Br it B Th ish S SG e ig A W nA in w ne ar r d
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November 2015 - No.147
IN THIS ISSUE A YEAR TO REMEMBER - SIGN OF THE TIMES CELEBRATES! THE COMPLETE PACKAGE - FRA LIFTS THE LID ON WAYFINDING SMART SIGNS - SIGN AND DISPLAY SYSTEMS UNCOVERED www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
www.decordirections.co.uk
www.bsga.co.uk
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November 2015
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What’s in this issue…
p10
p18
p23
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Projects - Applications in Action
A Year to Remember – Sign of the Times celebrates
BSGA British Sign Industry Awards – The Winners!
The Complete Package – FRA lifts the lid
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
12
Supplier News - News from around the industry
14
Equipment & Materials - Some of the newest product releases
features 18 A Year to Remember - Sign of the Times celebrates 20 Going in - Going for growth Special Supplement
Sign Directions Hotline: If you would like the contact details of any of the companies featured in this issue of Sign Directions, please ring 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 January issue, which will cover Digital Textile Printing and Lighting systems
23 BSGA British Sign Industry Awards - The winners! 36
Digital Directions Digital News - The latest updates
40 My Way - Why companies seect the equipment they use Special Feature - Wayfinding
42 The Complete Package - FRA lifts the lid on wayfinding 44 Taking Wayfinding Way Further - Wayfinding or décor? 46 Expanding the Boundaries - Giving it large Special Feature - Sign & Display systems
48 Smart Systems - The cream of the crop
information 28 Cutting, Routing & Engraving - What’s on offer 52 Directory - The Who’s Who of the sign industry
Publisher/Managing Editor Val Hirst Tel: 01623 882398 e-mail: signdirections@btconnect.com Deputy Editor Mike Connolly Tel: 01306 898415 e-mail: themc@btinternet.com Contributing Editor Mark Godden Tel: 07717 885325 e-mail: mark.godden@me.com
Cover Photography Sign Directions’ archive We have moved – please note our new address Head Office & Data Base Management Trinity Creative 15/16 Minster Chambers Church Street Southwell Nottingham NG25 0HD
Art Editor Hina Mistry Tel: 07773 319465 e-mail: freshlysqueezedideas@gmail.com
Tel: 01636 819375 E-mail: signdirections@btconnect.com
Contributors Zinnia Cordell Alicia Fairlie
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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
54 Last Word - The next big thing
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November 2015
signdirections
Introduction
setting the
scene As, once again, we approach the season of goodwill to all men, I have a shocking confession to make – I’m a heathen. I can’t, however hard I try, believe in God, partly because I feel that religious differences seem to be at the root of nearly all of the many terrible wars and conflicts that have raged since the beginning of time, but mostly because He has never seen fit to answer a single one of my prayers. These encompass a motely selection, which include my childish requests for ballet lessons and a pony, my teenage desire for really thin thighs, my adult yearnings for a substantial lottery win and/or a gift-wrapped George Clooney, plus, most recently, several heartfelt pleas for Him to deliver much-loved friends and family members from untimely deaths or chronic disease. Needless to say, none of these prayers have ever been granted. However, despite my own cynical level of disillusionment, I am perfectly happy for other people to believe in the God(s) of their choice and to worship him/her/them in whichever way they see fit. So, if I visited the cinema during the week before Christmas period and had to watch a 60 second advert promoting the Church of England’s new website, JustPray.UK, in which various people and groups recite the words of the Lord’s Prayer, prior to the main feature, there’s no way that I would feel in the slightest bit offended or put out. Thus, I find it baffling in the extreme that in a world where increasingly, there’s plenty that we could and should get really upset about, that Digital Cinema Media, which handles cinema advertising, has declined to place the advert for fear of offending those, like myself, with no faith, and nonChristians generally. In these tumultuous times and in a country that loosely describes itself as Christian, but willing tolerates and positively encourages a broad church of religious opinion, are we really going to deny any nominally devout cinema-goer the opportunity to derive whatever little bit of spiritual support and seasonal succour they can from this brief reminder that to some, at least, Christmas means a bit more than simply a frenzy of shopping or stuffing our faces? And to anyone who might be foolish enough to feel offended, I have only two words to say to you – tough titty! Sign Directions Nov | 4
Christmas sermon over, we can move swiftly onto this issue, which includes a 12 page supplement that showcases all of the winners of the BSGA Sign Industry Awards 2015 competition that recently reached its culmination at a gala luncheon held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, where a good time was had by all. The Winner of Best Sign of the Year award was, for the second year running, won by Kettering-based Sign of the Times, in respect of ‘Timeless’, the stunningly original timepiece that it manufactured and installed in London’s Senator House, which is also immortalised on this month’s front cover. To discover the secrets of Sign of the Time’s success, turn to pages 18/19. This month, we are also including a wayfinding special and on pages 42/43, wayfinding specialist FRA lifts the lid on all of the many complexities that surround this most overlooked of signmaking disciplines, while also highlighting the magnificent scheme it devised for Birmingham’s Grand Central development. On page 44, you’ll find Links Signs & Graphics’ decorative wayfinding solution and on pages 46/47, another British Sign Industry Award winner, Trade Signs, illustrates how it combined wayfinding on a grand scale with corporate identity at Salford Quays. This month’s second special feature, Sign Smart, which begins on page 48, covers some of the latest sign and display systems currently available and elsewhere, you’ll find all of our regular news pages, while on page 54, Mark Godden reveals the next big thing. Our next issue, the December/January, which will be published midJanuary, will track the latest developments in digital textile printing and also include a special feature on lighting. And now, all that remains for me to do is to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year, on behalf of the whole Sign Directions’ team and to complete my annual list to Santa – well, you didn’t think that I was giving up on George as easily as that, did you?
Val Hirst – Editor Email: signdirections@btconnect.com Twitter: @Valthemaghag Web: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
news briefing
A sporting success Trophex 2016 set to be another great show!
HD Signs has doubled in size after securing a major contract to supply all the signs and banners for the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games, which were held in Manchester during September. The event, which was supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, saw 1600 young athletes competing in 12 sports in venues across Manchester. In order to provide the requisite signage, HD Signs worked non-stop to print a total of 10 tonnes of
banners and signs, which were then installed at nine different sites. Its workload was such that the company also recruited five new members of staff This contract is the latest in a string of high profile wins for HD signs which was also responsible for providing signs and graphics for both the London 2012 Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the latter of which required it to produce a staggering three and a half miles of mesh and PVC banners!
As well as catching up with manufacturers and suppliers operating within the trophy, awards and personalisation sectors, visitors to the annual Trophex exhibition, which will take place from 17th to 18th January at the NEC in Birmingham, will also be able to take advantage of a range of special features, including the Open Forum Seminars and the Knowledge Centre. The Open Forum will provide a series of seminars that will offer technical information and advice on a variety of industry relevant topics, while at the Knowledge Centre, visitors will be able to receive help and support from a range of industry experts. In addition, a team from Corel will be running a series of special engraving workshops. Trophex is free to attend and there is no charge for car parking and, as a
further inducement, Autosport International, the racing car show, also takes place on Sunday 17th January, thus enabling visitors to attend both events at the same time! For further information on Trophex visit: www.trophex. com
Appointments In a change to its executive leadership team, Drytac has appointed Hayden Kelley as its new Global Chief Executive Officer. A graduate of Dalhousie University with a BA in Economics and an MBA in International Business, Hayden, who previously served as Regional Sales Manager for Drytac’s Western United States territory and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Drytac Canada, aims to further strengthen the brand through innovative product development, collaborative partnerships and streamlined costs, while also retaining his current role as Managing Director of Drytac Europe. He succeeds his father Richard
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Kelley, the company’s founding Chairman and former CEO, who will continue to serve as Chairman, leading the Board of Directors and providing counsel on corporate business strategies. Marc Oosterhuis will remain as President of Drytac North America, overseeing strategic operations in the U.S. and Canada.
Screen Europe has appointed Toine Prudon as International Sales Manager for its Truepress Jet range of UV wide-format printers.
Wrights Plastics GPX has recruited Ann Rattigan to take on a business development role.
Toine, who will be based at Screen’s European Solutions & Technology Centre in the Netherlands, has gained 25 years of industry experience, having previously worked for leading suppliers, including Thieme, Spandex, Oce/Canon and swissQprint.
Ann, who was formerly the MD of a small bespoke manufacturing business and also previously worked as a consultant for Marks & Spencer’s property group, will now be using the valuable insights she has gained in her new position.
CMYUK has recently made two new appointments. Paul Warwick, who has 30 years experience of working in the print and consumables sectors, has
been recruited as the company’s new Business Development Manager, a role that will involve him in bridging the gaps in the market between media and machines. Amira Bouchiba, who formerly worked for EFI at its E u r o p e a n demonstration and training facility in Brussels as a senior VUTEk application trainer, has been appointed to the new position of Marketing and Demonstrations Manager. Originally trained as a graphic designer, Amira also previously worked for HP in a technical training and customer support role.
For instant industry news updates visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
news Creativity, inspiration and choice
Sign & Digital UK 2016, which will take place on 19th–21st April at Birmingham’s NEC, in halls 17 and 18, is all set to deliver a landmark showcase for the industry. The exhibition has enjoyed impressive growth in recent years, with over 200 exhibitors and 6,800 visitors participating in the 2015 show, thus further cementing its reputation as the UK’s premier buying event and launch pad for new products. The 2016 show, which is using as its themes, Creativity, Inspiration and Choice, will showcase all of the industry’s latest developments, trends and ideas. Event Director Rudi Blackett commented: ‘’In this fast paced marketplace, creativity and inspiration are the key ingredients that drive the industry forward, which is why it is especially important to make the right choice when selecting new equipment and materials. At next year’s show, visitors will be able to take their pick from the wide range of products and processes on offer, which will include lighting, engraving, sign fixings and fittings and display systems, plus the very latest wide format printing and finishing equipment from all of the leading manufacturers and suppliers.” Also in keeping with this theme is the new show branding, together with a new look website and colour coordinated show logo.
Stand bookings for Sign & Digital UK 2016 are currently running at 20 percent ahead of those made at the same time last year, and the exhibition will feature both new and returning exhibitors, such as AG/CAD, Biesse CMYUK, Colourbyte, Complete CNBC, Complete CNC, Epson, Daltons Wadkin, Grafityp, Graphic Printing Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Inktec/Jetrix, I-Sub, KIP, Perfect Colours, PrintMAX, Radecal, Your Print Specialists and many more. Rudi Blackett added that the post show survey of visitors to the 2015 event highlighted just how important the exhibition is to visitors. He said: “The visitor audience is primarily drawn from buyers and decision-makers who run their own businesses or operate at a senior management level and who use the exhibition to contrast and compare products in order to make the right buying decisions, as well as to source new suppliers.” He also revealed that 88 percent of visitors agree that Sign & Digital UK is a great place to meet potential new suppliers, while 89 percent feel that the show is the place to learn about new technology and product launches. Further, 87 percent described themselves as being able to authorise, specify or influence the buying decision and 49 percent said that they hadn’t visited any other similar event in the past two years For more information on Sign & Digital UK 2016 visit: www.signanddigitaluk.com
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news
news briefing
October was a stellar month for Octink, with the company winning no fewer than two coveted awards in the space of l0 days. As well as receiving a ‘highly commended’ in the Commitment to the Community category at the Hounslow Business Awards, it also claimed the award for Out-Of-Home 'Printer of the Year' at the Printweek Awards too! Octink's Managing Director, Mike Freely commented; "Two awards in the space
Octink's CEO Will Tyler along with Neha Sharma and Terry Haxell receive the OOH Printer of the Year award from Gyles Brandreth
of 10 days is a huge boost to all of us, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our creativity and achievements in both the printing industry and for our work within the local community."
Wear it pink! For the tenth year running, Antalis raised £4,500 for the Breast Cancer Now charity, by supporting its annual ‘Wear it Pink’ Day campaign. Antalis employees raised money for the charity by taking part in numerous activities, including the Antalis Pink Mile, which saw personnel from all of the company’s departments forming a continuous loop around the perimeter of the company’s Head Office for 12 continuous hours. Employees, who walked ran, hopped, skipped and even roller-skated around the onemile route, were sponsored in their endeavours by staff, customers, suppliers, family and friends, all of whom pledged their support with donations made via the online JustGiving form at www.justgiving.com/TheAntalisP inkMile/. In addition, employees donated £1 each to ‘dress down’ and wear pink clothes, with some even electing to spend the whole day in fancy dress! The Antalis’ Head Office in Coalville also held a raffle, where all of the prizes, including an Apple iWatch, two Kindle’s, hundreds of pounds worth of gift cards, Champagne, an iPad, iPods and various hampers,
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showtime DIARY DATES FOR 2016
A stellar month for Octink
Sign Dubai 206 10th-11th January Dubai Trade Centre, UAE Organiser: International Expo Consults www.signmiddleeast.com Trophex 2016 17th-18th January The NEC, Birmingham Organiser: Hill Media www.trophex.com FESPA Digital 2016 8th-11th March The RAI, Amsterdam Organiser: FESPA www.fespadigital.com Retail Design Expo 2016 9th-10th March Olympia, London Organiser: Legend Exhibitions www.retaildesignexpo.com Sign & Digital UK 19th-21st April Halls 17 & 18 The NEC, Birmingham Organiser: Faversham House Group ww.signanddigitaluk.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
Going for the double were generously donated by suppliers, while Antalis also donated £1 for every customer order placed on the day for Conqueror and Vibac Products. To further round things off, there was also a paper plane competition, a fancy dress competition, the Antalis Pink Bake Off competition and a book sale! Samantha Brown, Communications Manager at Antalis, commented: “We have been overwhelmed with the response from our employees and customers this year, and are extremely proud to have raised £4,500 for a great cause. The Wear it Pink Day was a fantastic event for charity and a lot of fun for all of the staff who participated throughout our branches.”
Signs Express Manchester, which was responsible for producing the signs and graphics used by Team Sky, Team Wiggins and Great British Cycling, scored a double win at the recent 2015 BFA HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards, supported by Express Newspapers. The BFA awards are designed to showcase the diversity of excellence in the franchise sector, and to encourage businesses of all sizes to demonstrate their outstanding achievements. Signs Express Manchester scooped the ‘B2B’ category and was also named the Overall Winner. Centre owner, Lee Eaton, said: “This is a wonderful tribute
left to right: Steph McGovern (BBC), Andy Brattessani (HSBC), Lee Eaton (Signs Express), Cathryn Hayes (BFA, head judge) and Sean Hammond (Express Newspapers).
to the efforts of the whole team, as we have worked hard to deliver the best service we can to every single one of our clients. I'm so proud and passionate about my business, which I started with my Dad and I know he's going to be really chuffed about this too!”
For instant industry news updates visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
new projects
London Design Festival | Wondrously Welsh | Purplebone | Press On
new
projects
Brixton based design and fabrication studio 2MZ collaborated with Black Cultural Archives to transform the heritage centre’s courtyard for the London Design Festival, for which it used Alupanel aluminium composite, supplied by Perspex Distribution, to provide a Georgian pavilion with a modern twist. 2MZ combined elements of traditional Georgian design structures, such as colonnades and arches, with contemporary materials and colours, including Alupanel aluminium composite in mirror and anthracite grey finishes to create a bewitching space that dazzles visitors with its
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reflection, pattern and illusion. Pleasure Garden is inspired by the forthcoming BCA exhibition, The Black Georgians, which will highlight the experiences of black people in Georgian Britain and challenge commonly held preconceptions, as even though they faced oppression and restriction, they also enjoyed a degree of social mobility and integration. During the Georgian period, Londoners from all backgrounds mingled in the city’s pleasure gardens, one of the few public spaces where a more liberal atmosphere reigned and which often featured classical pavilions as their centrepoint. When seeking colour inspiration, 2MZ used as its reference point the vibrant and intricate patterns commonly found on Ghanian
kente cloth, and included elements of BCA’s distinctive logo together with designs that it has developed over the years. When reflected by the mirrored aluminium composite, the structure’s graceful curves and pillars are multiplied in such a way as to encourage visitors to question whether things are always just as they seem.
For more New Projects visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
Welsh required an external projecting sign and identity continuation in the form of some applied window graphics. It’s perhaps just as well that signs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are of widely varying quality in terms of design and execution, otherwise there would be no basis for deciding that one sign among the many is particularly notable and a real exemplar of its type. One such sign is the work of Vital
Signs of Bristol and Cardiff for Wondrously Welsh, a shop located in Cardiff’s Morgan Arcade. As the name suggests, it’s a shop that specialises in the sale of all things Welsh and thus creates a very convenient shopping experience for those seeking out such products. In keeping with the other shops around it, Wondrously
Working with a design supplied by the client, Vital Signs used its Roland VersaCAMM, together with Metamark materials to produce the graphics. The projecting sign features a minimal representation of a daffodil on an off-white background, which is complemented with the company’s name and purpose,
depicted in a similarly informal style of script, to produce a sign that is charmingly understated, whilst also providing a true representation of the treasures that lurk within the store’s interior. Vital Signs used Metamark MD5 for the projecting sign’s graphics and the theme is continued on the shop’s windows, where the simplicity and quality of the signage radiates through the Metamark satin laminate that protects the whole installation.
chic neighbours. W&Co created a fascia sign that was face illuminated with the company’s name spelt out in built up ‘rim and return’ letters. This was further complemented with the addition of a halo illuminated internal sign that was mounted to the shop’s back wall.
Based in Notting Hill, Westfield and Chelsea, Purplebone is one of the newest beauty parlours for dogs and provides their owners with a unique opportunity to purchase quirky and practical gifts and timesaving grooming gadgets for their pets.
Renowned for its creativity and high quality products, PressOn is one of the UK’s leading large format digital print companies and specialises in the production of a variety of graphics for both indoor and outdoor advertising purposes. However, when it required
All of the sign lighting was created via the use of LEDs, which as well as providing the crisp and even illumination that will last for years, also offers the most energy efficient option too. Purplebone commissioned W&Co to produce new signage and branding for its store on Chelsea’s Kings Road, issuing a brief that included the production of two eye-catching
illuminated signs, which featured Purplebone’s corporate colours, together with the necessary impact to make them stand out from the equally tasteful and striking signage employed by its
signage for its new, larger premises in Chatham, it sought the assistance of W&Co, which used its 3D visualisation drawing service to create a bespoke sign that featured built up rim and return letters, lit with LED face illumination and PressOn’s bright blue and yellow logo.
Once the design was agreed, swatches of coloured acrylic were supplied for client approval and a site survey was conducted to confirm dimensions, final location and electrical outputs. Installation took place last Spring and PressOn now enjoys signage
Purplebone was delighted with the overall effect, which looks equally good by day or by night and successfully promotes both the brand and the Chelsea store 24-hours a day.
that is every bit as vibrant and slick as the output it delivers to its clients!
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news briefing Supplier News
The way to a better business
full inspiration from their surroundings and also to learn more about Roland and the products and services it offers. Roland DG and its partners, including Corel UK, Vivid Laminating, Lightbar, Adventa and Tecna UK, recently hosted a Better Business Experience Day for both existing and potential customers at its Clevedon headquarters. Attendees particularly enjoyed Roland DG’s own RolandCare clinics that offered expertise on machine maintenance and the Roland DG Academy Intermediate Digital Print class, which was run by Joe Wigzell, Roland’s Academy and Creative Centre Manager. Other notable features included James Deacon’s wrapping
demonstrations along with advice sessions hosted by veteran Roland users, such as Pete Colman of Classic Print. Rob Goleniowski, Roland DG’s Sales Support Manager, commented: “We had a fantastic turnout with customers travelling from all over the UK to take advantage of the informative sessions on offer, as well the chance to quiz the many industry experts who were on hand to proffer advice and information.” With so much to do, many of the attendees chose to stay in the creative centre for more than half a day, to take
Roland DG and its partners also held a prize draw for all attendees, with prizes including products from Adventa and Corel, plus a place on a Roland DG Academy Course. The winner of the draw, Trevor of Stick-Fast, was announced the following day on social media. The event proved so worthwhile that Roland DG is planning to host further Better Business Experience Days during the coming year. To view some of the activities that took place on the Better Business Experience Days visit: https:// youtu.be/uM6JiHQMQr0
PPB extends its sign and display portfolio Following the news that it has been appointed as an official UK distributor of PRIPLAK, PPB, formerly known as Proctors, Buchanan Paper & Board and A&R Board, has revealed that it is also further expanding its range of sign and display related materials with the addition of Westland Digital, a brand new wide format media offering. The Westland Digital range includes everything, from three to seven year vinyls, over laminates and banners, to roll up and pop up media, plus a selection of banner and pop up even and systems display encompasses a matched floor graphic system too.
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In order to properly support t h e s e products, has PPB recruited J o a n n e Smeeton and Glenn Crowley, who both previously worked for PaperlinX, as Digital Sales Specialists. In addition, the launch of Westland Digital will be accompanied by a comprehensive range of marketing collateral, together with application
guidelines and hints and tips on installation, while PPB’s in-house conversion and warehouse facilities will provide customers with the choice of bespoke sheeting in line with the requirements of UV flatbed printers. The products can be supplied on a next-day delivery basis. PPB will also be further extending its flexible materials portfolio by offering a range of Ritrama digital media and a selection of Neschen materials, including Easy Dot and Window Grip, thus providing its customers with a wide choice of vinyl options that are designed to suit the broad spectrum of sign and display applications.
Europoint has strong start Established following the demise of PaperlinX in the UK, Europoint has enjoyed a strong first six months of trading, and is now about to embark on the second phase of its development plan. The Europoint business, which was formed when Vink Holdings acquired the assets of Paperlinx’s former Visual Technology Solutions division from the administrator last April, has already seen its Manchester branch move into a new 40,000ft2 site in Trafford Europoint while Park, Northampton has moved into its own similarly sized site at Brackmills. Plans are also well advanced to further support branch’s Scottish the impressive growth. Each Europoint location will stock a comprehensive range of leading branded products for the point of sale, sign, digital and sheet plastic sectors, including Orafol, Avery, Lexan, Foamalux, Dtec, Altuglas, Penta and Skybond, as well as offering in-house conversion facilities, plus a trade counter service. Commenting on the new Moran, Frank structure, Europoint’s Managing Director, said: “Our new set-up is expected to fuel faster growth as we embark on a programme of customer engagement via a number of different advertising and PR activities, while also offering an ever-improving service that is designed to maximise the customer buying experience.
For instant industry news updates visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
news Axyz enjoys Open House success The first of two Open House Axyz by hosted events International recently took place at the company’s newly opened UK and Continental Europe headquarters on the Telford T54 Business Park. In attendance were Alf Zeuner, the President of the parent company in Canada, Axyz UK’s Managing Director Mark Sweeney and Vice President of Market Development Robert Marshall, together with members of the AXYZ International marketing and technical support teams, who welcomed owners and potential owners of the company’s AXYZ, Pacer and Z Series machines, together with members of the trade press.
The event marked the first public showing of the new Trident integrated digital print finishing system and the latest Version 16 of the AXYZ PANELBuilder solution that is widely adopted by sign manufacturers for the processing of sheet composite aluminium materials used extensively in the manufacture of large-format fascia and corporate ID exterior signage. It also enabled customers and members of the industrial and trade press to see the expanded machine assembly, servicing, demonstration/ showroom and distribution facilities at the new premises that collectively contribute to a 100 per cent increase in the production capacity of AXYZ International.
Other key products demonstrated included the twin-carriage AXYZ 8010 router, the size of which enables a huge increase in production by processing multiple versions of the same job simultaneously, as well as benefitting from the radically expanded Automatic Tool Change (ATC) facility
for work requiring multiple tools, which now extends to 33 stations. Other popular machines on display included the Pacer 4008 heavy-duty and the entry-level and lower cost Z Series of machines. These were shown in application mode and featured powerful new or recently introduced machine upgrades.
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news briefing Equipment & Material
Far reaching finishes ASLAN has made some modifications to its opaque, polymeric colour film range PremiumColour ASLAN C 118 Soft, to ensure that the complete range is now REACH compliant. In addition, it has also added two new finishes, thus facilitating the creation of long-term black and white applications.
news Chasing the tail
All of the self-adhesive films in the PremiumColour range feature excellent opacity, are highly adaptable and facilitate quick and easy weedability. They can be successfully used on both smooth and curved surfaces and for applications such as vehicle graphics, together with signs and glass decoration. Free samples are available upon request.
Chameleon colours Spandex has added Orafol’s ORACAL 970 Premium Shift Effect Cast film to its extensive materials portfolio. A multi-layered, high performance cast PVC film, which has been specially developed for complete car wrapping and features a unique shade shifting effect that changes according to the viewing angle, it is also suitable for use on uneven and slightly curved surfaces and is available in both glossy and matt finishes. It offers excellent
dimensional stability, is both respositionable and permanent and is available in 25m and 50m roll lengths.
All that glistens … APA continues its policy of continuous innovation with the addition of a Gold variant to its popular Chrome vinyl series. A very high-quality, vinyl cast film, which is already available in dual glossy and matt versions, it is specifically designed for the decoration of surfaces that are flat, corrugated and shaped and can also be successfully used to add extra decorative gold touches too. Featuring APA’s Over-Lam ChromeSurface (OLCHS) protection, which
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APA has introduced Tail-Light, a new, light grey cast extra clear vinyl for use with a car’s rear tail lights, which can be used to provide an individual and sporty look without affecting the lamp’s visibility. Thanks to its high degree of flexibility, it is easy to apply using the wet method, which ensures easy repositioning until the correct fit is achieved.
enhances its abrasion resistance, the Chrome series also features Air Free FTX System technology, a channelled adhesive that includes microchannels for air ejection, thus ensuring ease of application, together with a perfect end result. The Gold variant, in common with all vinyls in the Chrome series, can be used in conjunction with solvent, eco solvent and UV digital printing technologies to achieve eye-catching personalisation, plus the full gamut of stunning special effects that serve to make any vehicle truly memorable.
For instant industry news updates visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
Sign Directions Nov | 15
news
news briefing Equipment & Material
Providing protection
Diamonds are forever
Leading UK stockist and distributor of sign and graphics and digital printing media solutions, Amari Digital Supplies (ADS) has added three new laminate films to the IMAGin range of products from MACtac. Called CastLAM Matt, CastLAM Gloss and ShieldLAM, they share both common and individual design characteristics and application capabilities. Among the many benefits claimed for the films is the high level of protection (between 90 and 99 per cent, contingent upon specification) that they provide against the damaging effects of UV light. CastLAM Matt is a 30-micron ultra-clear cast PVC film incorporating a permanent high-tack adhesive protected with an easy-to-remove liner. The film can be used for both internal and external applications and has been designed specifically for the protection of large and medium-sized
printed graphics based on super-soft flexible media, such as MACtac’s JT 5529 P/PM/MBF and JT 5629 PM for application to flat, riveted or corrugated surfaces. The film also offers short-term resistance to the effects of chemicals and the ingress of water and has a durability of up to four years. CastLAM Gloss is a 57-micron film with similar design characteristics and application capabilities. It has been developed specifically for the protection of digital UV prints and is compatible also with other standard digital printing processes such as SB, eco-solvent and Latex. The film has a durability of up to four years and, in common with CastLAM Matt, is selfextinguishing in application.
ShieldLAM is a 50-micron ultra-clear gloss PU film designed specifically for the outdoor protection of the MACtac Tuning Films range used in the decoration and personalisation of boats and commercial and private vehicles. The extremely durable film provides an ultra-gloss finish to the tuning films whilst imparting a high level of protection against impact and abrasion when compared with standard PVC films. The film also conforms well to flat and slightly curved surfaces and, dependent on the geographical zone, will offer a durability of between four to eight years. All of the films can be rolled up for easy transportation.
A cornucopia of colour Smoldering Red and Battleship Grey in Satin, Gloss Ember Black and Matte Riviera Blue in a choice of finishes that also includes metallic, carbon fibre and brushed 3M has added eight bold new colours to the popular 3M Car Wrap Film Series 1080, bringing the total number of solid colours now available to 81 and providing even more design options for long-term vehicle detailing, decoration and full vehicle wraps. The eight new colours include
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metal-effect. The ultra-removable and pressureactivated dual cast 3M Controltac Graphic Film with Comply Adhesive Technology incorporates microscopic glass beads that lie on the surface of the adhesive, enabling the film to be repositioned on the substrate until perfect registration is achieved and providing an instant
bond. The technology also features non-visible air-release channels that ensure a smooth and bubble-free application. The 90-micron film provides excellent opacity to hide highcontrast surfaces. It is supplied in 1.52 metre-wide rolls that will enable applicators to quickly cover an entire vehicle without joins or seams. The entire 3M Car Wrap Film Series 1080 range, including the latest distinctive colours, is available from 3M primary distributors William Smith and Spandex.
Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions has launched its all new Supreme Wrapping Film Diamond line, which features the incorporation of a brilliant shine and glimmer into five new ultra metallic car wrap colours that include Diamond Blue, Diamond Red, Diamond Amber, Diamond White and a Diamond Purple limited edition. The new Diamond car wrap films feature the superior performance and easy installation characteristics of all Supreme Wrapping Films, with a combination of a cast colour film and a protective layer facilitating single material application. In addition, Avery’s Easy Apply RS air egress technology enables Supreme Wrapping Films to be repositioned and applied bubble-free while the adhesive is long-term removable. Supreme Wrapping Films come in a broad range of colours and finishes so that signmakers can choose the right combination for each application or customer request. Further information, together with product data sheets can be obtained direct from Avery Dennison.
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award winner
In the year that it marks its 30th anniversary, Sign of the Times, the Ketteringbased sign specialist, has much else to celebrate too. Val Hirst reports Darren Roughton, founder, owner and Managing Director of Sign of the Times, plans to round off 2015 with a great big birthday party when he turns 50 this December – that is, of course, if he can spare the time. Darren Roughton, founder, owner and Managing Director of Sign of the Times, plans to round off 2015 with a great big birthday party when he turns 50 this December – that is, of course, if he can spare the time. During the last 12 months, Sign of the Times has worked at locations as far apart as New York and Jerusalem and has been instrumental in the production of some of the industry’s most artistically challenging projects, while also servicing the slightly more pedestrian, but no less exacting requirements of its large posse of regular clients. And if all of this wasn’t enough, just a few weeks ago, for the second consecutive year, the company scooped the coveted ‘Sign of the Year’ award at the BSGA British Sign Awards in respect of ‘Timeless’, the astonishing project that graces this month’s front cover.
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However, while some people might be content to bask in the warming glow of another year successfully completed, Darren is already feverishly planning how the company’s 2015 triumphs can best be used to further propel the growth of the business he first started 30 years ago, while at the same time, planning how best to bring two high profile projects to fruition this side of Christmas. Originally trained as a signwriter, Darren reveals that he had always dreamt of pursuing a career path that would enable him to hone his artistic talents and the sign industry provided him with the opportunity to do just that, whilst
also enabling him to use his more practically-based skill-set too. He explains: “I’ve always been fascinated by the way things work and enjoy nothing more than taking them to pieces and putting them back together again,” a fascination that has doubtless helped him immeasurably when collaborating on projects such as ‘Timeless’ and the equally arresting feature wall for Heinz that helped Sign of the Times to secure the 2015 ‘Sign of the Year’ accolade. The result of its latest collaboration with Acrylicize, the London-based design studio extraordinaire, which specialises in the creation of art and interior installations for commercial and residential spaces, ‘Timeless’ is a stunning timepiece, which in place of a traditional clock face, uses a series of colour changing letters to spell out the time in several different areas around the world. Suspended in the six-storey atrium of London’s St. Georges House, it represents the perfect fusion of a brilliant idea, with excellent manufacturing and engineering processes, modern lighting techniques and impressive installation skills and, according to Darren, also provided Sign of the Times with one of its most challenging assignments to date. He remembers: “When we had finished the installation, it didn’t look quite right – the letters just weren’t hanging a 100 percent properly, although they were perfectly safe. It had already been one hell of a job, but to my mind there was no alternative but to take everything down, sort out what was wrong and start again!” As it turned out, the ceiling soffits from which the giant letters were suspended were slightly out of true, but once the appropriate remedial action had been taken, everything was carefully reinstalled. “And then,” Darren continues: “suddenly the lights went out!” For several heart stopping minutes it seemed that there might now be a problem with the project’s vast spaghetti of wiring, but fortunately, the temporary blackout was due to a computer programming glitch that was quickly rectified and the installation was thus successfully
completed. Something of a perfectionist himself, Darren enjoys working with agencies, such as Acrylicize, with which Signs of the Times has a built a long term and entirely fruitful relationship, as they not only offer the most original and exciting projects, but also encourage the delivery of the highest possible standards of creativity, construction and presentation. However, Darren is quick to point out that whilst he relishes the challenges that such projects always provide, Sign of the Times is every bit as committed to clients that require more traditionally sign-based work. He observes: “One of the joys of working with designers is that in order to satisfy the demands of their original concepts, we have to carefully consider our choice of materials. To this end, we have discovered the efficacy of a much wider range of substrates, which are often more cost effective and easier to work with, while also offering both the high level of finish and durability required. What’s more, it has also taught us to experiment more and to trial different print and production methods, all of which helps us to further enhance the work we do for all of our clients.” He goes on to reflect: “It’s good to have a mixture of jobs, such as that which we undertake for Nationwide and other long-standing clients of similar ilk, and include everything from the production of straightforward corporate signing and wayfinding schemes, to point of sale and displays, to office décor and vehicle liveries.” Certainly a quick glance through some of the company’s recently completed assignments shows a rich variety of work, including the amazing decorative effects it has created for the corporate
headquarters of two companies that are household names, (which alas, we can’t show!), together with the slick internal and external signing and decorative schemes it has crafted for retailers DOMUS and Nine West and the intriguing ‘book worm’ that has provided such a talking point for visitors to Paternoster House in London. Another notable project is the commission that took Sign of the Times to New York, which has involved it in the provision of a suitably hip and industrial looking signing and decorative scheme for ‘Rise’, Barclay’s newly conceived ‘coworking space’ global initiative. Most of Sign of the Times’ work comes either by way of repeat business or via word of mouth and Darren reports that following last year’s sign award success, it received a flurry of enquiries from new customers. He says: “I think the award brought us to the attention of a lot of businesses that wouldn’t necessarily have considered us before as it provided us with a fantastic showcase for our work and also further underlined our credibility.” Darren is hoping that the same thing will happen again this time around and when it does, Sign of the Times is more than ready to capitalise on it. Following the recent acquisition of a Zund G3 cutting table, which was purchased to complement an equipment portfolio that already included EFI VUTEk, Arizona and HP Latex printers, plus Tekcel and Sabre CNC equipment, Darren is now ready to ramp things up a gear or two. His next endeavour is to recruit more staff in addition to the 32 people that he currently employs.
He observes that with the volume of work generally increasing throughout the industry, in line with a more robust economy, it’s time for Sign of the Times to make itself known to a wider number of key decision makers. He says: “More work means that we will have to become even more efficient. We’ve recently taken on two apprentices who will learn the job from the bottom up and already appoint project managers to look after specific commissions, but they now need some extra assistance and, just as importantly, we also need to take a more structured approach to our sales effort too.” During the past few months the company has revamped both its showroom and its website to provide a more realistic representation of the scope and breadth of its operations and has also provided its fleet of eight vehicles with a smart new livery that will help to spread news of its prowess further afield. From what I’ve seen so far, Sign of the Times already has a whole selection of likely contenders for next year’s sign awards, but Darren is at pains to point out that all of the company’s output represents a culmination of his team’s collective effort. He says: “We have a super group of people working here and my main aim now is to ensure that I keep the work coming in so that they’ll be able to continue to produce signs and graphics that are worthy of their abilities.” Judging on past performance, I don't think that Darren has anything to worry about! For further information visit: www.signofthetimes.co.uk .
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going in
Going for growth
Moving from paid employment to the world of the self-employed can be a daunting prospect, but for Glenn Wrigley it has also meant the realisation of his ambition to move from the city to the Cornish coast. Now, seven years after his life changing decision to re-locate and establish his own print company, Print2-Media, Glenn is reaping the rewards of his entrepreneurship with the help of a DYSS X7-1624C digital cutting machine from AG/CAD.
Glenn relocated to Liskeard near Plymouth and started his business with the aid of a single Roland XC540 printer and just one customer, but by using both his extensive industry experience and the contact list he had compiled, the business soon began to blossom. Initially specialising in the production of outdoor signage for agricultural events in the South West, Print-2-Media soon progressed to the provision of signs and graphics for the shows’ exhibitors too and, in order to keep pace with its growing workload, it gradually acquired a series of Fuji, Roland and HP large format printers with a maximum print width of 1.5m by 3m and four employees. Glenn remembered: "The business grew organically, with the diversity of our printer line-up enabling us to print onto all types of media and to produce everything from stickers and posters, through to point of sale materials and
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shop signage. However, since our location was restricting our growth ambitions I decided to employ a web designer and, as a result, over 60 percent of our business is now conducted on-line, via our website, something that has been transformative. Nowadays, only 20 percent of our work is locally sourced with the remaining 80 percent being placed by trade customers and resellers nationwide.” Since the company’s workload includes the production of Foamex, Dibond and acrylic signage, it wasn’t long before it needed a more robust cutting solution than that provided by its vinyl cutting machine and accordingly, Glenn reviewed the various CNC cutting options on offer, before settling on a DYSS X7-1642C with K-Cut vision system and KASEMAKE software, which he purchased from AG/CAD last February.
The results have been astonishing, with the machine’s arrival immediately eliminating the company’s subcontracting costs, while also reducing lead-times and improving product quality. Glenn continued: "Previously, we were unable to cut precision shapes or forms and couldn't cut Dibond or acrylic at all, but now we are able to produce mobile Dibond photo booths, something that would have previously been impossible. Similarly, the stickers that we produce in
batches of 50 to 300, several times per week, which used to take five hours to cut by hand, are now completed on the DYSS in a mere 20 minutes, representing a time-saving of more than 15 hours.” As Print-2-Media wanted to cut everything from Dibond and acrylic, through to corrugated cardboard, AG/CAD suggested it made use of the three tool station 'Super Head' that accommodates routing, knife, creasing and kiss cut tools, which are selected automatically without the need for manual intervention. This enables the router to create 'location holes' for the K-Cut Vision system if required, while the knife and creasing tools can be used to produce corrugated boxes. The K-Cut registration system will pick up any pre-defined point and orientate the work according to the datum points, thus ensuring that every job is 100 percent accurate and free from operator error. Whilst Glenn agreed that the K-Cut Vision software and Super-Head tooling station were primary factors in the DYSS machine’s favour, he was equally impressed by the machine’s build quality and the KASEMAKE CAD software suite. He observed: "The KASEMAKE software was another defining USP. It is developed in-house by AG/CAD and was fine tuned to meet our precise requirements, which included the design and production of our own packaging materials, something that enables us to both reduce costs and storage space. Furthermore, we can ensure that every
box is the correct size for the end product and that we present our work in the best and most professional way possible.” Print-2-Media has also been making excellent use of the in3D environment modelling software feature within KASEMAKE, which has enabled it to produce virtual exhibition stands for customers to approve. Glenn commented: “When customers can see either photo-realistic images or a walk-thru’ video of a stand concept they have a much clearer idea of how the finished job will look. As well as helping at proofing stage, this facility has actually also provided us with a great sales tool that has helped us to win new business. However, the best advantage of all is the fact that Glenn estimates that since it acquired the DYSS, Print-2-Media has increased its monthly turnover by a staggering £3,000-£5,000! He concluded: "The DYSS was a big but necessary investment, which has helped us to expand both our customer base and the type of work we do - since its installation our business has grown by 20 percent which will help to ensure that the machine has a payback period of less than two years. Right from the start, AG/CAD was very sensitive to our needs, and the excellent levels of service and support we have received, combined with the features of the DYSS, means that we wouldn't look anywhere else if we need another machine in the future." .
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cutting, routing and engraving
Advanced PANELBuilder system available AXYZ International has launched Version 16 of its highly innovative and widely specified AXYZ PANELBuilder panel processing system. Combining a specially configured CNC router and industry-specific software, it is said to demonstrate a shift in emphasis towards better integration with other production solutions and improved management information and reporting. The system is a preferred solution for the processing of largeformat aluminium composite sheets (ACM) such as the Dibond, Alubond and Reynobond used extensively in the manufacture of fascia signage and for building cladding to which signs are a common additional architectural feature. Version 16 brings a host of new production tools that will further enhance the capabilities of PANELBuilder and make it much easier to use. In addition to providing
support for the new PANELPrinter machine accessory, key improvements include a radically upgraded user interface and a new nesting algorithm that facilitates greater utilisation of the material being processed. These enhancements are supplemented with a new program simulation mode that enables detailed investigation of the cutting sequence as well as a quick and fluent overview of how the sheet will be processed, together with a multipanel DXF Import facility that allows more efficient data capture from other CAD systems. Version 16 is also fully compatible with the latest Windows 10 software. These improved features complement and lend further support to existing production tool enhancements. Typically, these include a triple Z tooling arrangement, complete with three five horsepower router spindles, an automatic tool mister/coolant
Axyz offers trade-in deal
For a limited time, AXYZ International is offering current owners of Pacer routers the opportunity to benefit from a huge cash discount of up to £7,500 when they trade their old Pacer router against a brand new AXYZ or Pacer machine. In addition to this enticing cash discount, customers will now have access to a host of new or recently introduced production tool enhancements, which include a radically expanded Automatic Tool Change (ATC) facility for work requiring multiple tools and the new
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device for ma c h i n i n g aluminium plate, pop-up location pins for optimum material alignment and a powerful vacuum hold-down system to firmly secure material during the machining process. Waste generated is safely removed via a chip-extraction system complete with an automatic vacuum extraction manifold. The AXYZ PANELBuilder system is supported with an extensive range of specially designed cutting tools and accessories. These include tools to process materials in a thickness of between three and six millimetres and those that will provide the required fold angle and bend radius. The system is backed with full on-site training and on-going technical support from the AXYZ International team of specialist engineers.
AXYZ Auto Zone Management system that ensures the material being processed is always held securely throughout the routing/cutting process. These are further supplemented with the latest A2MC machine control system that greatly reduces ‘bounce’ and vibration caused by the sudden acceleration and/or deceleration often found with other similarly positioned machine control systems and the integrated AXYZ Vision System (AVS) that greatly improves routing/cutting accuracy as well as being fully compatible
with all of the cutting tools used on AXYZ International machines. In addition, the latest helical rack and pinion drive system enables a more even distribution of the workload due to the multiple gear teeth configuration employed, leading to higher throughput rates, quieter machine operation, reduced material wastage and ultimately a longer machine life.
Essential reading for router users In order to help simplify cutter selection and enable router owners get more from their systems, Complete CNC Solutions, which offers one of the largest and most versatile cutter ranges available, has now published a comprehensive new catalogue and cutter guide. Complete CNC Solutions offers a cutter selection that is specifically developed for use with popular signmaking materials to deliver exceptionally durable output that needs little or no further finishing, together with a range of affordable matched collets that provide secure tool holding, plus the benchmark setting concentricity that is required to get the best from each and every cutter. New users of the company’s cutters and collets will also be pleased to discover that it is quick and easy to open an account and that cutters and collets can be supplied in large or small volumes, on a next day delivery basis.
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digital news
Mimaki launches UJF-7151plus Mimaki is maintaining its commitment to the development of solutions that deliver high quality, cost-effective print solutions, with the launch of the brand new, directto-object UJF-7151plus industrial small format LED UV Inkjet flatbed printer. Ensuring high quality printing and toplevel productivity with ultra-accurate ink droplet placement, the UJF-7151plus has a maximum printable size of 710 x 510mm. An on-demand, industrial, small format printing solution, it improves accuracy, consistency and reliability by modifying the mechanical structure of the print table. Fine lines, edges and small text is displayed crystal clear and the solution also enables double-layer printing and colour printing on a white base layer. Daily operation is enhanced by the
patented MFD1 dithering technology, which processes image data, while also retaining original image quality and the highly improved quality control MAPS4 reduces banding and uneven colour printing. Uninterrupted printing and reduced waste is aided by new printheads that incorporate a continuous ink circulation system to help prevent ink sedimentation and clogged nozzles, along with a nozzle check unit (NCU) that automatically detects and cleans the clogged nozzles. Key features of the UJF-7151plus include a mechanical structure for high-precision printing and superior print-image quality control technology and Mimaki’s Advanced Pass System 4 (MAPS4) that reduces banding and uneven colour printing with blurred boundaries, plus the Mimaki Fine Diffusion 1 (MFD1)
Roland opens online Profile Center
reduces noise due to dithering through hybrid processing of patterns. The machine’s high print speed is delivered via six staggered printheads to achieve top-level productivity and uninterrupted workflow as a result of high-stability printing through an inkcirculating mechanism within the head, which is aided by the use of two proprietary technologies - NCU that automatically detects and recovers clogged nuzzles by cleaning them, thus reducing waste and the NRS reliable operating support package that ensures maximum uptime.
Outstanding productivity, low running costs Roland DG Corporation has launched its premier high volume printer, the SOLJET EJ-640 wideformat inkjet printer. With dual staggered printheads, an integrated tri-heater system, strong industrial design and high-capacity onelitre ink cartridges available in four or seven colour configurations, the EJ-640 is built for optimum performance in a high volume production environment. In a mirrored CMYK ink configuration, it can achieve speeds of up to 102m2/h and, when used in conjunction with specifically designed EJ INK, it has
substantially lower operating costs when producing high-volume and long-run print jobs.
In addition, the powerful tri-heater dries ink quickly to enable immediate take up and storage if required.
The EJ-640 is accompanied by Roland VersaWorks Dual RIP software that offers customers the ability to process both PDF and PostScript files natively, including files with transparencies.
In four-colour CMYK mode, up to two litres of ink can be loaded for each colour for optimum efficiency and when used in combination with the Roland Ink Switching System, continuous printing is possible without any worry of ink running out. Unattended operation is further facilitated by Roland OnSupport, which sends email to a smart phone, tablet or computer to notify the machine operator when a job is finished or ink is running low.
With a particular focus on high-volume businesses, the specifically designed high strength media shaft holds heavy media rolls securely, while a newly developed Feed Adjuster ensures the smooth progression of media through the printer and onto the take-up system.
In addition to dual CMYK, a seven-colour ink configuration, comprising CMYK plus Light Cyan (Lc), Light Magenta (Lm), and Light Black (Lk) is available to enable perfect reproduction of colour photographs, corporate colours and brand logos.
Roland DG has launched a new and exciting Roland Profile Center, a free online service that makes it easy for customers to immediately access media profiles for Roland eco-solvent printers and printer/cutters. Following the successful launch of the Roland Profile Center in the Americas region, customers in Europe can now register and enjoy the benefits of this highly useful on-demand service, which is available in six languages. Initially customers will be able to download profiles for ECO-SOL MAX 3, Roland’s newly launched eco-solvent ink, but in the future, the service will extend to include profiles across the full range of Roland DG inks, media manufacturers and RIP software producers. The Profile Center also offers a clever convertor tool that enables customers to transform their existing ECO-SOL MAX and ECO-SOL MAX 2 profiles to those that will work optimally with ECO-SOL MAX 3 ink. Finding, downloading, importing or converting a profile using the Roland Profile Center only takes a few clicks of the mouse and a comprehensive support section safely guides customers through the process. Customers with any further questions should contact their dealer or local Roland DG office To access the Roland Profile Center visit: www.rolandprofilecenter. eu
For instant Digital News Updates visit: www.signdirectionsonline.co.uk
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digital news
Get the best for less Hybrid Services, Mimaki’s exclusive UK and Ireland distributor has launched an attractive price promotion on key product lines to run throughout the autumn and into the festive season. This will enable sign and print companies to enjoy big savings with
they purchase a machine from the Mimaki CJV150 range of printer/cutters. For example, the most popular 1.3m model, the CJV150-130 is now available for just £9,995 plus VAT, while the Mimaki UJF range of A3 and A2 flatbed LED UV printers will be up to £3,000 less expensive, when they A3 UJF-3042FX retailing at only £14,995 plus VAT.
Available through Hybrid's network of authorised resellers, both product ranges enjoy discounts of up to £3,000 depending on the specific model, with offers available until 24th December 2015.
Hybrid to distribute the MTEX Blue MTEX Solutions, the Portuguese manufacturer of digital textile printers, has announced the appointment of Hybrid Services as sole distributor for the new MTEX Blue dye-sublimation printer in the UK and Ireland. The MTEX Blue with disperse inks for dyesublimation was launched earlier this year and, in common with all MTEX digital textile printers, features in-built heat fixation, thus ensuring that printing and heat fixing is completed in one smooth process, eliminating the need for a separate calendar. As an all-in-one solution, the machine will print and finish at a speed of 55sqm/hour and will retail in the UK at £44,950 plus VAT. Explaining this move, Eloi Ferreira, CEO of MTEX Solutions reported: “Hybrid is the UK home of Mimaki, and since we are very proud of our world OEM agreement with Mimaki Japan, it made perfect sense to
appoint Hybrid, with its network of professional resellers to help grow the MTEX installation base in the sign and display, home furnishing and apparel markets.” With a growing demand for digital textile printing, the MTEX Blue offers excellent quality at fast speeds to deliver punchy, vibrant colours and in-line fixation. A direct-to-textile polyester fabric printer that features four CMYK Panasonic heads with variable drop and adjustable head height in order to accommodate different types and thicknesses of fabric, it prints at up to 1080dpi, making it the ideal choice for the production of flags, front-lit and back-lit displays, event and exhibition graphics and all soft signage applications, as well as interior soft furnishings and fireretardant polyester fabrics. Phil Thomas, Director at Hybrid Services commented: “We’re very pleased to be
From left to right: Hybrid’s National Sales Manager – Textile & Apparel, Stephen Woodall and Service Engineers Mike Parker and Gabriello Gambale with the MTEX Blue printer.
able to offer the MTEX Blue printer through our specialist textile resellers. With award-winning Mimaki technology at the heart of the system, it represents a perfect solution for companies looking for turnkey textile production.” He added: “It also benefits from Mimaki’s latest, state-of-the-art print engine
technology, which enables the head to be set at a greater height to cope with the varied nature of direct to textile printing. Further, we are perfectly placed to help companies get the most from the machine, thanks to our decades of wide format textile printing experience and substantial support and backup operation.”
Meet Textilewoman FESPA Textile, formerly known as FESPA Fabric, will open its doors alongside FESPA Digital 2016, at the RAI Amsterdam on 8th11th March 2016. Occupying a dedicated hall of 7,342 m2, with textile equipment and applications also on display throughout many wider areas of the FESPA Digital show, visitors will have every opportunity to
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investigate the most appropriate digital textile solutions for their business. As the recent FESPA Print Census revealed, textile is one of the fastest growing areas of digital print globally, with 81 percent of respondents viewing it as key for their business, with textile printing for garments, décor and soft signage all tipped to be huge growth areas. FESPA Textile 2016 will feature exhibits from suppliers offering equipment,
consumables, substrates and apparel solutions and visitors will be guided around the show by the icon of Textilewoman, one of a line-up of FESPA Digital superheroes. She will help printers locate new opportunities in soft signage, apparel printing (including garment print and decoration and embroidery) and interior décor. The FESPA Digital Textile Conference is also scheduled to take place on Tuesday 8th March, alongside the exhibition, thus making it easy for
visitors to combine attendance with their time at the show. It will feature a full day of interesting sessions, which are designed to help visitors to diversify into this potentially lucrative field.
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my way
Worthwhile Investments Companies explain why they chose the equipment they use T-shirt printing company SixTeeSix has invested in an Epson SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-garment printer to help it further expand its on demand T-shirt printing service, leading to a significant increase in both productivity and profits. Hampshire-based SixTeeSix has offered bespoke garment design and printing services since 1999, with owner Mark Rhone originally running the online business from home. However, last January, Mark decided to move into retail premises to provide the company with a more visible presence and his customers with a more personalised experience and the acquisition of the SC-FC2000 seemed the next logical step. Mark observed: “I had been looking at direct-to-garment printing for around three years and could see the benefits for both my customers and my business. I evaluated several printers during that time and decided on the Epson machine partly because of Epson’s good reputation for quality and reliability, but also because I know that the whole system – from chassis to printhead to ink - is entirely designed and built by Epson.” The Epson SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-garment printer combines high performance with low maintenance and running costs and enables small-to-medium businesses such as SixTeeSix to offer a high quality T-shirt design and print service that is fast and cost-effective. It is supplied complete with Epson’s Garment Creator software, which facilitates the production of highly customised designs on a range of items, including T-shirts, caps and bags up to 25mm thick. It also includes a cost calculation function
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H e
that enables the accurate costing of each print job. Featuring Epson’s durable new TFP printhead, the SureColor SC-F2000 uses Epson’s UltraChrome DG inks to deliver a resolution of 1440 x 1440 dpi for accurate dot shape and placement and its wide colour gamut produces vibrant colours, sharp contours and smooth gradations. A single white T-shirt can be printed in 27 seconds when using dual colour mode, and a dark coloured T-shirt in less than two minutes, when using white ink as a base colour. The machine was supplied and installed by Epson reseller Adelco last March and is now used in conjunction with a Schulze PreTreatment machine, Graphtec CE6000-40 cutting plotter and two Stahls heat presses. Mark reported: “Adelco was really helpful before, during and following the sale and installation and the printer was very straightforward to install and set up and couldn’t be easier to use.” Describing himself as ‘delighted’ with the SC-FC200, Mark has printed over 6,000 garments since its installation.
enthused: “I’ve experienced absolutely no problems and can happily print one-offs or multiple orders and, in fact, have recently fulfilled an order for 100 hoodies for local school leavers and the quality was outstanding. My retail customers like it too as they can bring in their own design or photo and have their T-shirt printed while-they-wait.” Mark also uses the printer to print his own branded cotton tote bags, which he uses instead of carrier bags as they are re-useable and more ecofriendly than plastic bags, while also providing him with the added benefit of free advertising for his business. He is keen to offer his customers a memorable retail experience and
plans to host ‘Print Parties’ so that his customers have the opportunity to create their own eye-catching designs. Mark concluded “The SureColor SC-F2000 has enabled me to expand my business in a number of very creative ways – without it I wouldn’t have the business I have today.”
Johnsons Printers of Nantwich has complemented its litho and digital printing services with an all-new wide-format division equipped with an Anapurna M2500i high-speed hybrid inkjet printer, Acorta flatbed cutter and Asanti workflow solution. Established in 1827, Johnsons Printers has never been slow to adopt new technology, which it uses to provide its customers with a comprehensive range of services, ranging from graphic design, through to litho and digital printing and direct mail. The team of 35, managed by John McMillan, has built a reputation for producing high quality print for design agencies and many wellknown national brands, an increasing number of which expect a complete all-round print service. In the past, this necessitated the outsourcing of wide-format display material, but image quality and colour matching was a recurring problem. John McMillan, M a n a g i n g Director of Johnsons Printers explained: “The ability to print consistently accurate colour is crucially important when replicating
Established 20 years ago, the Appleton-based printed tablecloth specialist Harberson has grown from being a simple supplier into one that now offers the bespoke dyesublimation printing of tablecloths and linen for the exhibition sector. Harberson began when Eric Hargreaves set up Chemi-Clean, a company dedicated to supplying bed linen to the health and care sector, along with a laundering service. Since then, the company has responded to customers’ demand for branded linens and now provides a dynamic and creative printing service, whilst also retaining its original passion for linens. Eric has retired, but the business is still directed by his daughters, Lisa Webber and Caroline
to 115m²/h as well as imaging two 1.2 x1.5m boards side-by-side, while the 2.5m wide roll-to-roll printing offers even great versatility, but the missing element was colour management. Happily, we already knew the advantages that Agfa’s Apogee workflow offers, so the Asanti software was a priority, as was the Acorta cutting station. Together they combine to provide a complete wide format digital printing package, which means we just have one number to call if ever we need assistance.” our customers’ brand identities. Fortunately, we are able to reproduce this whether a job is printed by litho or digital processes, but the challenge was to provide the same quality of service when producing wide-format display material too.” With the intention of investing in a true flatbed printer, the company examined a wide range of options from different manufacturers, but was immediately impressed with the Anapurna M2500i when it visited Agfa’s headquarters earlier this year. A high-speed, hybrid UV-curable inkjet system, that offers six-colour printing, plus a printing width of 2.5 metres, it is the ideal choice for sign shops, digital print companies, photo labs and mid-sized graphic screen
printers producing high quality, outdoor and indoor graphics on a wide range of rigid and roll-to-roll media. Thanks to a re-engineered belt drive and shuttle beam, the Anapurna M2500i delivers a highly accurate dot positioning and excellent image quality that is further enhanced by the three-pass mode with gradient functionality. In addition, the white ink function facilitates printing onto transparent material for backlit applications or for printing white as a spot colour. An automatic board feeder further increases its productivity John McMillan continued: “The quality was superior to anything else we had seen and it can also print up
In the short time since the equipment was installed, Johnsons Printers has received encouraging feedback from numerous customers and the four staff members employed in its wide-format division have been kept busy from day one. In fact, the investment has had a very positive impact on the overall business. John concluded: “We’ve used Agfa prepress equipment for many years and thus knew we could rely on its service and support. Setting up this wide-format display division has meant a considerable investment and I can honestly say that Agfa has provided first class support every inch of the way, together with a first rate machine!
Richardson and son-in-law, Karl Richardson, who acts as print manager. Karl explained: “In 2010 we became a limited company and wanted a new name that reflected all of the changes that were being made and chose the name ‘Harberson’ because it is a combination of the directors’ surnames - Hargreaves, Webber and Richardson.” Having moved into new larger premises, Haberson also purchased a Mimaki TS34-1800A wide format dye-sublimation printer after seeing it in action at Sign & Digital UK and deciding that its 1.8 metre width made it the ideal machine for printing on to tablecloths.
Karl continued: “We received great advice from specialist reseller RA Smart, who supplied both the TS34 and a Transmatic heat press and we have achieved great results on both, in terms of the print quality and productivity.” Magnus Mighall, Managing Director of
RA Smart, said: “Mimaki’s TS34-1800A is a competitively priced solution that is offered at a popular width and has powerful production capabilities and, because it also uses aqueous ink to print on to polyester fabrics, it also provides a more environmentally friendly printing solution, which is perfect for Haberson’s table cloths!”
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wayfinding
The complete package
Birmingham’s recently completed Grand Central project, which forms part of the £600 million redevelopment programme for Birmingham’s New Street Station, provided design consultancy FRA with just the type of job that it most relishes. Val Hirst reports. navigate their way safely and efficiently. But whilst some companies might struggle to master all of these inherent complexities, there is nothing that Shrewsbury-based design consultancy FRA, enjoys more than providing inspired wayfinding solutions for a range of clients that span the retail, leisure, education and public sectors.
Whilst all wayfinding schemes offer their own unique challenges they also share a range of common issues too. The trick is to provide signage that is sufficiently sympathetic to the environment and architecture that it graces, whilst still remaining easily visible and dispensing just the right amount of regularly repeated information to ensure that users can
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First established by principal Fran Raybould, an interior designer by training, who has also gained valuable experience in many different design disciplines during her 30-year career, FRA now specialises in wayfinding, signage and placemaking and, as well as offering clients workable design solutions, it is also able to provide a full service offering, which can include everything from the initial design right through to the project management and monitoring of manufacture and installation.
Since its inception in 2009 the company has grown significantly with Fran now heading a five-strong team as Creative Director, and her husband Nick serving as Graphic Design Director. Jamie Trippier, who had previously consulted with Fran many times during the 11 years he spent working as a Director for some of the sign industry’s prominent players, joined FRA two years ago as its Managing Director, in a role where he has responsibility for technical specifications, project management and commercial operations. His wife Rachel is the Marketing Director and also looks after business development and PR and the team was further bolstered last April, following the appointment of Imogen Smith, who, since joining the company as a graduate designer, has become a key member of the team. Fran acknowledges that wayfinding can
be a complex discipline, especially now when traditional static signage is often complemented with the use of touchscreens, digital signage networks and animated advertising, but offers the view that the best outcome is achieved when all of these elements are properly considered at the outset and imaginatively used in tandem to deliver the most effective outcome. In fact, she fervently recommends that nowadays, a wayfinding scheme should be complemented with a responsive website to achieve a holistic communication strategy. She explains: “Nowadays, whenever we plan to go anywhere, our natural inclination is to use the internet to check such vital details as opening times and the provision of parking and other facilities, and, because all of this information can now be easily accessed via smart phones and tablets, even
natural environment. However, in each case, the brand design style first established on the project’s ’website, together with the brand commercialision will be replicated throughout all of the different forms of signage so that they will all be recognisably part of the same family to provide a cohesive whole.”
whilst on the move, a website actually provides a brilliant starting point and encourages all of the parties involved to consider exactly what they need from their wayfinding scheme.” By way of illustration, Fran provides me with a whistle-stop tour of some of FRA’s recently completed projects, together with many of those that are still underway. For example, FRA is currently working on a scheme for Rushden Lakes, an ambitious development that will eventually combine a retail park with a cinema and restaurant complex, together with a series of lakeside activities and woodland walks in the surrounding Northamptonshire SSSI (site of special scientific interest) Fran elaborates: “The aim at Rushden Lakes is to provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a full days’ entertainment, where they can shop, eat, walk, cycle and/or catch a movie. The website wlll initially present all of these attractions, which will be gradually reinforced by the site signage. Of course, the sign package will also have to include a strong directional element, but the signs all have to be aesthetically appealing too and reflect the primary purpose of each of the different areas. For instance, the signs in the retail park will need to be bold, dynamic and ‘on brand’ in order to complement all of the shop signage around them, whereas the signs that direct visitors around the nature trails will require a much more sensitive treatment, in keeping with the
With refreshing candour, Fran agrees that achieving this degree of synchronicity can sometimes prove to be a monumental task, but adds that there is no more satisfying moment than when it all comes together. She says: “One of the biggest challenges is trying to meet the requirements of all of the various stakeholders, especially in large developments, where everyone wants their name and logo to appear on as much of the signage as possible. Sometimes though, we have to be very firm indeed and point out that if the signs become too over-embellished, the directional or informational element will be lost, as all visitors will see is a confusing blur of text and colour. Happily, once we point this out most companies realise that if the signage doesn’t work on a practical level then it’s to the overall detriment of the complex as a whole.” Jamie Trippier adds that in addition to all of the above, the final scheme also has to be designed to accommodate the special needs of less able visitors, plus any future variations. He observes “Visitors have to be able to trust the information that’s given and so we have to ensure that all of the signs can be refreshed whenever necessary, in line with changing tenancies or the addition of new facilities, and that this can be done in the most cost effective way possible and with the minimum of disruption.” Musing on the fact that increasingly, a wayfinding package can also be creatively used to alert visitors to other places of interest within any given
locality, Fran references another scheme that FRA has recently worked on, namely Telford’s Southwater, a pedestrianised leisure and convention quarter, which includes a new hotel, bars, restaurants, cinema, shops and a large urban lake, all of which blend seamlessly with the town’s existing shopping centre, town park and the International Centre, a conference and exhibition complex.
As illustrated here, it stands as testament to FRA’s expertise, but although it often provides precisely this high-level consultancy service, Fran and Jamie, perfectionists both, feel that the company delivers its best work when it can also oversee the complete manufacturing and installation process and thus guarantee the highest level of quality throughout.
She reports: “This case and others like it, could provide an excellent blueprint for other local authorities who are perhaps working with limited budgets but who also want to secure a greater degree of prosperity for everyone working and living within their area. In Telford, both the developer and the local Council are very keen to encourage the attendees of events held at the International Centre to extend their stay in the town so that they can fully appreciate all of the delights it has to offer, such as its proximity to neighbouring Ironbridge, which has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site. Thus, the wayfinding scheme is designed to highlight this as well as other local events and attractions.”
Jamie says: “We use a regular pool of tried and trusted contractors and supervise every aspect of the process so that we can ensure that what appears on the original visuals is fully realised down to the last tiny detail.”
FRA’s most recently completed wayfinding project, and one that ably demonstrates its holistic approach, is Grand Central Birmingham, a high profile retail centre, which is anchored by the biggest John Lewis department store outside of London, and forms part of the £600 million investment in the redevelopment of Birmingham’s New Street Station. Fran says: “We used a combination of static signs, digital ‘centre voice’ screens and touch screens, together with web and mobile methods of delivery, to drive footfall to Grand Central while also providing a portal to showcase all that Birmingham has to offer.”
Both agree though, that if the company continues to expand its project portfolio at its current meteoric rate - business has quadrupled over the past two years – it will urgently need to recruit more staff. Currently it is seeking both brand savvy designers with previous web and/or wayfinding experience and people with experience of sign design and manufacture who want an opportunity to further enhance their project management skills. The rewards on offer will include working in FRA’s bright and airy offices in the centre of historic Shrewsbury and the chance to relocate to the beautiful and comparatively affordable Shropshire countryside. More importantly, new recruits will also have the opportunity to join a young and extremely enthusiastic team that is determined to demonstrate, through example, that wayfinding is really the most diverse and dynamic of all of the signmaking disciplines. Don’t all apply at once! For further information www.franraybould.com
visit:
Sign Directions Nov | 43
wayfinding
Taking Wayfinding way further sites. Each involved a precision survey and reference to a supplied design and additionally all of the walls needed to be prepared ahead of installation.
Although the primary purpose of wayfinding is to provide directions and/or information, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t also become a decorative feature in its own right too, as amply illustrated by the following two projects…. Practically every multi-storey building has one or more and, dependent upon whether it’s an architectural feature, or a forgotten non-public area, a stairwell can be a mixed experience for the foot-traffic that has to use it.
been the systemised directory sign that bears both the floor number and identifies the rooms available at any given level. However, it doesn’t do much to enhance the ambience in what might be an overlooked part of an otherwise attractive building.
Clearly, pedestrian traffic moving through stairwells needs to know on what floor it finds itself and, possibly, what else it’ll find at that level too. If such information is lacking, time is wasted and safety may also be compromised.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, as a recent installation for Liberty Living by Links Signs and Graphics, on behalf of a Blackpool based construction company, proves.
For as long as the problem has existed, the solution has usually
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Arrive at a given floor and, thanks to Links’ work there’s no doubt where you are. The floor number dominates the landing area with a
colourful rendering covering the entire wall ahead of the ascending staircase. Picked out within the floor-to-ceiling graphic is information detailing room numbers. As a wayfinding aid, Links Signs and Graphics’ installation is both functional and effective, while also effectively enhancing what might otherwise be a really dull area. Production and installation was an involved process, with the Links’ team producing colourful and durable graphics for about fifty-six floors in total across a number of
The Links team used its Mimaki printer and a trusted pairing of Metamark MD5 and its matched matt-finished laminate to produce the job, while installation was performed according to a project schedule and the whole programme never missed a beat. Is it decor? Is it signing? The answer is an emphatic yes to both questions. It’s arguably a little more than both though. Links Signs and Graphics’ work takes the company to a market where it’s satisfying the need for what might be called functional decor. It’s new , it’s bright and Links Signs and Graphics is sure to find a ready audience for more of the same.
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wayfinding
Expanding the boundaries
bespoke illuminated solutions, to final installation. The company, which is based in Tring, Hertfordshire, crafted a large selection of entrance way porticos and monoliths, plus a 12 metre high clock tower and a large directional arrow, which measured nine metres high, nine metres wide and two metres deep. The arrow, which served as the development’s centrepiece, featured an attractive perforated design that is internally illuminated to provide the desired industrial feel. Beginning with the framework, Trade Signs used 150mm x 150mm x 10mm mild steel, constructing the sign in seven sections, each of which was treated to a zinc rich powder coating to provide extra protection and durability and then joined together using 20mm mild steel flat plates and location pins. When Trade Signs was commissioned to create an external sign package for the high profile Exchange Quay office complex in Salford Quay’s Media City, the last thing it expected was to be rewarded for the project’s wayfinding element.
Sign Directions Nov | 46
It was, however thrilled to receive the award for the ‘Wayfinding Scheme of the Year’ at the recent BSGA British Sign Awards’ for its work, which included everything from the design and manufacture of the overall structures and foundations, together with the provision of perforations and
Next came the complicated cladding and perforations, which, with so many angles and joins, required precision engineering. In total the arrow’s cladding required 48 sections of 3mm powder coated aluminium sheets and over 60 joints before the structure was completed
to Trade Signs’ satisfaction. Illumination also offered its own challenges. After much research and development Trade Signs decided that the use of 1.5m amber washers, strategically mounted internally at set angles would enable it to achieve the necessary visual effect required and this was further complemented with the addition of built up rim and return
letters with face illuminated opal acrylic. One of the most challenging elements of the whole project was ensuring that the foundations were able to bear the size and weight of the structure, and accordingly, Sign Trade’s structural engineer suggested the construction of a pad foundation system, 6m x 5m x 1.5m deep, with 20mm rebar steel cast in concrete, together with M20 steel studding and 15mm mild steel holding washers. Trade Signs Project Management team worked very closely with the client and other site contractors to ensure that the sign was completed according to the desired deadline and is now able to take great satisfaction in the completion of what must surely be one of the boldest and most visible wayfinding schemes ever created!
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sign systems feature
Smart systems
With many companies now electing to outsource parts of their in-house activities, the role of manufacturers specialising in off-the-shelf and/or bespoke sign and display systems has assumed a new and higher level of importance. In production, the systems invariably use advanced technologies and are capable of providing a cost-effective solution to seamless and complementary integration within complex and multi-faceted signage projects, as well as creating healthier margins for manufacturers and added value for end users. Mike Connolly reports on some of the more innovative systems that are available, as well as providing some examples of how these have been successfully adapted for use in major signage programmes. When Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council decided to upgrade and expand its town centre pedestrian directional signage, the Stylos fingerpost system from leading trade supplier William Smith proved once again to be the preferred option. Over the years, a number of changes had taken place in the town centre, including relocation of the council’s services and the town library into a single dedicated building for which new signage was required. Existing signage included eleven Stylos units produced in the Rotherham ID style of gold italic text on a black background and incorporating the town logo and matching black posts. However, at 23 other locations there was a mixture of fingerpost
Sign Directions Nov | 48
signs in both this style and the standard highway style of white text on a blue background and it was decided that these should be replaced. Richard Pardy, a spokesperson for Rotherham MBC, commented: “Having worked with William Smith and used the Stylos system in the past, it was the logical choice to continue the partnership. As a result, a review was carried out of the existing pedestrian fingerpost signs, their locations and the information they provided with a view to upgrading and updating the town centre signage strategy.” The review also provided the opportunity to revise the post cap logo with a stylised design of Rotherham Minster and this was also
carried out with the assistance of William Smith. Richard Pardy added: “Around 45 new Stylos fingerpost sign units have now been installed, with new fingerpost arm and cap designs featuring a bolder text in white on a black background to provide a clearer and more visible style. A protective over-laminate film was added to enable the removal of graffiti without damaging the sign face, while base collars were also included to complement the style of the lighting columns and bollards used in the town centre.” The Stylos fingerpost signs have also been adapted to accommodate 3D printed touch points that contain QR (Quick Response) codes and embedded NFC (Near Field Communication) chips to enable visitors to access local information.
In conclusion, Richard Pardy commented: “The new design provides a clean and consistent look to the directional signage programme in Rotherham, whilst retaining the style of the town centre. Furthermore, the increased number of signs aims at closing gaps found in the old route system, as well as directing pedestrians to destinations further afield that previously were either not signed or did not exist when the original programme was implemented. Incorporating new technologies whilst revising the traditional directional fingerpost signs maximises the effects of the new pedestrian signage initiative, assisting traders and shoppers alike and making a visit to Rotherham town centre a more attractive and enjoyable experience.”
That’s Entertainment! When earlier this year it was decided to carry out a total interior and exterior revamp of the number one night spot in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, LE Graphics was commissioned to create several disparate signage themes. Providing day and night time entertainment in the heart of Enniskillen, The Bush is one of the most
popular party destinations in County Fermanagh. In addition to the new signage, the total revamp included a new décor and furniture, the addition of a deli section and a special focus on local craft beers and fresh cocktails. In association with LED lighting specialist Applelec, LE Graphics created an eye-catching fairground-style bar sign to bring to life the interior and to grab the attention of customers. The
Alpha makes a stand
Through a range of bespoke packages, trade only exhibition stand construction specialist Alpha Display & Design provides a fully integrated project management facility. As a founding member of the DISQ Group that includes Eurostand Display, Eve Products and Promotor Industries, the company provides cost-effective and customised solutions that remove the need for companies to employ full-time dedicated exhibition teams. The bespoke packages include full stand project management, installation
sign features built-up letters with sunken faces constructed in cold rolled steel that was purposely left unfinished to add to the ‘distressed’ look. Each letter incorporated 52 LED-illuminated cabochon bulbs to give the appearance of a standard filament bulb, while providing a much longer life and a commensurately higher reduction in energy costs. The letters measured one metre in height and were individually powered using
galvanised steel conduit and saddle clips to complete the ‘raw’ look of the sign. In addition to this special bar sign, LE Graphics was commissioned to supply and install a number of other signage concepts. These included a doublesided illuminated hanging sign and built-up letters mounted above the main entrance, which again required the services of Applelec.
and dismantling at any global location, free 3D stand design, ordering of all onsite services, the supply of floors and coverings and even warehouse storage.
A key product is the modular Linx Exhibition System that can be used for a wide variety of events. Among the most notable recent users of the system are the Italian high-end hairdressing salon furniture manufacturer Maletti and Watfordbased Tusker Direct, which specialises in the provision of salary sacrifice and contract hire vehicle leasing schemes.
Sign Directions Nov | 49
sign systems feature
Ready to go with T3 One of the most innovative and compact modular sign and display systems, the T3 from Tecna UK offers flexibility, versatility and ease of assembly in a single product and without the need for any special tools or construction.
Now in its tenth year of providing sign and display manufacturers with a range of extruded aluminium systems, Nova Aluminium has recently added three new products to its portfolio.
The simple ‘twist and lock’ function of the self-build system is a key benefit for companies engaged in exhibitions, special events and retail promotions, while the reconfigurable framework of the system can be clad with a choice of substrates, typically including foamed boards, aluminium composite materials (ACM), acrylic and semi-rigid and tensioned fabrics. The ready-to-go T3 Display Kits, combined with the company’s marketing and technical support teams, offer a fully integrated turnkey solution, from initial consultation right through to project design and costing, graphic production and final installation.
Banking on Vista
When a leading Russian bank decided on a makeover to create a fresher and more modern building ambience, it looked to Vista System International for a solution. The company’s sign and display systems, with their clean natural silver anodised appearance and functionality, are said to be ideal for use in such prestigious projects. Having completed the refurbishment of a pilot branch, a decision was made to similarly upgrade a further three branches, with the prospect of more branch makeovers in the near future. The initial project involved a variety of table-mounted, suspended and
Sign Directions Nov | 50
Super Nova extrusions
wall-mounted signs that were installed to create a cohesive and more customer-friendly theme throughout the interior of the bank. The Vista System range incorporates the standard Curved Modular Sign System and its more recent Vista Nova alternative, the Green Square Flat Modular Sign System, the Vista Expand for largeformat signs and a series of Literature Holder systems.
The new systems launched in 2015 comprise the awardwinning NovaSkin that represents a competitive alternative to traditional folded sign trays, PalletWrap for continuous advertising around the bottom of loaded pallets and NovaDisplay, which eliminates the need for a silicone-edged skin. In common with all Nova Aluminium systems, these are available either as a one-off requirement or in multiple units for a full corporate roll-out programme. Similarly, they are also ideal either for small companies with a minimum workforce or large organisations working at full capacity and requiring a work overflow facility. The range of systems supplied by Nova Aluminium includes ready-made illuminated sign boxes incorporating both rigid and flexible graphics, nonilluminated systems, soft signage and overhead lighting solutions and point-of-sale and directional sign systems.
On the crest of a wave With many of the larger sign and display companies seeking the services of manufacturers specialising in off-the-shelf and/or bespoke sign systems, Signwaves continues to be one of the most successful by providing a vast portfolio of products that are manufactured exclusively inhouse. The variety of sign and display systems that it provides can cover all aspects of a physical campaign, including print, which means that major brands do not have to source from multiple
suppliers. Large brands and longstanding customers include Camelot (The National Lottery), Unilever and Nestle, each of which has invested in off-the-shelf systems, such as branded open/closed signs or bespoke products unique to Signwaves, such as the Bobby and Bubble National Lottery pavement signs. Thanks to the use of new production technologies and materials, many quality sign and display systems supplied by Signwaves can last a number of years with little or no maintenance.
William Smith adds POS system
Renowned for its widely specified Stylos fingerpost directional sign system, trade only supplier William Smith has added a new edge-illuminated point-of-sale display system to its portfolio.
Offering an alternative solution to traditional pop-up display systems, QuickStand uses LED technology to create intensely bright and impactful displays. The system is available in a range of options that includes Dual Display, a twin-panel system in either a portrait or landscape format that can be combined in multiples of up to eight units to create a large-format image, Single Display with Literature Holder, a single display panel featuring A4 and A5 acrylic and aluminium literature holders, and Display Desk, a sleek desktop system mounted on a single ultra-slim illuminated display panel. Each display panel can be illuminated via a sequencer and product-specific controlled animation software that enables light animations to be predesigned and transferred to the QuickStand display. With this easy-touse system, display panels can be programmed individually to create a dynamic light show.
The Stylos fingerpost multi-directional sign system is widely adopted by local authorities for inner town and city directional and information signage programmes. Each unit has ‘fingers’ that can point in up to eight different directions and at varying heights. A key design feature of the system is the concealed inner fixing arrangement that makes it extremely difficult for the fingerposts to be vandalised. The system can be adapted to create boundary and town/city centre information signs, while for areas with poor or reduced lighting, an illuminated version is available.
Stylos is supplied either as a finished product complete with graphics or in component form for on-site assembly and customisation in any stoveenamelled BS, RAL or Pantone colour. William Smith’s trade manufacturing capabilities have been further enhanced by significant investment in new production machinery. A key purchase was a new AXYZ 4010 router with the ATC (Automatic Tool Change) facility that is twice as fast as the machine it has replaced and which has led to a 120 percent increase in production capacity. The new router, accurate to within 0.1mm,
has greatly strengthened the company’s ability to manufacture and supply an expanding range of sign
and display systems, in addition to sign trays, associated bespoke signage and sign components.
Sign Directions Nov | 51
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signdirectory The Sign Industry's Who's Who
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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.
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Sign Directions Nov | 53
the last word
This month, Mark Godden reveals
The next big thing Having been around long enough to have witnessed and driven a few of the epoch-making developments that have defined the sign and display industry as we know it today, I am often given to musing as to what the next big thing might be. I’ve conceived automatic weeding machines, I’ve dreamed up printers that you’d just wheel against whatever you wanted to print and press the go button, and I’ve formulated paint, which once applied, you’d connect up to a power-source to illuminate. I’ve also ‘invented’ other-worldly application tape that you’d hose off the side of the vehicle, variable intensity etcheffect material and stuff whose colour you could assign after you’d applied it. Then I’d wake up. Not short of ideas, just a bit wide of the mark when it comes to being practical. What if though, the next big thing isn’t a printer, or a material, or a sign system? What if the next big thing is a market and it’s something you can exploit with today’s tricksy hardware and brilliant materials? Well, that’d get your attention, wouldn’t it? I’m not alone in thinking that the next big thing is already is upon us. It’s bigger, or perhaps it one day will be, than wrapping or vehicle livery, bigger than window graphics, a market that it may well turn round and casually consume. It’s bigger potentially than some of the big bits of the existing signing and display market. I just have a hard time slapping a name on it. ‘Décor’ calls it a bit short but the descriptor lands in the right ballpark. You’re printing. You’re cutting. You’re applying. You’re doing all of this though, not, primarily, in the name of building a bigger brand, broadcasting a message or flicking a nod toward advertising. You’re doing it to create an interior ambience. You’re doing it to make the vanilla something a more exciting or beautiful something else. You’re Sign Directions Nov | 54
doing it to counterpoint surrounding architecture, to soften hard edges, or to break up an unremitting expanse of emulsion paint. You’re doing this because you can, and because the world wants you to. I could put a really hysterical price on the retail value of the market I’m trying to frame here. I’d do that by extrapolating from what I know. Taking a look at the latent part of the vehicle graphics’ market and the number of practitioners who’re doing okay supplying the bit that’s available, it’s clear that the livery market has more to give. Apply that notion generally to the size of the opportunity to decorate or beautify, discount it back a few furlongs-perfortnight-squared, and the formula produces something in the last cell on the spreadsheet that has ‘bigger’ written all over it. I have the confidence needed in my own intuition to pronounce so emphatically on this subject because things are happening. Here’s an example - material manufacturers are not known for producing things unless there’s a market demand for them. That demand is there. Repeat. That demand is there. Sign and display producers are asking material manufacturers for products designed to be stuck to walls and other surfaces that would have previously benefitted from a lick of paint, but that are now begging for a swathe of printed and applied material. As per usual in a developing market, there’s a gulf the size of the Grand Canyon between the buyer who simply doesn’t know what’s possible, and the supplier/producer who never gets asked for a faction of what he’s actually capable of making. Taking up the slack, are the opinion
leaders and market-makers who are having a go. It’s a scary task for someone, don’t know who, to square up to the magnitude of the task awaiting should they decide to go out and grow the market for what we’ll call Décor for now. Not though, as scary as it once was. In fact, it’s never been easier or less expensive to ‘publish’ ideas, promote causes or get found than it is today. It does take will though. The will to see it done may be the biggest challenge of all. I’d like to think that the world, in a very round and general sense, does have an appetite for things that strike it as new. Let’s then tell this supposedly ravenous but slumbering monstermarket what’s really possible. I’m sure you know this, but you’re not the only person who reads Sign Directions. It actually finishes up in thousands of hands and in front of twice as many eyes. Being a paperbased organ, it’s variously read from cover-to-cover, browsed, flicked through and otherwise devoured. Bits of it get ripped out, stuck on walls, handed to others and traded. Things in Sign Directions travel a long, long way. It’s not our magazine, at least in the sense I’m thinking, it’s yours. A very good place to showcase what you’re capable of, and that which might appeal to those with an appetite for something new, is right here in these pages. It’s not as difficult as you might imagine to make this happen. You just need to get in touch. Were you, for example, to complete a job that you think demonstrates that you’re in touch with what we think is a developing market, and one that
could result in more demand for that class of work, you’ll need a damn good picture of it and an interesting view as to what merits its being new and news. Show us. Tell us. If we agree, then we’ll get it written and it’ll find its way between our covers and beyond. That’s not just the fact of the matter - it’s an offer. We’re asking you to do this. Big things, markets included, don’t just sprout out of the ground. Word has to travel. With output that has a leaning toward décor, but is in fact much bigger than the word may imply, something new is most definitely on the rise. The materials you need to help you get into it are increasingly available. Jobs are being completed out there right now. If you’re equipped to make signs in this day and age, chances are, you’re equipped to become a decor-star too. So, just to repeat and to be perfectly clear on the subject - we are very interested in seeing what you’re up to in pursuit of this emerging market opportunity. Send us pictures of the jobs that you’re doing and of those that you’ve done. Let’s get the word out and promote a wider market for décor. It can be done. Give the commercial dimension some thought too. Were you to design, produce and install an imaginative photo-mural loosely based on, for example the style of graphics encountered when playing Minecraft and put it on a bedroom wall, would it create an appetite for others? I think so. Let’s put it to the test – we’re ready when you are! Mark Godden mark@markgodden.co.uk