Industry Roundtable: Analyzing the Year Ahead
Big Picture magazine (USA)
Where wide format is headed in 2014 and beyond.
Getting the most out of vinyl films
SignCraft magazine (USA)
When it comes to vinyl films, there's always a steady stream of new products coming along. There are always more adhesives, more application options and more colors. There are films for almost every task, from temporary promotional signs to t-shirt graphics to stucco walls.
SGIA Expo Full Recap and Industry Coverage
SGIA (USA)
The industry’s premier event showcased the most innovative technologies in the specialty imaging marketplace
Banners Are Everywhere, but Professionals Want Vinyl That Pops!
By Jennifer LeClaire, SignIndustry.com (USA)
Get rid of your humdrum banner designs and start creating vinyl banners that demand attention. Your customers will thank you.
Digital Textile Inkjet Printing: On a Roll
By Marco Boer, WhatTheyThink (USA)
After years of anticipation and frustration at fragmentary progress, it is now possible in 2013 to say that digital textile printing has achieved breakthrough success in soft signage and production apparel printing.
Sublimation Printing 101
Screenprinting (USA)
Use this overview to familiarize yourself with dye-sub printing and decide whether the technology is right for your shop.
Previewing SGIA Expo 2013 - Held in Orlando, October 23-25.
Big Picture magazine (USA)
We've highlighted nine Expo points of interest, including education, community building, and awards.
Big Picture magazine (USA)
DesignLine cutting tape by Knifeless Car graphics done with knifeless tape
Sign Update (UK)
I was given the opportunity to try the new DesignLine knifeless tape, and in doing so wanted to answer question:
Does it cut as well as a plotter blade?
Digital Textile Printing: Soft Signage, Fabric Solutions & Innovation
By Vince Cahill, VCE Solutions, Paolo Capano, INX Digital, Scott Fisher, Fisher Textiles. SignIndustry.com
Once a subset of the fledgling digital graphics industry, digital textile printing has grown into a strong industry of its own, offering a growing number of applications produced using materials, technologies and products unique to this segment.
Delving into the Lamination Landscape
By Adrienne Palmer, Big Picture magazine USA
Five industry representatives talk lamination, plus nearly 30 sources of laminators.
Slam-Dunk Solutions for Screen Cleaning
Screenweb - USA
Make the most of your screen-reclaiming efforts by following the tips presented here.
Total Cost of Ownership: Is TCO Just Smoke and Mirrors?
By Colin Thompson - FESPA
Which vendors have the lowest TCO? Oracle or SAP? Microsoft or Red Hat Linux? HP or Dell?
Buying Used Printing Equipment: Essential Factors to Consider
By Mark A. Coudray, President, Coudray Graphic Technologies, SIGNINDUSTRY.COM (USA)
Before you can decide if buying used equipment is the right choice, you need to determine what your true objectives are.
Over the years I've owned a dozen automatic presses and of those I purchased three of them as used machines.
I've also sold all of them into the used market and have dealt with a wide range of experiences related to those sales. In addition, I've moved half a dozen presses to new locations as we increased our operations and moved into new facilities. This process goes well beyond the obvious of adding more production capacity to your shop, but that's a good place to start.
Market Intelligence: The Big Questions
by Tim Greene, MyPRINTResource.com USA
Some of the big questions I get are about the interplay between wide-format digital production technologies. Which technologies will “win” the future?
How to Cut Aluminium Composite
Sign Update - UK
Aluminium composite may be one of the most popular materials in sign making, but cutting it isn't always straightforward. The versatility and relative inexpensiveness of aluminium composite has long rendered it a favourite among sign makers. The rust and waterproof nature of the aluminium composite makes it a long-lasting choice for usage outdoors, as does the smooth finish, and the high-quality durability has contributed to the market demand widening over the past few decades.
Wrapped built up letters - North East Signs Blaze the Trail
By Jemima Codrington , Signupdate
Built up lettering is fast-becoming a popular signage trend, offering versatility and a fast, cost-effective solution to clients wanting upscale lettering without the expense.
Pricing Guidelines for Direct-to-Garment Products
By Ken Hope, AnaJet, Signindustry.com
In real estate, location, location, location is everything. This too can hold true for setting your pricing in direct-to-garment printing. One of the more common questions from the newly established owner of a digital garment printer is, "How much should I be charging for my printed t-shirts?"
Adding 'Wow' to Wide Format
Big Picture magazine USA
Eight ways to further differentiate your customer's wide-format project from their competitor's.
A primer on UV-curable inkjet inks
Since 2006, there has been a incredible rush toward the use of UV-curable inks in most of the printing markets. This increase has been driven by new developments in ink technology and demand from printer manufacturers and end users.
By Jeff Burton, Digital Printing Analyst, SGIA and published in Signindustry.com
It’s a new dawn
Rob Fletcher (Sign Link UK)
As more advertisers and brand agencies look for something extra special in their campaigns, Rob Fletcher investigates the value of crossmedia technology and how it can shed light on new sign-making opportunities
After the show is ended
By Nessan Cleary (Image Reports UK)
Even though this year’s Fespa show took place in London, it remained undeniably a European show, thanks to the sheer number of overseas visitors. It was busy, with most visitors having done their homework and knowing exactly what they had come to see. And there was plenty to see, with most stands crammed with equipment and visitors alike.
How colour & workflow management help build sustainable businesses
By Laurel Brunner (Digital Dots)
It’s been clear for years that digital technology has massively revolutionised the prepress industry. But for some printers and publishers of a greenish hue, prepress and digital process management are also tools for reducing their environmental impact. You may wonder, how so?
How to be a digital textile printing expert
by Jeffrey Steele (My Print Resource USA)
Mastering the art of digital textile printing can be a challenge, but once you do you'll find that your services and expertise will be in great demand.
Flatbeds & hybrids 2013 report
(Big Picture magazine USA)
Offerings from 20+ companies to expand your shop's job mix.
The most profitable print shops, it could be argued, are chameleons. They are able to change at will, into the type of technology provider that's necessary to take on a variety of jobs.