A vibrant vision
Flexible substrates have evolved beyond simply being a base for applied lettering, with materials now representing staple manufacturing products for sign-makers. Furthermore, materials have moved into some highly specialist markets, with product attributes being prized, for example, for the way they hang or drape, the fact they block light or for sheer durability.
Durability has been a prime goal as there are many modes of failure associated with poor substrates, such as rejection of applied graphics due to poor quality plasticisers, yellowing and other forms of photo-degradation, and impairment of print due to changes in surface finish.
Surfaces have, therefore, also evolved as manufacturers have added value with improved finishes, and in some cases better qualified DNA, ensuring that products work by design rather than simply by accident.
More than meets the eye
A stunning interior design created using Fujifilm's euromedia SmartWall non-woven wallpaper
“The market generally retains some challenges, particularly from the perspective of material cost being a significant customer consideration,” explains Spandex’s product sales manager, Steve Jacques, who adds: “However, we have identified considerable movement towards products that are a little more expensive but which, because of their inherent technology, make the application process for the end-user much faster and easier, and also improve the final aesthetic of the applied material.”
This is a development that the company has actively encouraged via the added-value properties that have been engineered into its own-brand ImagePerfect products. Two such examples are grey adhesive systems and PerfectApply technology.
In the case of grey adhesive systems, the additional opacity afforded by the grey pigmentation in the adhesive allows for greatly reduced levels of show-through on the applied product, whilst having no effect on the adhesive performance. This ensures that the printed image is not negatively impacted by any colour or structure on the substrate and it even provides a light barrier in the event of any possible daylight transmittance.
The market generally retains some challenges, particularly from the perspective of material cost being a significant customer consideration”
PerfectApply is Spandex’s own technology that allows for re-positionable applications without the build-up of entrapped air bubbles behind the film, as any air bubbles can be quickly removed by simply app-lying gentle pressure with a squeegee.
Jacques continues: “Both grey adhesive systems and PerfectApply technology add a little cost to the product, in relation to the comparable cost of the equivalent ‘standard’ products, but the on-cost for these features is minimal in terms of the cost of the overall application. They allow for faster, easier, cleaner application with a higher level of finished aesthetic and, after all, time is money.”
Growing opportunities
As the market becomes increasingly competitive, getting ahead of the competition to deliver new applications could make the difference between success and failure for a sign-making business. With this in mind, Sihl Direct has launched its PersoMural range of media—designed to help sign-makers exploit the rising demand for wall-graphics.
Fujifilm's euromedia FlowTex FR polyester is ideal for textile framing systems and displays
Ian Turnbull, operations director for Sihl Direct UK, says: “PersoMural can be hung using everyday wallpaper paste. Lining up patterns after hanging is easy and, due to its dry structure, it is also easy to remove after use, without any problems. Its high opacity and tight structure enables a perfect covering, even when faced with small cracks and uneven walls. And the scratch resistance of the PVC-free media makes mounting easy and carefree.”
The great advantage of wall-coverings as an application is the multitude of walls that can be covered, from boardrooms to private residences and even exhibition stands.
Turnbull continues: “We printed and applied our own graphics to our stands at Sign and Digital UK and FESPA, and it looked great. This is less expensive than having custom-built exhibition graphics and we could see several more stands with wallcoverings this year.”
Sihl’s PersoMural comes in a range of formats, allowing for different types of application. Some are ready pasted and just need water applied, while others are the same as normal wallpaper and can be applied using standard paste.
We printed and applied our own graphics to our stands at Sign and Digital UK and FESPA, and it looked great. This is less expensive than having custom-built exhibition graphics”
“I am no DIY expert, but as long as you are patient and careful, most people can apply wallpaper to a reasonable standard. We are seeing this product increase in popularity and expect this to be a massive growth area in the coming months,” Turnbull concludes.
Repropoint, part of the Graphic Dealers Ltd group of privately owned digital print resellers, transformed its office using Sihl Direct’s PersoMural wallpaper inkjet media. The 6 x 2m wallcovering depicts a glorious tropical island scene, which brightens the office and the mood of the staff.
General manager, Warwick Seymour, explains they had been looking to decorate the office for some time: “I received samples from Sihl Direct for its PersoMural media, so I thought, ‘why not?’ I was surprised at just how easy it was to apply. I did it on my own over two mornings. I didn’t even bother with a pasting table, I just laid it out on the floor and wet it with a sponge and hung each strip in order. Start at the top and down you go. I have to say it looks great and it is now an excellent example to show customers who are looking to add value with their HP Latex.”
Michael Crook, sign and display product manager at Antalis UK, confirms that the two categories within the company’s flexible substrates offering that are currently experiencing strong growth are wallcoverings and textiles.
Rene Bourgeois, manager export sales and administration, Fujifilm Deutschland, syas the demand for textile media is booming
“Products within these categories are evolving at a faster rate than many others in the digital print sector,” he comments, before adding: “The growth in these markets is being driven by technological developments in printing equipment, such as latex inks, which have combined to open up a lot more applications for customers. There is also increasing demand from large-format printers and sign and display specialists that are looking to add more applications to their portfolio.”
Harrogate based Joe Manby Limited, a family owned event service company with over 40 years’ experience in stand-fitting, graphics, electrics and other event services, has become a well-established name for exhibitions and events. To maintain their high-quality and trustworthy reputation, the choice of material is, therefore, important and the products they use need to be consistent, reliable and competitive.
Graphics manager, David Fletcher, chose Coala Matt White Permanent Grey Back and Coala Matt Laminate from Antalis to produce their exhibition graphics and wall displays.
“The Coala range is very competitive and just as good as long established brands,” states Fletcher.
He continues: “We like using the product because of the grey adhesive and can overlay it on top of other prints.”
The growth in these markets is being driven by technological developments in printing equipment, such as latex inks, which have combined to open up a lot more applications for customers”
Antalis’s Crook adds: “Coala adhesive and laminate products produce excellent print reproductions and adhere to foam PVC securely, to give peace of mind that your graphics will last long after your exhibition.”
Joe Manby also uses Coala Banner and Canvas material to help produce the quality exhibition stands that have helped them grow and develop as a reputable event service provider.
Fujifilm is also currently seeing a growth in the trend for personalisation and says it is crucial that the selection of media available for textile and interior applications allows printers to fulfil the most creative requests and embrace new business opportunities.
From its flexible media range, the company is seeing an increasing demand for interior design products. Non-woven wallpapers, such as its euromedia SmoothWall FR and StarWall FR are proving popular, together with Brick Vinyl, an easily applied and removable wall-wrapping film used on bricks, plaster and walls, and StickyTex, a self-adhesive poly-ester with a high quality, non-reflective surface.
“Textile is booming and euromedia FlowTex FR, a polyester perfect for textile framing systems and displays, as well as for frontlit and backlit applications, is one of the most advanced products in this area,” says René Bourgeois, manager export sales and administration, Fujifilm Deutsch-land.
Metamark's MD-RU 500 roll-up material features multi-layer construction and is designed to resist curling and light show-through
He adds: “It’s a water repellant and flexible substrate that doesn’t crease and features a special treatment to reduce stress whitening.”
In addition to wallcoverings and textiles, one of Antalis’s biggest markets is window graphics, for which the company offers Coala, Orafol and Drytac product ranges.
“These are hugely versatile products that are user-friendly and easy for customers to apply and to remove,” explains Crook, adding: “Also, the ICC profiles for our Coala range are available on our website so customers have all the information they need to print onto the product and apply it to the appropriate surface.”
Textile is booming and euromedia FlowTex FR, a polyester perfect for textile framing systems and displays, as well as for frontlit and backlit applications, is one of the most advanced products in this area”
Focusing on more traditional materials, Fujifilm’s Bourgeois believes that floor graphics are still on trend and are prevalent throughout Europe, particularly more durable media with the opportunity to apply them to outdoor surfaces. To satisfy this need Fujifilm offers products such as Street Vinyl plus Street Laminate. Applicable at temperatures starting from 10°C, this white gloss film is anti-slip certified, can last up to six months and is removable without leaving any residue.
Crook concurs: “We have just launched Coala Walk and Wall, which is another extremely versatile and user-friendly product. It can be used on top of carpet, as wall graphics, or on any indoor surface and can be removed without residue. It has a textile base and is very conformable.”
Fujifilm’s Bourgeois notes that the only market that seems to be experiencing negative growth is outdoor advertising: “Despite still representing the highest percentage of the market, it’s under constant pressure from governmental regulations, as well as limited marketing budgets due to the current financial climate.”
Makeover for ‘old faithful's
Once the executive province of lower cost outdoor promotion, materials like Metamark's MD-FL 440 are increasingly used as extensions of high quality point-of-sale signage
Of course, no overview of flexible substrates would be complete without a look at banner materials. The advent of digital print has meant that banner materials manufacturers have had to step up and be counted in terms of delivering print quality. For a very basic material with applications often targeted at markets where budget is an important consideration, that has not always been easy.
However, it’s an area that sign-making materials specialist, Metamark, claims to have researched and under-stood. The company’s MD-FL440 has been designed to reconcile the need for print quality in a material that has the plastic mass needed to endure really rough treatment, and yet still present a very compliant print surface that is compatible with most ink types. The material is said to produce uncommonly good results, particularly with Eco-Solvent printers, and this has driven the expansion of the application space it plays in. Once the exclusive province of lower cost outdoor promotion, materials like Metamark’s MD-FL400 are increasingly seeing banners employed as extensions of high-quality point-of-sale signage.
To see a low cost material used in high value applications is great. It’s a big profit opportunity for those customers with the appetite to have a go”
According to Metamark’s chief executive officer, Paul French, ‘development in the flexible substrates arena is driven as much by market need as by any overarching grand design’.
He continues: “Certainly this is the case of our own banner materials; we simply lifted our game in response to customers taking the material to new application spaces. To see a low cost material used in high value applications is great. It’s a big profit opportunity for those customers with the appetite to have a go.”
Metamark's MD-FL 440 banner material is designed to withstand rough treatment
One of the more recent introductions into the flexible substrates arena is roll-up material. Typically, these materials comprise sandwich-like constructions, with each layer in the product’s make-up contributing functionally to its overall performance. They are most commonly employed in roll-up banner systems to create an attractive, free-standing sign that delivers a big impact for relatively low cost.
One such material is Metamark’s MD-RU500, which features multi-layer construction and is designed to resist curling and light show-through. It is said to print very well and tolerates repeated unrolling without complaint or mechanical failure.
Modern technology and added-value finishes are contributing to the development of an ever growing range of new and enhanced flexible substrate materials, with some very specific and specialised qualities. This presents sign-makers with a whole raft of new opportunities to expand their client offering and move into new market sectors, without the need for huge investment in production equipment.
