Epson, Mutoh and Seiko, all of whom have strong policies in place to reduce both the VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants) in their inks, without compromising colour gamut, speed or quality. Indeed, in many cases, such as Seiko’s IX HAPS free inkset and Mutoh’s Eco Ultra inkset, the inks’ overall
performance has actually improved. On the media side, we now offer a complete range of products that can be used with solvent and latex inks. These include the HydroSol range of media from Kernow Coatings, which feature VOC free polyester and polypropylene bases, together with totally unique chlorine-free water-based coatings that enable it to be safely landfilled or cleanburned to produce electricity when it reaches the end of its useful lifespan. However, despite its eco benefits there is no compromise on its functionality.
provide printers with an efficient, profitable and less harmful solution. This is why we have embraced UV curing technology as being one of the most advanced and ‘green’ technologies for wide format inkjet printing. Although often referred to as being ‘environmentally friendly’, it should be remembered that UV inks do contain chemicals that when wrongly used can have a detrimental effect on the environment. However, it is fairly safe to say that UV cured inks have a lower environmental impact than solvent based inks, primarily because they are non-volatile and, thus the release of harmful emissions to the atmosphere is virtually eliminated. In addition, less energy is used to convert UV ink from a fluid to a solid state. UV inks also offer a more efficient level of coverage, so that less ink is required and, because they offer a higher degree of durability across a wider range of applications, the need for lamination or other finishing processes is also greatly reduced.
that they can help sign and print companies to undertake work outside of their core offering and customer base in order to realise new and often lucrative revenue streams, without having to make a substantial investment in new hardware, or to modify their premises in order to provide costly extraction or ventilation methods.
It is also worth mentioning that the UV inks developed specifically for use with our Acuity range of wide format printers are supplied in pouches, which take up less space during transportation and storage than plastic bottles, while also ensuring a lower volume of waste. When it comes to materials, our Euromedia range reflects the growing trend towards the use of synthetic and fabric substrates that offer a higher degree of recyclability than the more traditional sign and display media. All in all, we feel that we can offer our customers the assurance that our products and services can provide a useful adjunct to their own green efforts and will help them to become more efficient and competitive, while also reducing costs and turnaround times, and help them enjoy higher levels of profitability as a result.” For further information www.fujifilm.com
visit:
We anticipate that companies will increasingly be adopting low-solvent and textile printing as they begin to recognise that more ecofriendly print production goes hand in hand with new business opportunities.” For further information www.colourgen.com
visit:
Textile-based output is also becoming big news, with Mutoh now offering a range of textile printers to suit all applications and price points. Textiles printed with water-based inks can be used to produce striking soft signage of all types, which is easier to transport and install, can be reused many times over in different locations and be easily recycled when its useful life is over. The impact of these ‘green’ changes and innovations in inks and media is such
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 53
ecovision
Sustainability the Mimaki Way
Optimal Yields Metamark’s contribution towards lowering its environmental impact is both broadly based and long running. And, although its products use raw materials and energy during manufacture and transportation the company does everything it can to minimise manufacturing waste and thus extracts optimal yields from the resources it uses. Vinyl is one of sign and graphic producers’ staple materials and according to Metamark, it is an industrial plastic that was actively improving its environmental credentials many years before other green initiatives began. In addition, the company also claims to build on its impressive manufacturing yields and efficiencies with equally sophisticated conversion planning. Conversion is the process of turning bulk materials into the neatly trimmed and cut-to-length rolls that sign and
graphics producers use. Inefficient conversion would result in the waste of material that had already had energy invested in its manufacturing. Metamark’s conversion processes are designed to ensure that materials are produced in response to statistically determined demand. This data feeds into a production plan that then converts the bulk material in the most efficient way possible, leaving very little physical waste that can’t be further converted into saleable products when the demand dictates.
When it comes to sustainability a lot of businesses make the right noises but are they doing the right things? Mike Horsten, Marketing Manager, Mimaki Europe explains how Mimaki is tackling the green issue by-product into its component parts, and dealing with it in the same way as manufacturing waste, Metamark prefers to treat it in a such a way that befits what is, after all, perfect material, by committing it to its samples programme.
Inevitably, when dealing with bulk rolls that are kilometres in length and in extracting various widths from them, there will be joins or trim edges that need to be dealt with, and this will in turn produce off-format lengths that can’t be sold. This waste is very efficiently dealt with too.
Metamark is one of only a handful of companies that sends rolls of material for sampling purposes, and these rolls consume off-format conversion waste, leaving practically nothing from the original bulk material that isn’t used for its planned purpose.
Rather than separating the conversion
The company also opines that the
advent and advance of digital printing is also responsible for reducing waste. Although material consumption overall increases as a function of market growth, less of the material consumed is now disposed of as weed waste. Digital printing helps to eliminate the practice of building up graphics from multiple layers of coloured films by replacing the process with a single print operation on a single layer. Given these production efficiencies delivered with the digital materials used, the whole process is commendably efficient. For further information www.metamark.co.uk
visit:
“Sustainable considerations do not just affect the products we manufacture, but also how those products are developed and used, which is why, over the past eight years, we have invested in ways to improve the way we do that, step-bystep. The first steps at our production factories in Tomi City Japan, focused on the optimisation of the production process and the elimination of stoppages and general wastage, which between them accounted for a 20 percent loss in production efficiency. Now, following the implementation of improved controls, there is less wastage and thus less energy consumption per
unit than ever before. General waste has also been brought within more acceptable parameters. In addition, we have developed new products that have a less harmful impact on the environment and which are more user friendly, while also gaining an environmental management accreditation with ISO 14001, which was achieved in January 2009. The implementation of this system enabled us to throughly review both our environmental policy and our organisational system, with the result that nowadays all of our activitites are now planned in accordance with the ongoing reduction of our environmental footprint. Accordingly, we have established an Environmental Policy that seeks to
promote the integrity of operational management systems and improve terrestrial environment activity and to observe and follow environmentalrelated law, as well as other requirements, through the implementation of a range of independent standards. We also aim to minimise our own environmental impact, through a reduction of the consumption of electricity, fuel, resources and energy, industrial waste emissions and the promotion of recycling and the environmentally friendly design of our products. Further, these aims are widely communicated to all of our employees, so that they can also do everything they can to help us make the world a more pleasant place in which to live. “
Mike Horsten
For
www.mimaki.europe.com
further
information
visit:
A collective challenge According to Roland DG’s Technical Director, Brett Newman, we are all responsible for creating a greener environment, both singularly and collectively. Here, he explains How Roland DG discharges its green obligations. “Although many people continue to regard the whole green issue as a major inconvenience, sign and display companies should think of it as a massive opportunity. This is because early adopters of environmentally sound supply chains and practices can use their green credentials to build market share in an increasingly ecoaware market place and demonstrate a vital differentiation between themselves and the competition. At Roland DG, we recognise that in order to support a sustainable society, it is necessary to review the environmental impact of our products
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 54
over the longer term and thus our quest to limit the environmental impact of our operations begins at our HQ in Hamamatsu, Japan and extends to our machines in the field. Our current focus is on energy selfsufficiency and maximising waste recycling at the production stage, while also developing machines that are energy efficient and compatible for use with both recyclable and recycled substrates, as well as less harmful ecosolvent inks. A tangible aspect of our green quest is the Roland Eco-Label, which is designed to both promote the development of ecologically responsible products and to disclose important environmental product information. It also provides sign and print companies with the reassurance that their own conservation efforts are not being undermined by one of their key suppliers. Our entire range of
printers and printer cutters are Roland Eco-Label certified, from the desktop VersaSTUDIO BN-20 to the best-selling VersaCAMM range of printer/cutters and the VersaUV range of UV-inkjet printer cutters. These products satisfy our independently developed "Guideline for Environmentally-Conscious Product Design", a self-declaration system based on standards stipulated by ISO 14021 for Type II environmental labelling.
2D, STUDIO MANAGER CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS & BRANDING AGENCY. PACKAGE: NEGOTIABLE DEPENDANT ON EXPERIENCE (CIRCA £50K+)
For transparency, we feature environmental information relating to our products in brochures, user manuals and on our website, where we also publish information on recycling and disposal methods and precautions. And to measure progress, we also publish an annual assessment of our success in achieving specific targets in our environmental report.
LONDON
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR INTEGRATED DESIGN AGENCY.
NORTH
PACKAGE: BOARD POSITION - BASIC: £70 - £100K, BONUS & CAR/CAR ALLOWANCE. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. CORPORATE & RETAIL SIGNAGE.
MIDLANDS
PACKAGE: £30 - 35K, COMMISSION & CAR/CAR ALLOWANCE. HEAD OF 3D.
EXHIBITION & BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS DESIGN AGENCY LONDON.
PACKAGE: NEGOTIABLE DEPENDANT ON EXPERIENCE (CIRCA £60K+) PRODUCTION MANAGER. SIGNAGE & DIGITAL PRINT.
SOUTH COAST.
PACKAGE: £25 - 35K HEAD OF SALES & MARKETING EMEA 3D BRAND IMPLEMENTATION.
SOUTH EAST.
PACKAGE: BASIC £60 – 80K + BONUSES & BENEFITS. PLANNING DIRECTOR (RETAIL)CREATIVE ADVERTISING AGENCY.
NORTH.
PACKAGE: BOARD POSITION – SALARY, NEGOTIABLE DEPENDANT ON EXPERIENCE
Further, our Environmentally Friendly Program Standards establishes four core environmental goals: global warming prevention, resource conservation, going green and information disclosure, which are divided into nine standards; if a product meets two or more environmental goal standards it qualifies for Roland DG's Eco-Label.
Other sustainability initiatives include developing ENERGY STAR certified products and the use of low energy, long-life LEDs in our UV-curable technology, as opposed to highenergy halogen lamps.”
– BASIC UP TO £100K CREATIVE DIRECTOR (2D & 3D DESIGN) EXHIBITION & VISITOR EXPERIENCES DESIGN AGENCY
SIGN DESIGNER & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER CORPORATE SIGNAGE.
NORTH & MIDLANDS.
PACKAGE: NEGOTIABLE DEPENDANT ON EXPERIENCE. PROJECT MANAGER
For further information visit: www.rolanddgdigital.co.uk
LONDON
PACKAGE: £60 – 70K. (OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDIUM TERM SHARE/OWNERSHIP OPTIONS)
SIGNAGE & GRAPHICS
NORTH WEST
PACKAGE: £25 – 35K + CAR/CAR ALLOWANCE
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 55
signdirectory
sign directory
The Sign Industry's Who's Who
DIGITAL PRINT SYSTEMS
LED SPECIALISTS
MATERIAL SUPPLIERS
MOULDED/FLAT-CUT LETTERS
SCREEN PRINTING
HUMPHREYS SIGNS LTD. Unit 6, Spencer Trading Estate Denbigh, N. Wales LL16 5TQ Tel: 01745 814066 Fax: 01745 815374 Email: sales@humphreyssigns.co.uk Web: www.humphreys-signs.co.uk Trade Printers for over 30 years. Estate Agents board specialists. Printing on Correx, PVC Vinyl, Magnetics, as well as digital printing. Large or small runs.
FLAT CUT LETTERS
MANUFACTURERS OF MAGNETIC MATERIALS
CNC ROUTERS & CUTTERS
SIGNMAKERS
PROLICHT UK LIMITED 14, Spire Green Centre Flex Meadow, Pinnacles West Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR
ATA Engineering Processes Complete Routing Solutions
CNC Routers
Router Cutters
Router Cutters
BUTTERFIELD SIGNS LTD. 174 Sunbridge Road, Bradford West Yorkshire BD1 2RZ Tel: 01274 722244 Fax: 01274 848998 Email: general@butterfieldsigns.co.uk Web: www.butterfieldsigns.co.uk General signmaker offering Project Management and Sign Design. Specialist in Neon, Illuminated Signs and Maintenance.
Tel 01442 264411 • Fax 01442 231383
Tel: 0844 412 2230 Fax: 0844 412 2231 Email: ukhelp@prolicht.com Web: www.prolicht.com Europe’s leading Corporate Identity Sign Designers and Manufacturers. At ProLicht corporate design is turned into reality. Our commitment starts at the design and development stage and continues through prototyping, production, project management & installation throughout Europe. Contact our UK office for advice and assistance.
Email sales@ataeng.com
FLEXIBLE FACE SIGNS
SIGN SYSTEMS SIGN MAKING SUPPLIERS
BENSON SIGNS 96 - 98 Great Howard Street Liverpool L3 7AX Tel: 0151 298 1567 Fax: 0151 298 1568 Email: info@benson-signs.co.uk Web: www.benson-signs.co.uk Design and manufacture of all types of signs, combining traditional skills with the latest technology, providing pub, hotel and retail sectors with a full installation and maintenance service, now incorporating wide format full colour printing on banners and signs as well as electronic digital displays and directory systems. Nationwide Service.
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 56
Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 57
the last word
This month, Mark Godden urges signmakers to…
Bridge the Gap I don’t watch much TV and, when I do, it tends to be because I’m too tired to read or to write well. Because of this, my consumption is occasional rather than habit driven, and this, in turn, means I tend to stop browsing when I find something of interest. If I happen to trip over an episode of Time Team, it’ll stop me in my tracks every time. I really enjoy the programme. The Time Team format is really very perishable if you think about it. It looks for evidence of our past, poking its little trowels and spades into historical spaces where very limited written records exist, before extrapolating from a lump of material basic truths about the circumstances that placed it there. Ever stopped to think how Time Team might operate say, a thousand years from now? Today, we not putting much into the ground that isn’t designed to be degradable and so, when raking back the strata obscuring the past we’re currently creating, historians are going to uncover a surprisingly clean area. What they will have though, is incredibly detailed records of everything we say, think and do. The records they will be able to look at will, of course, be digital. Much of it will be stored on media with an air gap between it, and the means to change it. We live in such a connected world these days that it’s not beyond the realms of reason to consider that history could be re-written by someone bent on a sinister purpose. I feel certain that the means now exist for someone to index my hard disk and to change it. Physical media moves that information beyond the threat though. We are today so in touch with the data documenting our lives that it really is the stuff that science fiction represented only a couple of decades ago. Its effect on everything around us is quite profound. I consider myself, as a reasonably intelligent fifty something, to be sitting on the cusp of being marginalised by emerging forms of communication. I use Twitter and Facebook, but with a little resentment I’ll admit. I know people not much older than me who just don’t get it at all. As for my Mum Sign Directions Oct/Nov 2012 | 58
and Dad, when the ‘phones rings, they are as likely to try and answer it with the TV remote, so for them, the moment really has passed.
consumption of broadcast material. We’re more likely to go looking for things we want than we are to react to incoming data.
I was in a meeting only last week discussing Twitter when someone said:: “If anyone from even the fairly recent past heard a fragment of this conversation, they wouldn’t have a clue what we’re on a about!” He’s right; the vocabulary would be meaningless.
I believe, and I’ll argue this point with great conviction, that persistent advertising and graphics in the real world will have a big role to play in soaking up some of the potential that is lost to other media now that people spend more time focusing on their iPhones than the advertising on TV or in newspapers.
We are witnessing the development of a new Epoch before our very eyes. It’s changing our behaviour, defining our future and it’s altering the physical complexion of the world we’re living in. Back to my TV habits and those of others. Time Team and lots of other television programming is punctuated by advertising and my perception is that the adverts are getting longer and that there are more of them. This doesn’t matter at all though. Some TV advertising sticks but the whole medium has a looming issue to face. Whereas there has always been those who’ll use the ‘ad break’ to get up and make a cup of tea, today, far more of us use the opportunity to pick up the mobile and dip into Facebook, blurt out a Tweet or check out an e-mail. The goggle box no longer exerts its beadyeyed will over us. Attempts are being made to address this rapidly emerging phenomenon and to use the new on-line platforms to reach people with advertising. However, as users, we have such powerful control over our devices and our space, that advertisers don’t have the luxury of owning either the time or the available estate. It’s a fact that we are not nearly as receptive to the adverts that assault us in the midst of our online lives as we are to those that dilute our
Registering a brand impression with ambient graphics is a more compelling proposition for an advertiser today than at any time in the past, to the extent I can recall it. In this column I’ve previously railed against the proliferation of in-your-face advertising and odd formats, such as urinal ads and so on, but taking advertising creatively to the spaces in between established media is going to happen and, as always, commerce is the driver. Advertisers deal in subtleties that I understand, sort of. I honestly wouldn’t know where to start in putting a price on the creation of a faint impression of a burger brand as it whizzes out of peripheral vision on the back of a bloke riding a bike. The value of a lingering impression reinforced by persistent graphics, especially made time and time again though, I can see. So too can the owners of big brands and those aspiring to be bigger. Signs represent the ultimate embodiment of what I call persistent graphics and in my view, they are more important today than they’ve ever been. And graphics, as an extension of signing, are now assuming a greater importance too. The application of printed graphics,
promotional and advertising material, to the spaces around us is often the subject of legislation, which may come in the form of practical considerations or because of a desire to contain clutter and retain ambient character in a given location. That makes the spaces where it can be used all the more valuable. The sign and display industry often sells to small businesses and the owners of those businesses often have absolute discretion over the use of the spaces they occupy. I’ve said many times before that someone who wants a sign is really asking for help in promoting a business. Same thing applies to people shopping for vehicle liveries and other forms of display. I think the use of these categories of media is going to proliferate noticeably in the coming years and that being the case, we had better position ourselves to participate in their supply. When Facebook, Twitter and the like command more focus and attention than expensive media, such as TV advertising, brands have to get the synapses firing in other ways. This implies the growth of alternative means and not all of it is going to be online. Please don’t think I’m suggesting that you’re going to get a knock on the door from Coca-Cola asking you to plug the gap. Someone is though. And from that point on, an opinion leader is going to do something new involving ambient graphics in some way, shape or form. But you may well get a call from someone much smaller than Coke, but who, nonetheless, likes the look of its new style of advertising and who wants something similar. So what I am saying is, when they do, you’d better be ready! Mark Godden mark.godden@me.com