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Table of Contents | February 2015

4 Wide-Format Imaging | February 2015

Volume 23, Number 2. Wide-Format Imaging is published by Cygnus Business Media, Inc. at 1233 Janesville Avenue, PO Box 803, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538

monthly (6 ebooks: January, March, May, July, September, and December); 6 print (February, April, June, September, October, and December). Wide-Format

Imaging print edition is distributed as a supplement to Quick Printing magazine. All contents copyright Cygnus Publishing Inc. & Affliates. Printed in the USA.

MyPRINTResource.com

On the Cover

Bluemedia of Tempe, AZ

created this Mustang

wrap. To read more

about wraps, check out

the articles beginning on

page 10.

10 Ink Vehicles: To be Successful with Vehicle Wraps, Think Beyond the Graphic

Given our culture’s love affair with cars, vehicle

graphics can be a sexy and exciting market to be in.

By Richard Romano

14 Well-Designed Wraps and Signs Reinforce Brand Identity While there are differences in approach when

designing business signs or vehicle wraps, the

overarching goal for both is to reinforce the brand.

By Joann Whitcher

18 Application Spotlight: The Water Tower Tank Project Transforming New York City’s skyline through art

By Denise M. Gustavson

19 Liquid Assets: Specialty Inkjet Inks With a little bit of “wow” from specialty inks,

PSPs can create impactful, high-quality, and

eye-catching graphics.

By Jeffrey Steele

24 GOA 2015 Highlights: Product Showstoppers Wide-format technology heats up this

February in Miami Beach.


5 Editor’s Note 2015 Brings Changes,

Opportunities


22 Sign Connection Using Digital Marketing

Tools for B2B Marketing

By Sarah Malpeli

6 News

23 Market Place | Ad Index

Features

Columns

Departments

http://MyPRINTResource.com


Editor’s Note

GROUP PUBLISHER Kelley Holmes [email protected] | 800-616-2252 x6104

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Denise M. Gustavson [email protected] | 800-616-2252 x6218

Contributing Editors Pamela Mortimer Jeffrey Steele Mark Vruno Joann Whitcher

CORPORATE OFFICE1233 Janesville Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Phone: 800-616-2252

Account Executives Kimberly Jorgensen x6103 | [email protected] Zimmerman x6214 | [email protected]

Media Production Representative Connie Wolf x1679 | [email protected]

Art DirectorYuly Osorio x1732 | [email protected]

CIRCULATION Jackie Dandoy [email protected] 800-547-7377 x1711 For change of address or subscription information, call 877/382-9187, fax 920/563-1704, or [email protected]

REPRINT SERVICE To purchase article reprints please contact Nick Iademarco at Wright’s Media at 877/652-5295 ext. 102 or e-mail [email protected]

LIST RENTALS Elizabeth [email protected] | 847-492-1350 x18

CEO Paul Bonaiuto President Chris FerrellCFO Ed TearmanSVP, Strategy & Business Development Blair Johnson VP, Marketing Gerry Whitty VP, Technology Eric KammerzeltVP, Production Operations Curt PordesExcecutive Vice President Gloria Cosby VP, Human Resources Ed Wood

www.MyPRINTResource.com

MyPRINTResource.com Wide-Format Imaging | February 2015 5

According to the tenth Doctor from Doctor Who,

“People assume that time is a strict progression

of cause to effect, but, actually, from a non-lin-

ear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big

ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.” And in

the case of publishing, that is very much the case. For

instance, by the time you read this editorial, it will

be sometime in February (at the very earliest). We’re

already in the planning stages for our Spring and early

Summer issues. But as I pen this piece, it’s only a few days into the

new year. You could say that time is very “wibbly wobbly” when it

comes to publishing.

Since the January issue of Wide-Format Imaging was put to bed back

in December, there have been a number of changes—both with the

publication and corporately.

Firstly, in the January issue, you may have noticed some changes

to the appearance of Wide-Format Imaging. We have updated the

logo for the publication (along with all of the sister brands: Quick

Printing, Inkjet’s Age, Printing News, and MyPRINTResource) so

there is a much more cohesive look between them all. In conjunction

with the logo refresh, the magazine’s layouts also received a rede-

sign, giving it a more modern look and feel. Drop us a note and tell us

what you think.

Additionally, on December 31st SouthComm Communications com-

pleted the purchase of Cygnus Business Media (the corporate entity

these groups of magazines are part of). As a result, the company has

nearly doubled in size. So in addition to the business-to-business publi-

cations, trade shows, and websites Cygnus had, we are now part of an

organization that owns weekly newspapers in several markets. I know

I’m excited to see what kinds of content opportunities this will become

available as we move deeper into 2015.

But you may ask: what does this all mean for me, the reader?

Honestly, the change of ownership won’t impact our readers directly.

You’ll continue to receive the same great content—each day, week, and

month—from us in print, online, and via email. As part of the transition

to the new company, we do have a new production manager, Connie

Wolf, who will be working with our advertisers. (Her contact informa-

tion is at the left, so feel free to welcome her to the team.)

And while my role has not changed, as of January 1st, I’ve relocated

to a new offce in West Babylon. So far I’ve managed not to drive to the

old offce, but I’m sure one of these days I’ll do it.

So while there have been a lot of changes over the last month (or so),

it looks like 2015 is ushering in a number of new opportunities for our

brands. I’m looking forward to exploring them with you as we move

through the year.

2015 Brings Changes, OpportunitiesThe new year ushered in various changes,

but even bigger opportunities lie ahead.


mailto:[email protected]










http://www.MyPRINTResource.com


6 Wide-Format Imaging | February 2015 MyPRINTResource.com

News

Expanded Esko Innovation Center OpensEsko celebrated its renovated Esko Innovation Center in

Miamisburg, OH with an open house attended by local

township offcials and the Esko North America leader-

ship team. The new Esko Innovation Center has been

expanded 16 percent to 33,580 sqft. Nearly $1 million

has been invested both in offce refurbishments as well

as investment in a complete complement of demo hard-

ware and software solutions.

The focal point of the facility is the demo and training

center, encompassing separate demo areas for both soft-

ware and for hardware. Three new full-time jobs have

been added to support the center—one for the software

demo area and two for the hardware center.

“Esko on a yearly basis schedules a full calendar of vis-

its from our customers, offering enhanced and updated

training, meeting, and demonstration areas. Our facility

is complete with all the software and hardware needed

to replicate any workfow environment that ‘smart-

ly’ mirrors how our customers’ businesses operate. It

allows them to experiment to see how new solutions

might improve their productivity and print quality,” said

Jon Giardina, president, Esko Americas. “The process of

building our new demo facility took months of planning.

We are very proud of the result, and how effectively our

staff will be able to work with our customers in what we

believe is an exceptional showplace for the direction of

graphics communication and packaging.”

MyPRINTResource.com/10005248

InfoTrends Study to Gain Insight into Who

Buys Wide Format PrintingInfoTrends’ study Who Buys

Wide Format Printing? will un-

cover key market trends driving

demand for digital wide-format

printing, application growth, and

technology investment in Western Europe and the US

through surveys and interviews with buyers of wide-for-

mat graphics and providers of digital wide-format print-

ing and services.

The study will evaluate trends and opportunities in fve

vertical industries, which will be determined by study

subscribers. In addition, the research will assess key

demands of wide-format providers, including commercial

printers, sign shops, in-house printing operations, screen

printers, reprographic shops, and copy shops.

This study will identify:

§Market forces driving demand for wide-format graphic

applications

§Wide-format pricing trends

§Wide-format buyers’ criteria for selecting providers

§Online ordering’s impact on wide-format applications

§Top purchasing criteria for purchasing devices and se-

lecting wide-format providers

§Wide-format graphics’ role in a cross-media world and

the implications of digital signage

§Products and services that wide-format providers

require from equipment and supplies manufacturers to

grow their wide-format businesses

For more information, contact Scott Phinney at

781-616-2123 or [email protected].


Mutoh Open Houses with Caldera

Workshop SeriesMutoh America, Inc. has announced open houses

throughout 2015 at its nation-wide learning facilities.

The open houses will include a two part Caldera RIP

software workshop series presented by Caldera.

The open houses will be held from 10:00 am

to 4:00 pm and will offer printing and software

demonstrations, meet and greets with industry

experts, food, refreshments, and door prizes. Par-

ticipation in the Caldera workshops is encouraged

and can help print shop owners, designers, printer

operators and resellers with production planning

and workfow maximization.

The 2015 open house dates are as follows:

§March 19, Atlanta, GA

§May 7, Boston, MA

§August 13, Chicago, IL

§October 1, Phoenix, AZ

Caldera will conduct two software training classes

during the open houses. In the morning, attendees

can join “Basic Introduction to Caldera,” to gain a

better understanding of the software’s interface and

core functionality. Attendees who join the afternoon

session, “Enhancing Your Workfow,” will dive deeper

into profling, spot colors and automation.

While the open houses are free to attend, Caldera

Workshop sessions are $95 for one session or $139 for

both morning and afternoon sessions.

Register at www.mutoh.com/company/events.






http://www.mutoh.com/company/events



Ricoh Joins SGP Community

as Platinum PatronThe Sustainable Green Printing Partnership has an-

nounced that Ricoh Americas Corporation has become

the most recent

SGP Patron at the

platinum level.

“Our partnership

with SGP demonstrates a commitment to our customers

to meet the needs of their customers’ sustainable busi-

ness practices, which in the end benefts people, profts

and the planet. Ricoh recognizes and believes that

environmental management is one of our highest cor-

porate priorities and we strive to conduct our business

as responsible stewards of the environment. And we

are committed to partnering with like-minded organiza-

tions who are truly committed to the long-term health

of our planet; SGP is an exemplary example,” said Ed

Wong, director, product marketing, Ricoh Americas.


2015 GOA Features

Wrap Cup AmericasThis year’s Graphics of the

Americas (GOA) will pres-

ent Wrap Cup Americas, a

vehicle wrap competition where

the “wrap stars”of the Americas will be pitted against

each other to wrap a line of Maseratis to win the Wrap

Cup Americas competition. The winner will take home

a prize package valued at $25,000, and the total of all

prizes for the competition is over $150,000.

George Ryan, GOA president said, “We are thrilled to

be hosting the Wrap Cup Americas at GOA 2015. As if

the exhilarating art of vehicle wrapping isn’t fascinating

enough, the fact that these leading vehicle wrappers

will be working on Maseratis defnitely adds to the

excitement here.”

Wrap Cup Americas: Schedule of Events

§Day One, Thursday, February 26: GOA attendees will

watch the qualifying matches of round one live on the

show foor. Vehicle wrappers from around the world will

be making their mark on each designated Maserati.

§Days Two and Three, Friday, February 27 and Saturday,

February 28: The best 24 vehicle wrappers will advance

to compete in rounds two and three. The knock out

semi-fnals will take place on Saturday where the re-

maining competitors and champion of the overall Wrap

Cup Americas Champion will be crowned.

§The fnal match will be followed by the offcial award

ceremony, where winners will be presented with vari-

ous prizes on the Wrap Cup Americas stage. Industry

veteran and head of PDAA Certifcation, Rob Ivers, has

been named Head Judge for the event. Event sponsors

include: MR Clipart, ImageOne Impact, Drivindu, Leis-

ter, Knifeless, and CoCut.


Diadeis Acquires Graphic Systems GroupDiadeis, one of the world’s leading design and pre-

media agencies, has announced the acquisition of

Graphic Systems Group (GSG), a creative production

agency serving premier brands from around the globe

based in NYC.

Stated Jean-Charles Morisseau, Diadeis’s Chairman,

“This acquisition brings two innovative organizations

together into a premedia and production powerhouse.

Both Diadeis and GSG have a history of innovation that

has helped each company evolve to better serve the

needs of today’s brands.

Together, our strong

teams and industry

knowledge will strength-

en the geographic cover-

age for all our clients and

optimize their campaigns

no matter where they take place. We look forward to

a successful partnership from our strategic location in

New York City.”

Rich Paganello, GSG’s Managing Partner added that,

“The top advertisers want global coverage. Being a

part of Diadeis helps us to offer that, and gives us a

huge potential for growth.”

GSG has expertise in creating and managing

processes and information technology. Ken Madsen,

GSG’s President said, “The implementation of specif-

ic processes and IT tools is crucial to achieving this

faster time to market and reduced cost. We were one

of the frst to understand the importance of technology

in our industry, and we invested heavily in it. We will

leverage this focus on process as we consolidate with

Diadeis’s software suite that supports the creative

lifecycle technologies.”


Mimaki USA Strengthens Sales Team with

New Appointments in Chicago and DallasMimaki USA has announced that

Steve Cutler (photo at left) and Tiffa-

ny Smith have joined the company as

sales representatives in the Chicago

and Dallas branches, respectively.

Cutler came to Mimaki USA from

Fujiflm where he served as Inkjet

Marketing Product Manager. He

brings to the company deep knowl-

edge of the wide format printing

industry from former sales, market-

ing, and management positions. He

is based in the Chicago offce.

Smith joined Mimaki USA from Sign Warehouse where

she was a Senior Sales Consultant responsible for sales

of wide-format printing, vinyl cutting and laser engrav-

ing equipment. She is based in the Dallas-area offce.








Social MediaThe WFI LinkedIn group, with more than 6,620

members, continues to grow. Have you joined the

conversation yet? linkd.in/a7W6p8

Top TweetsTwitter: 5,842 people follow Wide-Format Imaging;

17,100 people follow Printing News; 5,044 follow Quick

Printing; and 5,687 follow MyPRINTResource

§RT @HPGraphicArts In 2014, #HPLatex

made big strides in aqueous #printing

with customer needs in mind. Read more

@MyPrintResource: budurl.com/p89k

§RT @Dan_Antonelli Vehicle wrap designs, software,

and ‘The Death of Cool’ - bit.ly/1weRsTv via @

MyPrintResource #TruckWrapDesigns #Branding

#BrandTalk

§ RT Nath_Gardner67 What does it take to create, and

maintain, a successful #socialmedia presence? buff.

ly/1ye1yXD Great article via @MyPrintResource

§RT GarryJGray A Brave New World:

#AugmentedReality & #Print Service Providers buff.

ly/12vthZr Great read via @MyPrintResource

§RT banner_box Mimaki Demonstrates power

of Promotional Print @ PSI 2015 buff.ly/1BsI16C

#digitalprint #wideformat #largeformat via @

MyPrintResource @wf

Most Popular §Video: MACtac Floor Graphics


§Product: 3M Envision Print Wrap Film SV480Cv3


§News: Kornit Allegro and Gideon Oberson Combine

Talents to Show the Power of Customization at

Heimtextil 2015


§Article: FASTSIGNS of Saratoga Deploys Saintly

Signage MyPRINTResource.com/12029828

§Article: How to Choose the Right Laminator

§MyPRINTResource.com/12019699

§Product: Zund Cut Center V2.2

§MyPRINTResource.com/12031995

§News: Metro Signs Scores with Cut-Out Gatorfoam

Lettering, Signs for NFL’s Miami Dolphins


§News: SunDance Marketing Solutions Expands

Offerings with New Wide Format Printer


§News: Jeff Gordon Leads All-Star Panel of Judges for

3M Wrap to Win Contest


§Product: VersaWorks 4.8 RIP Software


FASTSIGNS Launches 3D Printing Pilot in

Select MarketsFASTSIGNS has

launched 3D print-

ing services in three

US markets.

“We are continu-

ously watching for and learning about new technologies

that have the potential to make visual communications

more interesting and impactful to and for our custom-

ers,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS Inter-

national. “By providing professional 3D printing, we are

able to offer one more solution that can be used to create

comprehensive visual communication solutions to help

businesses develop innovative new products or solve

manufacturing challenges.”

The FASTSIGNS centers participating in the pilot pro-

gram offer professional grade 3D printing. This 3D print-

ing technology uses production-grade thermoplastic du-

rable enough to perform the same as actual production

parts, making it ideal for testing prototypes and models.

FASTSIGNS also creates replacement parts, detailed

architectural models, and more using a 3D printer.

“Through the addition of 3D printing services, we can

help customers produce conceptual models of new prod-

ucts in the early creation stages,” explained Monson.

“And, we can provide the signs and visual graphics for

the branding, packaging and promotional needs of the

same companies.”

3D printing is currently available from FASTSIGNS of

San Diego - Mira Mesa, CA; FASTSIGNS of Milwaukee -

Glendale, WI; and FASTSIGNS of Chicago - Lakeview, IL.


SunDance Marketing Solutions

Expands OfferingsSunDance Marketing Solutions has announced the

addition of another wide-format printer to its feet—the

HP Scitex FB700.

“This printer will really open up creative possibili-

ties for our customers,” said Susanna Toppa, Creative

Director of SunDance. “It’s so incredibly versatile. We

can’t wait to show our customers what it can do for their

advertising campaigns.”


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Vehicle graphics producers—especially those

producing graphics for commercial feet vehicles

like DI Graphics—should think of themselves as

ad agencies helping clients with branding than

as printers producing specifc products.

Given our culture’s love affair with cars, vehicle

graphics can be a sexy and exciting market to be in.

By Richard Romano

Ink Vehicles:

Time was, “vehicle graphics” referred to a compa-

ny’s name spelled out in adhesive letters bought

at a hardware store. For non-commercial vehicles,

graphics tended to be simple things like racing

stripes, fames, or—for those in the 1970s who took

Sammy Johns’ hit “Chevy Van” to heart—elaborate,

custom-painted van murals.

Today’s highways and byways offer ample proof

that vehicle graphics are big business. They come in

all shapes, sizes, and confgurations, commercial and

“consumer.” Vehicle wraps are even used to change a

car’s color, and include other decorative effects such as

smoked taillights, tinted headlights, and blacking out

chrome. Some are for practical purposes, such as Clear-

bra, a line of transparent plastic flms that protect the

paint from road debris and other damage.

While vehicle graphics can involve applying

“holographic multicolor chrome wraps” to Lamborghinis

(see “Shake It Up: Vehicle Graphics Hit the Accelerator,”

To be Successful with Vehicle Wraps, Think Beyond the Graphic

MyPrintResource, Nov. 24, 2014 MyPRINTResource.

com/ 12022198), they’re actually used more often for

prosaic purposes, such as commercial graphics for vans

and trucks.

“Vehicle” graphics also aren’t limited to conveyances

with four wheels: buses, aircraft, and boats are also

potential market niches to exploit. Regardless of what

it is you are physically wrapping, many of the same

challenges and concerns apply. Some are practical and

technological, but some are strategic. That is, are you

selling a print or are you involved in the customer’s

brand management?


Wide-Format Imaging | February 2015 11MyPRINTResource.com

Geek Wraps University is a 3M

Graphics Authorized Training

and Testing facility in Fort

Lauderdale, FL. All classes are

taught by Kenny and Kathy

Calman, both 3M Graphics

Authorized Trainers and 3M

Graphics Authorized Testers.

The Mutoh

ValueJet 1624 is one

tool in a wrapper’s

arsenal.

Vehicle Graphics

Still Accelerating“There is no slowing down in sight,”

said David Conrad, director of mar-

keting, Mutoh America, Inc. “The

market for vehicle graphics will

continue to grow for the near and

foreseeable future. It’s an exciting

application that continues to attract

new opportunities for small print

shops, window tinters, car dealer-

ships, and others looking to grow

their business.”

Conrad said that the bulk of the

growth is in feet graphics—large

jobs mainly in business-to-business

and corporate sales. “Wraps and

decal production provide smaller

shops and newbies the ability to get

great exposure for their business

and grow with shorter-run jobs for

custom applications in both the B2B

and B2C spaces,” he said.

The Vinyl FrontierToday, wide-format inkjet print-

ers are the technology du jour for

producing wraps. Models from most

of the name brands that use (in

general) solvent and eco-solvent inks

on vinyl substrates are suitable for

vehicle graphics. Latex is up-and-

coming but, said Conrad, “may limit

the breadth of vinyl material you can

use due to high operating tempera-

tures used to dry the ink. They also

have a higher net ink cost per square

foot than solvent/eco-solvent inks.”

UV inks can be limited in terms of

stretchability, which makes them not

entirely suitable for vehicle graphics.

In terms of substrates, 2 or 3 mil

vinyls are the usual materials, with

3M, Avery, and Orafol being the

name brands. “Be wary of the cheap

imports as most of these lack con-

sistency and the quality necessary

for not only vehicle wrap projects

but other print applications as well,”

advised Conrad. “Wraps are one

application where you don’t want to

skimp on the materials you use.”

When choosing a printer, the

usual specs such as speed, features,

print and media width, support

options, vendor reputation, fexibili-

ty, and, above all, reliability, are the

usual things to consider. What size

is appropriate?

“Most wrap production shops go

with a 60-inch-wide printer so that

they can produce panels for wraps

that will cover most car and truck

hood widths,” said Conrad. “Any-

thing smaller than 60 inches wide

could cause some jobs to be seamed

on the hood or roof of the vehicle—

and that is not acceptable.”

It’s All Geek To MeHigh resolution is of paramount

importance, and these days that’s

pretty easy to fnd. Quality sub-

strates are also imperative. Again,

it’s easy to fnd good materials but,

said Kenny Calman, principal of

Oakland Park, FL’s, Geek Wraps, “do

your homework.”

Calman had a

unique trajectory

compared to most

graphic arts ex-

perts. He started

in Hollywood as a stuntman, which

led to vehicle wrapping for movies

and TV shows: changing the color

of cars and planes to match what a

particular script called for. He even

invented a system for producing

customized cellphone skins. A few

years later, Calman decided to move

in new directions. He had already

invested in wide-format printing and

imaging equipment, and looked for

other things to print. Thus, Geek

Wraps began producing banners

and vehicle wraps. Calman’s

frustration with the dearth of good

installation tools led him to design

his own. Other wrappers liked them,

so Calman had a successful tool

business going.

He then decided to get out of

commercial wrapping and focus his

energies on what today is known as

Geek Wraps University, a 3M-au-

thorized training facility that offers

three-day (or more) programs both

for car-wrap newbies and inter-

mediate-level wrappers looking to

improve their skills.

“A lot of people who come here

have already wrapped cars and have

an idea of how to do it,” said Calm-

an. “We teach them how to wrap

every type of complex curve there

can be, then we teach them how to

use every different type of material.”

By the end of the third day, “they

can wrap basically anything.”

The Devil’s In

My Car DetailingA car can be described as “boxy,”

but few cars actually are simple

boxes; they have an intricate surface

of curves, crevasses, and other topo-

logical features that can make vehi-

cle wrapping a challenge. Successful

wrapping means paying very close

attention to fne details. One of the



This in-house advertising

wrap for Geek Wraps

features a fully 3D custom

design.

goals of Geek Wraps Uni-

versity is to disabuse

wrappers of bad

habits, which of-

ten involve taking

shortcuts or not

paying attention

to detail.

“A lot of people don’t

use adhesive promoters,” said

Calman. “They don’t do a good

job of prepping the car. They don’t

understand that the prep is really

in the crevasses and the cracks.

They overlook the edges. As long

as it looks good on the surface, they

think the wrap looks good. Then the

edges give way and that’s when you

have a failure.” Edges of a graphic

need to be securely adhered even

Metro Wrapz

of FL created this

colorful wrap.

in those unpleasant and hard-to-

get-to places like under the car or in

the wheel wells. “It’s easy and fun

to wrap a car,” said Calman, “but

usually people don’t like the cutting,

trimming, and detailing. It also adds

a lot of labor to a job.”

Essential things to pay attention to

are the specifc properties of the ma-

terial you are using, and understand-

ing the effect of a given geography on

wraps and wrap materials. Florida,

Arizona, and upstate New York all

have very different weather condi-

tions and dry heat, humidity, freezing

cold, and snow will impact how a

wrap should be installed and how

one might fail. Driving over snow or

ice can scratch a wrap that extends

to the edges of a car. As a car warms

during the day and then cools at

night, the wrap material will expand

and contract. The weather to which a

wrap is exposed will also affect how

diffcult it is to remove, and whether

there’s the potential for removal to

damage the paint underneath. If

you’re wrapping someone’s Ferrari,

you’ll want to be careful about that.

We often speak of vehicle graph-

ics in terms of land vehicles, but

Calman—based in Florida—has

wrapped his share of boats. And

there, you need to pay attention to

what kind of water it’s going to be

sailed in: fresh water, brackish wa-

ter, salt water, etc., as they will all

have different effects on the vinyl.

Barnacles can be a threat, as well.

Planes—usually light aircraft unless

you’re servicing a major airline—are

also a possibility, but aircraft graph-

ics are subject to FAA regulations,

as well as drastic temperature and

pressure changes.

Any Color You LikeMuch of what vehicle graphics install-

ers do is for commercial purposes, but

a lot of wrapping is consumer-level.

Small detailing, smoked taillights,

chrome black-out, and so on.

“[Car owners] want to do their

roofs black, that’s really hot,” said

Andy Soleimani, president of Stick-

erCity. Based in Sherman Oaks, CA,

StickerCity has been specializing

in vehicle graphics since 2000. “We

get a lot of cars with a lot of chrome

on them from the factory,” he said,

“and people want to black out all

the chrome parts on the vehicle.”

Many of these jobs, like smoking

or tinting head- and taillights, are

quick and easy, and often low-mar-

gin. “They’re smaller projects or

add-ons,” said Soleimani.

A bigger and more complicated ap-

plication is color-change wrapping.

“People who are changing their

vehicle to a different color are look-

ing for really well-detailed graph-

ics,” said Calman. “You can get

away with a little bit on advertising,

but when it comes to color change,

you’ve got to do it perfectly.” Espe-

cially if you’re wrapping high-end

cars. “We’ve got two guys doing

their Bugattis twice a year in dif-

ferent colors. They want to see that

detail. The wrapper has got to get a

lot more money because there’s a lot

more labor involved.”

Most advertising graphics don’t

have to cover an entire vehicle;

often, a graphics installer can

achieve better results applying

several smaller, isolated graphics

rather than one big wrap. With color

changes, the wrapper doesn’t have

that luxury. You may have to do the

door jambs. You may have to go

under the hood and if the customer

wants it close to the engine, you

have to take into account the heat of

the engine. If you’re color-changing

Color-change wraps are

often applied for paint

protection, such as on this

Porsche.



Mutoh customer Metro

Wrapz of FL created this

full van wrap.

This boat ad wrap

created by Geek Wraps

was sponsored by an ad

agency and donated to the

Marine Corps. Jim Miller

from Miller Decals helped

with the installation.

a hatchback, there are hinges and

latches and other details.

The devil is in the details, as

they say.

An Ad Agency for CarsThe technical and practical issues

involved in car wrapping can seem

daunting, but with more than a little

attention to detail, those “bad hab-

its” can be overcome. What many

vehicle wrappers stress—especially

those doing graphics for commercial

vehicles—is to, as a business, think

of the wrap job less as a product,

and more as a service.

“I feel like most people enter this

marketplace focused on the prod-

uct of vehicle graphics, so they

spend their time fguring out how

to produce the products,” said Scott

McLean, CEO of Wheat Ridge, CO-

based DI Graphics. “My recommen-

dation would be to think in terms of

the brand or the image on the vehi-

cle when it’s done.” That is think of

it as an ad agency would.

DI Graphics has a somewhat

different M.O. than a lot of vehicle

graphics providers. The compa-

ny was founded in 1929 to make

hand-painted signs, got into screen

printing in the 1940s, and went

all-digital in 2005. It started pro-

ducing vehicle graphics in the same

way that a lot of printing companies

expand into new areas: a big cus-

tomer had the need and DI Graphics

sought to accommodate them, which

led to bigger and better things.

DI Graphics company began offer-

ing vehicle graphics in the 1980s,

and in the 1990s started to take on

large vehicle rebranding projects.

“Our expertise in large-vehicle re-

branding carried us through several

large M&As in 2000 and 2004,”

said McLean, “and in 2006, 2007,

we did probably the largest vehicle

rebranding project for AT&T where

over a two-year period we rebrand-

ed 75,000 vehicles across the US.”

DI Graphics has a nationwide net-

work of partners who handle a lot of

the installation.

One general trend has been a

positive boon for companies like DI

Graphics. “We live in a world now

where brands are tweaked more

frequently,” said McLean.

When companies get acquired,

merge, change a tagline, change a

graphic element or a color, or do a

complete rebranding, their vehicle

graphics need to change corre-

spondingly. Given that DI Graph-

ics works with some very large

feets, they have come to rely on a

database that tracks each vehicle

identifcation number (VIN) and the

details (with photos) of which graph-

ics are on it. “That allows brand

departments to know what genera-

tion of a brand or brand message is

on which particular asset, and they

can incorporate that into their brand

management,” said McLean.

And that’s ultimately what the role

of the vehicle wrapper is, in a sense:

helping with brand management.

When working with custom-

ers, said Calman, “try to be their

ad agency.” For vehicle graphics

producers, it’s often about more

than just printing and installing the

graphics, but designing them as

well, either in-house or with outside

graphic designers. This is why part

of Geek Wraps University’s curricu-

lum is communicating with graphic

designers, and understanding the

differences between the computer

screen and the vehicle.

For example there is a tendency

to make artwork too busy. “The

actual eyeshot time of going down

the road—you’ve got eight seconds

passing the vehicle and 30 seconds

at a traffc light,” said Calman. “Peo-

ple want to put so much information

on the side of their vehicles and they

don’t realize that people aren’t going

to sit there and read all that.” As

they say, less is more.

Calman identifed another element

that vehicle graphics designers

should consider: the “kid factor,” or,

he said, “making sure your artwork

has something that might attract

children. They’ll tap their father or

mother on the shoulder and say,

‘Look at that car over there!’ Your

service may be something [the par-

ent] needs. You need to be their ad

agency for that reason.”

Calman is a big proponent of 3D

graphics on vehicles, as it makes the

graphics pop without cluttering up

the artwork.

“By giving them a good piece of

artwork with a three-dimensional

shape to it, it does stand off all by

itself without being too busy,” he

said. “It catches the eye—and it has

the kid factor.”

Ultimately, it’s about thinking

beyond the graphic.

“I think companies are centered

on, ‘how do I get that ink on a

substrate to get a vehicle graphic?’”

said McLean. Instead, he advised,

“Think, how does a client view a

branded or wrapped vehicle in their

feet? What purpose does it serve

them? It forces the [print] business

owner to think more broadly than

just printing a vehicle graphic.

“You have to think of the total

delivery system and the value that

brands or advertising images on

vehicles really represents to the

brandowner.”



A great brand formed the foundation

for this award-winning truck wrap for

an HVAC company in the midwest.

Photo credit: Graphic D-Sign

Example of a

well-designed

vehicle wrap for

a business.

Image provided by

Roland DGA

While there are differences in approach when

designing business signs or vehicle wraps, the

overarching goal for both is to reinforce the

brand. “The intent of the wrap or sign is

to simply plant the company’s image, logo, or

brand in the mind of the potential customer,”

acknowledged Eric Zimmerman, product man-

ager, color products, Roland DGA.

Elevating the BrandCreating an identifable brand is the critical

frst step to implementing a successful graph-

ics program, asserted Dan Antonelli, president

of New Jersey-based Graphic D-Signs, a full-service

ad agency that caters to a national roster of small

businesses. The company expanded its initial core

competencies from branding and vehicle advertising

to include web design and development and marketing

and advertising services.

The challenge for the sign or vehicle wrap provider,

as the one who get the call from the business owner, is

assessing whether or not what the client wants makes

sense or works for that medium, explained Antonelli.

“If the customer feels that it’s their business and

their logo, and no matter how bad or good it is, ‘this is

my logo and I don’t care how bad it is I am going to put

it on my truck’—the graphics provider’s dilemma is ‘do

I just collect the check and move on, or do I educate the

client?’” said Antonelli. “Within our own company, we

may have to guide our clients to consider a redesign

logo so it works properly for that medium.”

Well-Designed Wraps and Signs Reinforce Brand IdentityBy Joann Whitcher

The brand needs to communicate a positive initial

frst impression, a positive brand promise, a point

Antonelli hammered home in his book, Building a Big

Small Business Brand: How to Turn Your Brand into

Your Most Valuable Asset, available on amazon.com

and through the company’s website (www.graph-

icd-signs.com). Branding for a small business is import-

ant, providing consistency across all touch points, from

business cards to vehicle wraps.

One of Graphic D-Signs clients, an HVAC company

with 30 trucks on the road, realized an 834 percent

increase in phone calls year to year after a brand and

logo redesign.


http://amazon.com

http://www.graphicd-signs.com

http://www.graphicd-signs.com



“It was the best investment he

ever made,” said Antonelli. “Com-

panies can get a huge ROI with

a logo design that is simple and

effective.”

Incorporating a brand logo

is more effective than just

using normal text for the

company name, said Dean

Derhak, product director

at SAi, makers of Flexi

Software. Branding af-

fects the color scheme

of the vehicle wrap

as well, so the whole

wrap design should

incorporate the brand

colors throughout.

“When creating

a wrap or sign

design, clarity, and

impact are crucial

elements,” he added.

“The viewer may only have a

chance to view a wrap or sign for

a few seconds, so the design has

to be striking and memorable. An

impactful wrap or sign design that

comes to mind when a consumer is

considering a purchase can truly be

the deciding factor.”

That being said, design con-

cepts can vary greatly depending

upon the particular project and

target audience.

“The effectiveness of a commer-

cial vehicle wrap is how well it

generates leads,” said Derhak. “So

the two key elements of an effec-

tive wrap design are eye-catching

graphics and clear contact infor-

mation. Customers often want big

graphics everywhere in the design

but that’s not as important as

simple contact information. That

means a phone number for most

businesses or website address for

web-based businesses. Contact

information should be visible on all

sides of the vehicle, including the

hood. For trucks, it’s important to

have the contact information on the

doors and the truck bed or box.”

For a vehicle wrap to be effective,

the design needs to be big, bold and

eye-catching, echoed Zimmerman.

“In many cases, less is more. Keep

in mind that you may need a wrap

to deliver the intended message

while the vehicle is traveling at 65

mph. The graphics should clearly

incorporate the brand’s imagery

as well as the company logo and

possibly a website URL, and they

should do so in an interesting, at-

tention-grabbing manner. Creative

design and vibrant color can play a

big role in creating a wrap or sign

that screams for attention. A lot

of Roland customers are using our

specialty inks, such as metallic Eco-

Sol MAX and Eco-Sol MAX 2, to

produce graphics that really pop.”

Pro Vehicle Outlines works with

thousands of vehicle graphics

professionals, providing them

with a yearly collection of vehicle

templates that they in turn use

to design, present, produce, and

install total wraps, partial wraps,

lettering, or decal applications,

explained Michael Chramtchenko,

director of marketing, CADlink

Technology Corporation. Pro Ve-




The above is a good

example of a partial wrap

+ decal application on a

Mustang using a Pro Vehicle

Outline template.

Vehicle image courtesy of Bluemedia,

Tempe, AZ.

TOP TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS

Avoid cluttered, confusing designs.

The fnal wrap must be easy for a viewer

to quickly comprehend. This means the

design should have contrast in colors so

the contact information will stand out.

Background graphics and colors

should not confict with the text

copy. Don’t make the design or text too

busy, as too much information on the

vehicle will encourage people to tune

out. For example, instead of listing all

of the products and services a cleaning

company offers or the locations it serves,

it’s more effective if the vehicle simply

states the company name, service, and

phone number.

Create a design with the vehicle in

mind. For example, don’t place letters

in the design where vehicle mirrors,

moldings, and handles are located. Wrap

fnishers can’t adjust a print without

losing letters in these non-wrap areas

on the vehicle. Wrap designers also need

to be aware of vehicle contour curves,

so they include extra design where

needed. Using vehicle design templates

can help with this, but taking some basic

measurements around key areas is the

best way to avoid costly design mistakes.

To avoid costly redesigns, consider

how the design will look and read

when the vehicle is in use. For

example, a van wrap designed incorrectly

can make a company message of

“Wholesale Tires for Sale” turn into

“Whores for Sale” when the sliding door

opens. Always check how the design

will look with the doors open and the

windows rolled down if using perforated

material on the windows.

QR codes need to be large enough

for people with a mobile device to

scan them from a realistic distance.

At a minimum, the QR code size needs to

be 13 percent of the scanning distance.

For example, to scan a QR code from four

feet away, it needs to be at least 6.5

inches wide on the vehicle.

Avoid using photographs, as it dates

the truck very quickly. Photos come

at the expense of the branding; it’s more

important to see the logo.

hicle Outlines is one of CADlink’s

businesses.

“Using these templates is

essential to what these graphic

professionals are trying to accom-

plish,” he said.

When designing vehicle graphics,

you need to ensure, for example,

that key information is not running

through the door handles or on the

rivets on side panels. You have to

make sure the text remains be-

tween wheel wells or fenders.

“Templates are critical tools that

ensure the graphic professionals

position their design properly,”

Chramtchenko said. “All of our

templates are created from factory

specifcations; measurements are

hand done and compared to the car

manufacturer’s specifcations. We

make sure, for example, the door

handle isn’t off by half an inch.”

The templates show differ-

ent views, and are a huge help

in ensuring the graphics are

positioned in a way to maximize

the effectiveness of the graphics

when installed on the vehicle,

added Chramtchenko.

Once the design is completed, a

template with the graphics is pro-

vided, a printed proof of what the

vehicle will look with the graphics.

The customer can see exactly what

the fnished product will look like.

SAi Flexi Designer allows for fast

wrap design at 100 percent scale,

important for making sure image

resolutions are correct for fnal out-

put, said Derhak. This also makes it

easier when going to print because

there are no scaling issues from

design to production.

Flexi combines complete vec-

tor object and text tools with full

bitmap editing capabilities and

Adobe Photoshop flter support, so

all aspects of wrap design can be

accomplished quickly in a single

application and at full output scale.

Flexi Designer interfaces directly

with other RIP software like Roland

Versaworks and ONYX. When it

comes to printing vehicle wraps,

the Flexi Production Manager RIP

software offers special custom

tiling and overlap tools that make

fnishing easier, said Dehart. Flexi

allows shops to set custom tiles

around windows and all major

panels of a vehicle with correct

overlaps. This makes placement

and edge-to-edge seamless wrap-

ping easier with the least amount

of material wasted.

As far as signs are concerned,

there are countless types, so

there’s no “one-size fts all” ap-

proach, said Zimmerman. “There

are key elements you should con-

sider when developing your design,

however. First off, think about the

purpose of your sign, what you

want it to accomplish.

Equally important is taking into

account who the audience is and

the specifc action you want them

to take (call to action). Certain

rules apply across the board when

designing signs. Always use proper

spacing, keeping in mind how you

are using negative space. Creating

a sign that is clear, concise and

clutter-free works regardless of the

format or size.”


Car wraps require inks that rival paint.

Only ColorPainter printers with proprietary

ColorPainter inks can deliver that color pop and

punch to grab your attention, and provide leading

outdoor durability and lightfastness.

BRILLIANT COLOR: High-density ink delivers

consistent rich, bold and glossy colors for maximum

impact and superior durability.

PHENOMENAL SPEED: Laser-fast precision

output and premium print quality drives workfow

productivity for increased profts. Twice the speed of

competitors with similar quality.

SMART INVESTMENT: Industrial printheads and ink

technologies reduce ink cost and afford time savings

Command Performance BRILLIANT COLOR. PHENOMENAL SPEED. SMART INVESTMENT.

PRODUCTION SPEED 356 SFPH

SX INK - ECO-SOLVENT, LOW ODOR

6-COLOR OR 7-COLOR (WITH GRAY)

AUTO PRINT ADJUST/CALIBRATION

ON-CARRIAGE IONIZER

ONYX RIP INCLUDED

MSRP $42,599

“The quality, speed and

durability make Seiko

Instruments’ ColorPainter

printers superior for wraps.”

Troy Downey, Wraps Pro &

Owner of APE Wraps

Local support from the industry’s best resellers.

www.sii-printers.com | 800-264-1272



http://www.sii-printers.com


Application Spotlight


The Water Tower Tank ProjectjTransforming New

York City’s Skyline

through Art


In November 2013 HP was ap-

proached about a major “environ-

mental art exhibition” underway

and planned for debut in New

York City. Beginning July 2014, The

Water Tank Project encouraged New

Yorkers to look up and be inspired by

New York City’s iconic water tanks

wrapped in artwork by some of

the world’s best-known artists and

infuencers, to draw attention to the

global water crisis.

The Water Tank Project will cele-

brate our most precious resource of

all with art by creative and artistic

luminaries—among them artists Ed

Ruscha, John Baldessari, Jeff Koons,

Andy Goldsworthy, Marilyn Minter,

Carrie Mae Weems, and Lawrence

Weiner—who have pledged to make

a difference when it comes to water.

The Water Tank Project is the frst

public art exhibition to use the New

York City water tanks as a canvas

that will be seen by millions. For the

duration of the Project, the art above

will be complemented by various

actions and activities on the ground,

including events, public tours of the

tanks, unique fundraising pro-

grams, and various social media and

promotional initiatives, to engage

the public. The Water Tank Project

is also launching a mobile platform,

accessible to any smartphone that

will allow the public to navigate and

follow the Project, view the artwork,

and learn how to get involved and

make a difference.

Starting July 2014, everyone in

New York will be looking up at

hundreds of water tower tanks

covered in art produced on HP’s

large-format Latex printers and

learning a valuable environmen-

tal lesson.

While in Ethiopia shooting a doc-

umentary, flmmaker Mary Jordan

fell ill in a remote village. The village

women took her in and nursed her

back to health. They asked Mary for

one thing: to tell the world about

HEAD TO THE WEB

To learn more about the project,

view the video here:


their biggest issue, the lack of avail-

able drinkable/potable water.

Upon her return to New York City,

she saw the iconic water tower

tanks that dot the landscape of the

fve boroughs and hatched the idea

to use them to create an awareness

program. Word above the street was

born as a non-proft organization that

has transformed these water towers

into an awareness program by drap-

ing them with art. And The Water

Tower Project was born.

More than 150 rooftop water tanks

throughout the fve boroughs of New

York were wrapped in artwork by

acclaimed artists and design talent

across various design disciplines.

(art, fashion, interiors, architecture,

photography, etc.).

Duggal Visual Solutions, a shop

serving the Metro New York area

for over 45 years, won the project

to produce all the wraps. Duggal

produced an estimated 40,000 sqft of

output using its HP latex printer and

latex ink.




Wide-Format Imaging | February 2015 19MyPRINTResource.com bru 20F

Whether white, clear, neon

or metallic, inks that fall

within the category of

specialty inks help ad-

vance the fundamental mission of

wide-format inkjet printing, which

is to create impactful, high-quality,

and eye-catching graphics.

But are specialty inks really

essential to achieve this objective?

And if they are, how can you use

specialty inks effectively, effcient-

ly, and productively?

David Hawkes, group product

manager, sign products and textile

printers with Irvine, CA-based

Roland DGA, is among many who

argue that the prime beneft of

specialty inks is differentiation.

Liquid Assets: Specialty Inkjet InksWith a little bit of “wow” from specialty inks, PSPs can

create impactful, high-quality, and eye-catching graphics.

By Jeffrey Steele

“When a print service provider’s

output doesn’t stand out from the

rest, it becomes the new normal,”

he said.

“By learning how to effectively

use specialty ink sets, a PSP can

differentiate his or her work from

the competition.”

What he calls “the Nirvana of

graphics” is spurring end users

to stop in their tracks, wanting to

touch the image they’ve just seen.

Specialty inks do just that, helping

create prints that demand atten-

tion and spark lasting impact.

The benefts of specialty inks,

however, go beyond product differ-

entiation, said Matt McCausland,

associate product manager, profes-

sional imaging, with Long Beach,

CA-based Epson America, Inc. The

inks also provide PSPs the capabili-

ty to expand their product offer-

ings. Take white ink, for instance.

“Leveraging the white ink, print

providers can offer static window

cling products, as well as [gain]

the ability to print on colored vi-

nyl,” McCausland said.

“We have noticed a big jump in

demand for these types of prod-

ucts in the signage space recently,

and have developed training tools

to assist customers in production.

[That’s] because understanding

the workfow, capabilities and lim-

itations to printing with specialty

inks is critical.”

Incidentally, the fact that a

market for specialty inks exists

is in part due to the demand for

inks evolving more swiftly that ink

producers can respond.

That is the conviction of Mike

Wozny, senior product manager, ink

business, with Meredith, NH-based

EFI. “The market is demanding

them more quickly than we can

innovate those specialty-type

products,” he said. “So you can’t

“We have

noticed a big

jump in demand

for these types of

products in the

signage space

recently, and

have developed

training tools to

assist customers

in production.

[That’s] because

understanding

the workfow,

capabilities and

limitations to

printing with

specialty inks is

critical.”

necessarily get them in an all-inclu-

sive Swiss Army-type inkset.

“A great example is thermoform.

Imagine you focus on banners and

point of purchase, but also want

to do some thermoforming deep

recess applications as well. Ulti-

mately, you’d want that thermo-

forming ink in the inkset, but the

market is evolving faster. Hence

the need for specialty inks.”

Using EffectivelyWhat are some keys to using

specialty inks effciently and

productively? According to Wozny,

doing so is a matter of having a

good business model to support an

investment in specialty inks. “You

don’t want to be swapping them

out, because it takes time to do

that,” he said. “You want to make

the right investment based on the

business you have today. You don’t

want to be doing thermoforming

today and something else tomor-

row, requiring a hard swap.”

First and foremost, McCausland

reported, PSPs must have a RIP

capable of processing and printing

specialty inks. For instance, he

said, the Epson SureColor print-

ers come bundled

with Onyx

GamaPrint



Pro, and include the ability to

print white and metallic silver

right out of the box. Additionally,

a metallic color library is provided

to assist users in hitting specifc

metallic colors.

Epson provides optional specialty

inks for the Epson SureColor S50670

(white) and SureColor S70670 (white

and metallic silver) printers.

“We do recommend that customers

create custom profles to maximize

the performance for a particular ap-

plication, especially if they plan to do

a lot of printing with specialty ink,”

McCausland reported.

In addition, users must be aware

of the unique circumstances of

utilizing specialty inks and em-

ploy that awareness to manage

expectations before committing

resources. “Print modes with spe-

cialty inks are much slower than

standard production print speeds,”

he said.

“This should be taken into

account when scheduling pro-

duction. Print providers should

also consider the cost of specialty

inks, which can be more than 50

percent [higher] per milliliter than

standard CMYK inks.

“These increased costs are typi-

cally offset by the print provider’s

ability to charge a premium for

specialty ink products.”

All in all, he added, Epson

America has seen an increase in

demand for specialty ink print ca-

pabilities. Epson strives, he add-

ed, “to not only provide the tools

for printers to offer this service,

but also provide the knowledge

to successfully translate special-

ty ink printing into an increased

bottom line.”

No Universal ApproachThe use of specialty ink requires a

different workfow, Hawkes said.

A well-run shop understands how

to make the most of its staff, re-

sources and equipment to ensure

optimum results and productivity.

And there is no “one size fts all”

approach in specialty inks. Each

has its own requirements, he said.

Metallic. With metallic ink, less

is more. It can be used to create

a metal image, of chrome wheels,

for example. But it will

achieve the greatest

impact when used in

prints where view-

ers don’t expect

the ink to appear,

Hawkes said.

“Using minimal

amounts of metallic

ink not only makes

for a more attractive

and impactful print, it

also keeps ink costs down,” he

added. “When used sparingly

and effectively, metallic can cost

mere pennies to use. Metallic ink

actually incorporates aluminum

particulates, which account for its

refective brilliance.

“This unique formulation typi-

cally requires a special workfow

and additional curing time for

optimal results.”

The biggest mistake committed

by print providers is waiting for

customers to ask for metallic print,

Hawkes said. Because the tech-

nology is comparatively new, most

people aren’t aware of its advan-

tages and applications.

“Trying to describe the impact

of metallic ink to potential cus-

tomers is diffcult,” he observed.

“It’s much more effective to sim-

ply show them prime examples of

metallic prints and let the sam-

ples speak for themselves. The

most successful PSPs show end

users samples with and without

metallic ink effects, and tell them

that metallic costs about 30 per-

cent more. After comparing the

two types of prints, more often

than not, end users will choose

the metallic option.”

Clear ink. Hawkes believed it’s

likely clear ink above any other

specialty ink has resulted in more

customers saying “Wow!” Refec-

tiveness and shine come to mind

frst when clear ink’s benefts are

discussed, but it can be used to

add dimensionality and texture to

prints as well, he said. Clear ink

can also be layered over an image

and printed upon to impart an

added depth.

Success, he added, is “all in the

details.” Taking time to prepare

a fle correctly can mean the

difference between an awesome

print and just another

graphic. That‘s why

Roland DGA offers a

series of webinars that

include tips and tricks in the most

effective utilization of clear inks,

he reported.

White ink. White ink isn’t merely

a specialty ink, Hawkes said. It’s

an ink that opens doors to new

applications. It is most often lever-

aged in applications that use clear

substrates, such as window and

foor decals.

“Because a food of ink is used,

white requires additional drying

and curing time,” he reported.

“It’s worth the extra time invest-

ment, however, as the results

are truly unique.” Roland DGA’s

specialty inks are offered within

the company’s Eco-Sol MAX, Eco-

Sol MAX 2 and ECO-UV families,

he added.

Accepting TradeoffsIf specialty inks didn’t require

print service providers to make

tradeoffs, they would not be



special. They’d be in the all-pur-

pose inkset, said Wozny, whose

company markets white ink, just

announced its frst clear ink and

has a major presence in the area of

thermoforming.

“A lot of times the differ-

ences [between specialty

and other inks] come down

to adhesion to certain

substrates,” he added. “For

example, Swiss Army inksets

have very broad adhesion, and ther-

moforming inks very narrow.”

Contrasts are also seen in “du-

rability from a rub perspective,”

he said.

In other ways, EFI’s specialty

and non-specialty inks are similar,

Wozny remarked. Their quality

and print speeds are the same

regardless of whether the ink’s

special in nature. From a perspec-

tive of “jet-ability,” they are sim-

ilar, and from the perspective of

maintenance and overall usability,

very similar.

Specialty inks can be more expen-

sive and thus should command a

higher price from PSPs’ customers.

“On a square foot versus square

foot basis, specialty inks probably

are higher priced,” Wozny said.

“The R & D needs to be covered

over a smaller number of units.

But the specialty inks provide a

higher value print. There are less

competitive pressures, and that

provides a great return on invest-

ment for the guy buying the print...

You can charge more for anything

you do to add more value in what

you offer customers.”

mimakiusa.com [email protected] 888-530-4021

© 2015 Mimaki USA

NEW CJV300 SERIES

GO BEYOND cut and print.The new Mimaki CJV300 Series combines production

printing with precision cutting. Now with 1.5 times brighter

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64-inch model can deliver production runs of labels, decals,

vehicle markings, posters, banners, backlits, POP displays,

signs and more. Or use it to create short-run items such as

package prototypes or T-shirt transfers. Also available in a

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p e

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The Sign Connection


Using Digital Marketing Tools for B2B Marketing

How will this elevate

my brand? Is the man-

ner of distribution con-

venient and cost effcient

for my business?

All of these questions are

often asked by business own-

ers that are determining whether to

invest in your products or services; therefore,

it is important for you to deliver a message

that not only promotes the quality of your

brand but also shows your competitive advan-

tage in your industry.

In today’s technology-saturated era, digital marketing

tools are widely used and are great options for building

your B2B online marketing strategy. Here are a few digital

marketing tools to consider when trying to build a solid,

ongoing relationship with other businesses:

Email MarketingEmail marketing is one of the most convenient ways to

connect with other business owners. It has proven over

time to be a good way of introducing and promoting your

brand to a wide variety of audiences. According to the

Chief Marketing Offcer Council in 2013, “More than 44

percent of email recipients make at least one purchase

based upon a promotional email.”

You can begin by creating a monthly newsletter or

weekly promotion to keep your customers up to speed

on the happenings at your business and in your industry.

Creating an email campaign around your latest product

that promotes sustainability and energy conservation will

not only advertise the product, but it also educates the

consumer about its features and the impact it has on the

environment. The educational aspect of your email mar-

keting campaign will entice the consumer to learn more

about your products.

With that in mind, it’s important to take the time to

collect and manage a solid email list of owners that are

interested in your brand and have inquired about doing

business with you. Once a good rapport is established

with those email contacts, branch out and seek more. In

all, your ability to retain a consistent and engaging list of

email contacts will determine the success of your email

marketing campaigns.

BloggingBlogging is gaining popularity as a digital marketing tool

for B2B advertising. Similar to other types of social media,

blogging helps you to share ideas, important facts and For more information, visit MyPRINTResource.com/10158964

When creating a comprehensive

B2B marketing strategy, be sure to

use all the available tools.

By Sarah Malpeli

As a small business owner, building a solid B2B

marketing strategy is the key to maintaining strong

business relationships. B2B marketing is essential

for the growth of your business, in that it helps fulfll

the needs of other businesses, based on the demand for

your products and services. Unlike B2C products, B2B

products and services are more complex, requiring a

more in depth analysis to determine purchase decisions.

Business owners contemplate the risks when making a

purchase decision more so than your everyday consumer:

How does this product or service beneft my company?





general in-the-know topics about your industry. More

content-driven than social media, blogging takes time and

well-developed ideas to appeal to a particular audience.

For general audiences, it is always safe to post articles

or editorials on topics that affect everyone, such as

new technology, the economic climate and

business insights. To connect with a

specifc audience such as business

owners in the signage industry, it

would be benefcial to post infor-

mation relating to new materials or

different ways to fnd and work with

vendors from the signage industry.

Your topics should always be relevant

to the audience so that you can maintain a

high level of engagement.

Social MediaAs social media becomes a major part of our day-to-day

routine, companies are running to social media sites

for marketing help. Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+

are great social media platforms to help build your B2B

marketing strategy. Many businesses use these platforms

as a gateway to connect with other business and to share

valuable information within their industry.

Social media is an ever-evolving tool that can also be

used to educate other businesses about your market and

the development of your products and services. A simple

status update about a local event or a video that shows

the day-to-day activities of your business are great exam-

ples of content to share on your social media sites. These

types of postings open the door to engagement and get

people talking about your brand.

Mobile AdvertisingMobile advertising is one of the newest approaches in

digital B2B marketing. With smart phone sales rising each

year, more businesses have turned to mobile ads and apps

to catch the consumer’s attention. According to Victoria

Campbell of BlueFire PR, “The Mobile Marketing Asso-

ciation expects B2B marketers to spend upwards of $30

billion by 2015.” That’s an enormous amount of money

being invested into mobile advertising.

So where does your business ft in this investment?

The best approach to mobile advertising is to create and

promote a mobile app for your company. Mobile apps make

it easier for consumers to access your company’s website,

get information about your products and services and stay

up to date on new promotions and events. Mobile apps are

convenient tools to keep your consumers engaged with

your brand.

The great thing about building a B2B marketing strate-

gy is that you have so many different tools to choose from.

You are not bound to one tool to enhance your marketing

strategy; using all available digital and traditional market-

ing tools at the right time with the appropriate audience

will increase your brand visibility and eventually get sales

booming. All it takes is effective planning and strategizing

to make your advertising initiatives a success.

Market Place

February 2015 Ad Directory

BANNERS

To advertise in the classified section contact

[email protected] | (800) 616-2252, ext. 6103

mimakiusa.com

UV LED | Tabletop size | 24”x16.5”

Go wide. UJF-6042

For more information visit, MyPRINTResource.com/10006709

Advertiser ......................................................... PG#

Epson ................................................................... 2-3

www.MyPRINTResource.com/10005229

www.proimaging.epson.com

800-GO-EPSON

Geek Wraps .......................................................... 15


www.geekwraps.com

Ink Mill Corporation ........................................... 22


www.inkmillcorp.com

603-217-4144

ISA .......................................................................... 9


www.signexpo.org/WFI

Mimaki USA ....................................................21, 23


www.mimakiusa.com

Mutoh America .................................................... 28


www.mutoh.com

800-99MUTOH

Seiko | Infotech .................................................... 17


www.seiko-i.com

800-264-1272








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http://www.proimaging.epson.com


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http://www.inkmillcorp.com


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http://www.mutoh.com


http://www.seiko-i.com

Show Products


Be sure to check out these

products when you’re on the trade

show foor.

GOA 2015 Highlights

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, GOA 2015 (February 26-28 at the Miami

Beach Convention Center) will showcase a variety of wide-format prod-

ucts on the exhibition hall and the Wrap Cup Americas competition. The

competition showcases the skill, creativity and quality of installers/vehi-

cle wrappers and is designed to recognize and promote the best of the best in

the global vehicle wrapping community. Wrap Cup Americas takes place right

on the show foor in booth 783.

Wide-format technology heats up this February

in Miami Beach


Mimaki USA: Booth 237Mimaki will have a variety of

produts on display in its booth.

Products on display include:

Mimaki CJV300 Series cut-and-print

devices can deliver an array of applica-

tions including posters, labels, metallic

decals, backlits, wearable art and more.

Eco-solvent inks in a variety of colors—

including Silver, White, Light Black, and

Orange—and advanced printing technologies offer the ability to create

anything from fne art reproductions to outdoor signage at a higher

quality with shorter turnaround times and at a lower cost-per-print.

Dye-sublimation inks are available for textile, apparel and soft sig-

nage production. 54- and 64-inch widths available.

Mimaki JV300 Series of high-productivity printers deliver outstand-

ing image quality and reliable performance with many cost-saving

features. The JV300 Series offers eight ink channels and nine eco-sol-

vent ink colors to suit a wide range of applications. For textile and

apparel production, dye-sublimation inks are also available. 54- and

64-inch widths available.

Designed for lighter production environments, Mimaki CJV150 Series

cut-and-print devices can produce posters, displays, wearable art, and more.

Available in 32-, 43-, 54- and 64-inch widths, this model series uses eco-solvent

inks in a variety of colors—including Silver, White, Light Black and Orange—to

produce a variety of indoor and outdoor applications with shorter turnaround

times and at a lower cost-per-print. Dye-sublimation inks are also available.

Microcut/Colter &

Peterson: Booth 367Colter & Peterson will feature four

versions of Microcut, the automated

back gauge control system. Two

newer programs, Microcut COLOR

WS and Microtrack II, join the highly

popular and reliable Microcut PLUS

WS, and Microcut JR.

Each system is automated and

can be installed on any brand cutter

between 20-150 inches. Giving the

user the ability to store cutting

sequences so the back gauge au-

tomatically positions itself for each

individual cut within 1/64th of an

inch, upgraded features include a

digital read out displays and easy

conversion from centimeters and

millimeters to inches.

CJV300 Series cut-and-print device

CJV150 (above) VJ300-160 (below)




ImageOne Impact: Booth 682ImageOne Impact will be exhibit-

ing for the frst time this year and

offering graphics shop tools like their

work table frames, cutting mats,

safety rulers up to 8-feet in length

as well as cutting tools for all types

of. ImageOne Impact specializes

in Graphics Shop Tools for cutting,

mounting, hanging, transferring and

general sign and graphics assembly

and production work. The company

will be offering 100+ page catalogs

of all its products as well as demon-

strations in the booth of many of the

most popular tools of the trade.

Caldera: Booth 495The new edition of Caldera’s imaging

software puts a re-designed user

interface and streamlined core

architecture at the heart of a number

of upgrades that deliver massive pro-

ductivity to all types of wide-format

print business. V10 harnesses the

latest version of APPE and many new

features to deliver a RIP solution that

enables blistering throughput speeds

to pump-up your print volumes.

Version 10 also now integrates

various modules within the heart of

its interface such as Contour Nesting,

Tex&Repeat, and PrintBoard.

Mutoh: Booth 495Mutoh will have a variety of produts

on display in its booth and also as

part of Print Shop Live! Products on

display include:

§ValueJet 1624 – Known as the

“Wrapper’s Choice” printer, the

ValueJet 1624 has incredible print

speed, quality and performance.

The Eco-solvent 1624’s technolog-

ical advancements set a new stan-

dard for large-format printers.

§RJ-900X – The Mutoh 42 inch

printer has superior paper handling

capabilities that is ideally suited to

print dye-sublimation applications.

§ValueJet 1638WX – It is ideal for

every day sublimation printing.

Designed with advanced features

like; a rear media feed lever for easy

material handling, take-up system,

an easy to navigate control panel

and simple operation, the learning

curve is short so you can focus on

customers and profts.

§ValueJet 1324 – It is a high-perfor-

mance, small footprint, eco-solvent

printer featuring cutting edge print

technology and precision engineer-

ing at an affordable price.

§ValueJet 426UF – This tabletop

UV-LED printer is the perfect ft for

any print shop looking to expand

their applications and enter the

world of UV-LED printing. The VJ

426UF prints on a variety of differ-

ent materials, including 3D objects,

up to 2.75 inches thick.

Ricoh: Booth 644Ricoh will display solutions that

enable print service providers to ex-

pand their application portfolio and

deliver unique output to their end

customers. The RICOH Pro C7110X

is a high speed, fve color production

class laser printer with speeds up to

90ppm and a banner printing option.

The RICOH Pro L4160 is a wide-for-

mat, seven-color printer designed for

sign shops and printers providing

large display-type print jobs with

superior print quality on a wide

range of substrates. The RICOH Pro

C5110S color platform and RICOH

Pro C8100S monochrome platform

each offer greater output fexibility

and help enable a more cost-effcient

print operation.

RICOH Pro C7110X

RICOH Pro L4160



Industry Insights


Inspiring Educational Opportunities

Michael Hage shows just how

ISA International Sign Expo

can help a business solve its

most pressing needs.

When he bought All Signs in Gulf-

port, MS, he knew very little about

the sign industry. But he knew

he wanted to grow the small

business. The former owner

pointed him to ISA Interna-

tional Sign Expo as a good

place to start.

That frst year, he took

educational courses that helped

him fll his knowledge gaps. And he

found products on the ISA Sign Expo

foor that would help him expand his

new business.

He came to the show with a shop-

ping list: frst up was buying a digital

printer, something that he had identi-

fed as a critical need as he complet-

ed the purchase of the business. He

used the show foor to investigate

every make and model available at

the time. He took that research back

and completed a purchase within a

few months with a vendor that he

had met during the show.

That’s been more than a decade

ago. And he’s been back every year

since. Just last year, Michael used

the event to fnd out more about dy-

namic digital signage. Now, a demo

unit is on display in his company’s

lobby so that he can showcase the

rapidly growing new technology to

potential customers.

It’s no wonder he believes that ISA

Sign Expo is the place to go when a

sign and visual communications frm

has a question. “Every answer you

need is there, and there are people

who will help you,” he recounted.

We’re far along with planning for

this year’s event, scheduled for April

8-11 at the Mandalay Bay Convention

companies understand whether this

new business opportunity is a good

ft for their shops.

And I’m particularly excited

about a new track designed to be a

game-changer for sign and visual

communications companies. It will

help them fnd new strategies to

grow their businesses.

Maybe you’re like Michael and as

you look at your business—or your

competition—you know there are ar-

eas in which you need to grow. This

year, we’ll have more than 200,000

feet of foor space at ISA Sign Expo,

every inch designed to help you fnd

products, equipment, and business

lines to help you do so.

Carl Bedford of Carl’s Signs,

Starke, FL, said the show foor

“gives me inspiration. I get to see

all the new products and it’s very

informative. I just wouldn’t want

to miss it.”

I hope that you are in that cate-

gory, too, with ISA International Sign

Expo as an annual event. Perhaps

you need just a little nudge to com-

plete registration. The deadline for

Early Bird discounts on educational

courses—which are signifcant—is

February 28.

If you haven’t been to ISA Interna-

tional Sign Expo, I would ask, “Why

not?” In one location, you’ll see the

diversity that our industry offers,

from wide-format printers to digital

signage to vehicle wrapping to LEDs.

There is no other industry event

that is as complete. So even if you’ve

been to regional or national events in

recent years, if you haven’t been to

ISA Sign Expo, you haven’t seen the

breadth and depth of the sign and

visual communications industry.

Hage put it this way: “There is

such a wealth of knowledge there

that you can’t afford not to go.”

It’s something that has been worth

the expense of time and money for

more than a decade for him. If you

haven’t been yet, I hope you’ll join us.

If you have, I hope you’ll return.

And when you come, bring with

you that list of challenges and

opportunities that your business is

facing this year. I know that you’ll

fnd the exhibitors, education, and/

or industry peers who can help you

overcome those challenges and

seize the opportunities.

Taking advantage of industry training builds

better businesses and can inspire owners to

greatness. By Lori Anderson

Center in Las Vegas. Registration

and more information is available at

www.signexpo.org.

Last year, more than 18,000 people

attended, and I’m betting that many

of them have stories similar to Mi-

chael’s: They had an issue or concern

and found the product, education, or

contact they needed.

Michael found some of the answers

he needed through our industry-lead-

ing education seminars. We have

worked hard to align these sessions

with the most pressing concerns, and

to make sure that we have some-

thing for everyone. We have courses

for entry-level employees, sales

managers, designers, and C-level ex-

ecutives. All of them have one thing

in common: They are presented by

the top experts in their felds.

Our education is structured so

that attendees can choose the areas

of interest to them, whether that is

taking a few courses or dedicating

the majority of their time there. For

those who want to dive deeper, we

have tracks that focus on multiple

angles of the same topic. We’re

bringing back our popular education-

al track aimed at project managers.

We’ll offer more learning on dynamic

digital signage, designed to help



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