SIGN SHOW

DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

EFI Launches a Significant Upgrade to its PrintSmith Vision MIS Software The new version 5 release of EFI™ PrintSmith™ Vision MIS software—part of the EFI Quick Print Suite business and production management tools—delivers optimized performance and enhanced flexibility for small commercial and quick print businesses. This is the first 100 percent HTML version of PrintSmith Vision, replacing legacy systems based on Adobe Flash technology. The new MIS offering can run as an EFI Cloud-managed solution to provide business owners with peace of mind knowing that business-critical customer information is secure, with maximum uptime and availability. Users benefit from a faster screen response. PrintSmith Vision 5 has been optimized for remote management and operation. New FastTrack HTML5 modules in the software give managers and operators the flexibility to manage key tasks on the go without the need for complex cross-training. PrintSmith Vision 5 also enables endto-end job tracking and automatic notifications to reduce or eliminate spending time finding job statuses and answering customer inquiries. efi.com

DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

INX International Enhances its Technical Services Offerings INX International Ink Co., has increased its all-encompassing slate of Technical Services that are available to commercial and package printing customers. This expansion bodes well for those looking to take advantage of training and education, improvement in pressroom productivity, and other significant measures. INX has knowledgeable ink experts who can help commercial and package printers navigate issues specifically related to ink. INX’s structured mindset focuses on increased efficiencies and throughput, waste reduction, quality improvements, and lower applied costs. This includes quality improvement processes and practices and troubleshooting support. INX also offers G7 Certification assistance. INX not only has certified IDEAlliance G7 experts on staff, but the allotment of resources available and approach in offering color management best practices sets INX apart from other ink manufacturers. inxinternational.com

PROMOTIONAL SIGNAGE

Enter the New, Revolutionary Virtual Showroom from Showdown Displays

Showdown Displays®, a global leader in wide format, portable, lightweight, and temporary promotional signage and displays, has announced the creation and introduction of its exclusive, interactive virtual showroom. The brand-new Showdown Displays ® Virtual Showroom is an innovative virtual environment that provides an interactive and informative user experience. The showroom uses a Web-based platform, allowing it to be shared across multiple locations and geographies all while supporting an unlimited number of active users. In the current global environment, where travel and in-person events have become increasingly complicated, Showdown Displays proudly says that its Virtual Showroom enables its products to travel to their customers, as well as their customers’ customers. This exclusive solution provides a digital platform on which customers can present, educate, demonstrate, and inform their teams and their customers of the many-use cases and business solutions that are available for signage and displays. (888) 276-7469; showdowndisplays.com

SIGN SHOW

DIGITAL SIGNS/EMC/VIDEO DISPLAYS

Improved Pixel Pitch for LG Transparent Color LED Film Digital Signage Display LAT140 Transparent Color LED Film digital signage display from LG Business Solutions USA elevates spaces with vivid, flexible signage that can turn virtually any window or glass surface into a canvas for content. First introduced as a 24mm pixel pitch model, the new 14mm version nearly quadruples the number of pixels in the same space and doubles the brightness, generating an incredibly vibrant viewing experience that attracts the attention of passersby while also displaying a variety of content options (ranging from bold text to head-turning animations and images). LG LAT140 Transparent Color LED film is self-adhesive, so it can be easily attached to surfaces of existing window glass. The size and layout of the film can also be customized to fit into the installation area. Expansion requires merely adding more film horizontally or vertically or cutting them to size in parallel with the bezel. lg-informationdisplay.com

ROUTERS/ ENGRAVERS

Laser Research Optics Introduces New Economy CO2 Lenses Laser Research Optics, a company that manufactures factory direct replacement fiber laser and CO 2 laser optics,, has announced the availability of a new line of lowcost CO2 laser lenses for low-power engraving and marking lasers. Laser Research Economy CO2 Engraving Lenses are 0.75-inch diameter with 2.00-inch focal lengths, which are drop-in field replacements offered in plain or mounted versions. These lenses are available from stock with overnight delivery for use in Epilog®, Trotec®, and Universal® Laser Systems. For applications requiring a strong coating to handle dirtier environments (such as acrylic cutting), Laser Research Economy CO2 Engraving Lenses are offered in a Premium Line with coatings to 10.6 microns. Besides the 2.00-inch focal length, the company says that other focal lengths will be introduced soon. laserresearch.net

LETTERS

Gemini’s 2021 Catalog Suite Features a Refreshed Design and a Myriad of New Products Gemini, a family-owned company that manufactures dimensional letters, logos, plaques, and custom plastic sheet extrusion, has released their 2021 edition catalog with a dramatic new look, numerous product additions, and updated features for ease-of-use. Available in both print and enhanced digital formats, the 2021 edition catalog is segmented into three volumes by product category to provide improved navigation with faster and simplified solution finding. The three-volume catalog includes Letters & Logos, Plaques & Plates, and Illuminated Letters and Logos. Greater ease of use is a highlight of the new catalog, including access to simplified pricing tables and Gemini’s TrueQuote online quoting and ordering tool that provides ondemand wholesale pricing and order status tracking exclusively for Gemini partners. Digital catalog users can access ordering tools and technical product support directly via links from the catalogs themselves—making the 2021 catalog the most powerful and functional in the company’s fifty-plus-year history. The print catalog edition is available now. Registered Gemini partners were schedule to receive this version by the end of last year, while the new digital editions may be accessed through the company’s partner portal. geminisignage.com

SIGN SHOW

AWNINGS & VINYL-COATED FABRICS

Fisher Textiles Introduces a Full Lineup of Home Furnishing Fabric Media Fisher Textiles, a leading supplier of fabrics for digital printing, introduces a new printable fabric line that is ideal for interior and exterior home décor. These durable fabrics are long lasting and suitable for soft textile applications including window treatments, table linens, and upholstery; wall art including canvas gallery wraps and wallpaper; and floor décor including rugs and mats. All are either 100 percent Polyester or Poly blends, stocked in a variety of textures and weights. Blankets-On-Demand (pictured), a subcategory of this fabric line, are perfect for promotional blankets and includes fully finished plush flannel and polar fleece blankets. The finishing is a self-edge folded/bordered edge with a twin needle coverseam. Finished sizes for sublimation printing are 30-by-40 inches, 50-by-60 inches, and 60-by-80 inches. Blankets-On-Demand are sold by the case and are also available in unfinished roll good form ranging from sixty-one to sixty-three inches wide. 800/554-8886; fishertextiles.com

SIGN BLANKS/PANELS

New FOME-COR Foam Boards Collection

Following its acquisition of the EnCore® Products and Elmer’s®

foam boards division from Newell Brands, Inc., 3A Composites USA has announced its newly integrated FOME-COR®

Collection. This collection offers a variety of products with premium, bright-white, double clay-coated facers that are ideal for screen printing and direct digital printing applications, as well as products with high-quality, uncoated facers that provide flat, smooth surfaces for mounting graphics in framing applications. The FOME-COR Collection includes: FOME-COR – The Original Graphic Arts Foam Board (uniquely embossable to create 3-D effects in displays), FOME-COR WITH ENCORE TECHNOLOGY, FOME-COR SINGLESTEP® (eliminates the need for hot melt tissue stock in the mounting process), FOME-COR JETMOUNT (ideal for freestanding displays, signage, and framing), and FOME-COR QUICKSTIK (eliminates the need for pressure-sensitive adhesive stock). 3acompositesUSA. com/display

WHOLESALE SIGNS & GRAPHICS

"Save Time and Worry Less" with Mimaki USA's New Customer Focused Program Mimaki USA, a leading provider of wide format inkjet printers and cutters, is proud to announce the launch of Print On - Select, a new customer focused program made possible by the company’s partnership with North Star Leasing Company. Large format printers across the nation are as specialized as the businesses that purchase them. Whether they have a small t-shirt business in their home or a large fleet graphic business in a warehouse, purchasing a large format printer is one of the biggest and most time-consuming investments that is made. Consumers routinely ask for faster, easier ways to make purchases of large and small products alike. The sign and graphics industry is no different, and Mimaki USA believes that, by simplifying the purchasing process, Print On - Select provides a less complicated process that will save them time and money—time and money that is better served reinvested into their business. Today's consumer readily utilizes the Internet to make purchasing decisions. Self-education and low-pressure purchases are expected. Print On – Select customers will find this buying experience very familiar as they will initiate the purchase through Mimaki’s Web site (shopping at their own pace and purchasing when ready). All Print On – Select packages include one Mimaki printer, a monthly allotment of ink (ink type and quantity specific to the package chosen), five years of Mimaki Signature Warranties (one-year Total Care and four years Parts Plus), and a five-year fixed cost of ownership with one simple payment. The process is as easy as saying “1-2-3!” Select a printer, select an ink option, and click “Apply Now.” www.Mimakiusa.com/print-on

HELPING YOUR SHOP

GROW PROFITS!

Sign Builder Illustrated is the “how-to magazine” of the sign industry. Each issue includes SBI’s signature “how-to” columns and features with detailed, step-by-step instructions covering a wide range of signage. SBI’s website (signshop. com), newsletters, Buyer’s Guide, and digital edition keep you updated with timely news, recent projects, and upcoming industry events.