The sorcery of light

From wide-format print, through to t-shirt and garment printing, there are a number of sectors in the sign-making industry that could be regarded as growth areas and markets for potential diversification. However, while this may be true, picking out the right market for your business is another matter.

One such sector that may interest sign-makers who are looking for something that could draw on their existing skillset, and need only modest retraining, is LED digital signage—which has experienced sustained growth in recent years as more consumers and brands recognise the value of this form of media. But with this large supply of work also comes an army of sign companies hoping to win the contracts.

Patrick Halliwell, managing director of Daktronics UK has an impressive depth of experience in this area and heads up one of the biggest LED digital signage specialists in the UK, which also has an impressive international footprint.

“As sign-makers help their customers create their desired experience with a video display, professional services after display installation adds opportunity to provide consultation, support, and creative content for the project,” counsels Halliwell, who adds: “In addition to the potential for ongoing service revenues, there is a massive opportunity to help customers maximise the capabilities of their investment and bring the display to life with engaging graphics.”



With this in mind, what technology is available to help sign-makers get ahead of the competition in this market and, for those companies that have been able to establish themselves as forces in this area, what is the secret to their success?

Santosh Surabi, technical engineer at Messagemaker Displays gives us the inside track: “Modern materials and technologies have seen LED signage and displays playing an expanded role when it comes to brand image, particularly for outdoor advertising, sports arenas, and high street retail applications.


“The lightweight, slim profiles of today’s full colour digital displays offer the potential to create complex shapes and free-floating displays, bringing increased freedom for designers in creating memorable messaging with maximum visual impact.”



Surabi continues: “The capability to stream images, live TV, and video has also opened up new possibilities for personalising the communications experience, while signs such as the Messagemaker TwitLED range go one step further, incorporating text or social media messages.”

Unique service offering

Also active in this sector is Smart AV, a Harlow-based company that provides its solutions to companies across a number of markets, such as retail, leisure, and commercial. Neil Read, sales director, cites these three areas as ones where the company continues to see growth, highlighting its Smart LED range of displays as popular choices for customers.



Read expands: “More and more retailers in particular, are adopting high-level LED in order to fuel flagship store launches and create high-resolution, high-impact in-store signage.

“The expansive Smart LED range of indoor, outdoor and creative displays ensures we can offer the most suitable LED product for the project in hand—every order is unique and deserves this special attention. With an open policy to controlled purchasing and strict quality control procedures, we are always confident that the most appropriate LED display is specified, delivered and installed and this is what makes us unique to other suppliers who may have a more ‘off-the-shelf’ approach.



Read concludes: “Based in a 40,000 sq ft office just outside of London, many clients benefit from visiting the Smart LED QC and Content Testing facilities—where they can view our large volumes of varying pixel pitch LED stocks. Some of the options we offer include indoor LED, from 1.7mm resolution up to 3mm and upwards, outdoor LED which includes both fixed and mobile LED, creative LED solutions including our Flexi panels which can be used to wrap columns and structures, our curve panels, LED flooring and so on.

“The breadth of our offering is wide and able to suit all use cases—plus, we’re adding to it all the time.”

Ever evolving tech

Leading on from this, Read explains how Smart AV works with its customers to develop and supply the best solutions for them, highlighting a number of recent projects as examples.

Read comments: “Current demand for permanent LED screen installations is spanning a wide variety of pixel pitch options across both indoor and outdoor LED. Two recent installations involved the popular Smart LED panels with a convex and concave feature.”


Read also explains there is an increasing requirement for broadcast in HD and this is now very deliverable on sensible sized screens ideal for galleries, showrooms, corporate receptions, and studies. Indeed, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.9mm pixel pitches are increasing in popularity—however, the seamless broadcasting qualities can also be enjoyed with a wide selection of LED display options. Smart Av’s recent 52.5sq m P3.9 fashion retail installation is a good example of this.

Read continues: “Transparent LED displays are increasing in popularity and ideal for showroom, retail and corporate window installations when light is required in and viewing out, plus our UK stocks of flexible, floor and seamless corner LED.

O Factoid: The first LED was invented by Russian scientist Oleg Losev in 1927. O

“For 2016 we are due to go live with high bright in-window LED displays that deliver an adjustable 3500cd/sq m of clearly viewable content to help overcome direct sunlight and window reflection. The perfect solution for many retailers who are keen to increase footfall and sales.”

Indeed, Read’s observations are echoed by one of the UK’s biggest out-of-home media players in the form of Clear Channel and its Storm brand.
 
Aimee Mckay, managing director of Storm gives her view: “This marriage of the latest digital technology and beautiful design allows us to offer true creative canvases to our advertisers.



“Our newly-transformed Cromination site on the Cromwell Road exemplifies this. One of the longest digital-out-of-home (DOOH) sites in Europe, spanning an incredible 72m, the Cromination allows advertisers to run up to 51,840 pieces of copy per day (or 362,880 per week) and features bespoke lighting opportunities, as well as 3D-build capabilities—allowing brands to dominate one of the busiest roads in London.”

Alternative options

Not all digital signage sector companies though have continued to embrace LED digital signage and have instead focused their efforts on an alternative technology to supply the sign industry with. Fairfield Displays is one such firm, and marketing director Janice Fairfield says that touch screen displays, often powered by LED technology rather than using LEDs as pixels, is where they have hung their hat.


 
“The market is growing very fast, however, the signage trade is still slow to take advantage of the opportunities,” Fairfield says, adding: “We have seen a growth in the number of people now looking at professional screens for use in the commercial environment.
 
“In the past, a lot of people used TV screens and had been disappointed with the results. The majority of new screens on the market now have a three-year warranty and many are designed to run 24/7. Screens are now being used a lot more in windows and the latest high brightness screens—1,500 up to 2,500cdn sq—are becoming extremely popular.”

With this in mind, Fairfield draws attention to the solutions on offer from the company, which range from screens measuring from 10 to 65” with varying brightness levels from 450 to 2,500cdn sq.
 
“The most important thing for any provider of digital screens is to have the confidence to ask the right questions so that a clear brief is obtained from the end user,” Fairfield says, adding: “It will be the way the provider asks the questions and discusses different software and hardware options that can make all the difference to closing a deal. Each project may require a slightly different package.”

In addition, as a response to market demand for more interactivity, Fairfield has launched new touchscreens that have a similar feel to an iPad and feature the PCAP technology.

“The unique aspect of these screens is that they have built-in Android and PC operating systems, which makes them really easy to set up and highly competitive,” Fairfield says, adding: “You can easily link these screens to a URL and you have a fully functional touch screen system. 
 
“The screens will shortly be supplied with free software that allow for a non-technical to create a totally bespoke touch screen solution. In the past you would have had to get a website designer to create a package of this level.

Screens are now available from 10 up to 42” (25.4 to 107cm), and the units can be positioned on attractive free standing units or wall mounted.”

While the popularity and use of LED digital signage is no longer a secret in the industry, what some companies may not know is how to supply the right solutions for different customers.
 
It is clear that in order to provide the right solution, companies must work with their customers to establish exactly what they want to achieve from their digital signs.

By doing this, you will save a lot of time and money, and build up a strong reputation that could in turn lead to repeat business.

This can also be taken as advice for those companies thinking about making a move into LED digital signage. While there is undoubtedly plenty of work on offer in this sector, it is critical to establish a sound understanding of not only the technology, but the environments that it works best in. With this knowledge, you can join those already enjoying the benefits of working in one of the industry’s biggest growth markets.


Your text here...