Staying cool at 30

As an exhibition organiser, you can never rest on your laurels. Every year the slate is almost wiped clean and you must once again start chalking in all your exhibitors, creative and educational content, and value-added areas to make sure it remains current and relevant. And that is an equation that has been managed by Sign and Digital UK with immense success for 30 years.

“This year sees the launch of the new Creative Theatre, with a core focus on the processes that take place during pre-production. The daily sessions will cover topics including the interior décor, future materials, retail signage solutions, wayfinding and directional signage, and vehicle wrapping,” explains event director Rudi Blackett, who adds: “We have also introduced more case studies and panel discussions in the Business Theatre, covering subjects such as becoming a franchisee, finance options for equipment purchase, temporary pop-ups for retail, and soft signage.



“In response to visitor feedback, we have also introduced the Sign Trade Services Pavilion, which will host smaller specialist suppliers such as Chevronshop.com, Power Pax, Welwyn Tool Group, and Signtrade letters.”



Keeping it current

The exhibition has not stopped there—it will also feature a daily line up of seminars and workshops exploring the sign-making industry’s most in-demand skills.
  
Indeed, the ever-popular Signmakers’ Workshop is back and features practical demonstrations from expert sign-maker Paul Hughes. These sessions run each day of the show and will cover topics including the application of vinyl, vehicle livery and wrapping, wall and floor graphics, and making signboards.

In the new Creative Theatre, speakers will discuss a range of topics such as creative retail sign solutions, dos and don’ts of colour management, innovation in directional and wayfinding signage, and creative solutions with digital (LED) signage, which will explore the latest creative and technological approaches to digital signage.

For sign-making professionals looking to expand their operation, this year’s Business Theatre features expert speakers and case studies designed to help businesses grow and improve. Topics set to be covered include the practicalities of running a franchise, options for accessing new and used equipment for your business, and business diversification opportunities available in the wide-format, pop-up retail, and soft signage sectors.

Blackett continues: “The core of the show is that it is very much a ‘business’ event. By that I mean both as a transactional marketplace and a showcase of what is new and emerging in terms of products, trends, and new revenue streams. This will not change and remains the core focus of the event. I thoroughly recommend finding time to visit the show to find out what is new and what could benefit your business now, and in the near future.

“Education is always high on our agenda and there are over 30 free seminar sessions in the Business and Creative Theatres, covering a range of industry topics. There is lots to see at the show, and exhibitors always welcome questions and are keen to offer advice about how to grow new revenue streams.

O Factoid: Sign and Digital UK started life as Sign UK. Faversham House bought the show in 2000 from Miller Freeman, and in 2003 launched Digital Expo as a co-located show. In 2008 the event was re-branded to reflect the growing use of digital products in the sign market. O

“For visitors looking to get up to date with the latest software developments, the Adobe, Sign Lab and Corel Theatres will return in 2017, providing visitors with the chance to learn and engage with the latest products and services on offer. The popular Signmakers’ Workshop also returns with plenty of advice and practical demonstrations.”

Exhibitor expectations

Now, of course while educational content is vitally important, it does come second to the exhibitor line up, and this year’s Sign and Digital UK has a very good one. The show also has a history of seeing UK firsts in terms of technology releases, and this year is no different.



Mimaki has announced that its Tx300P-1800 and Tx300P-1800B direct-to-textile printers have been updated, providing the capability to simultaneously load both textile pigment and sublimation inks, and this system will be on display at the show.



Importantly, it enables the use of a single printer to print directly onto a much wider range of textiles without the need to swap out ink systems. This previously unavailable, newly developed technology represents a breakthrough that will significantly improve productivity and increase flexibility for these Mimaki textile printers.

 “This is a very exciting development for our textile print customers,” comments Stephen Woodall national sales manager, textile and apparel for Hybrid Services, Mimaki’s exclusive UK and Ireland distributor. He adds: “Mimaki has listened carefully to feedback from this sector and understood the need for greater print production flexibility and productivity, whilst still providing an affordable package coupled with a compact footprint. We are finding that these printers are increasingly in demand from professional design and educational environments, which in turn is likely to create even more momentum and interest in on-demand digital printing of textiles.”

Grafityp is another key mover and shaker that will be throwing the kitchen sink at Sign and Digital UK, and speaking to its managing director Neil Stevenson, there will be a particular focus placed on showcasing its immense capabilities when it comes to both sign-making materials innovation and also hardware supply: “This year we will of course be bringing a good cross section of printing equipment from Roland DG, and we will also be making a big deal out of our laser engraving equipment. This is becoming a much more staple technology for the sign industry, and we will be demonstrating its potential to add a revenue stream to a sign-maker’s business.”



Stevenson continues: “We will also be running hands on vehicle wrap training and demonstrations, which will tie in with the release of our new AE38C media (see p8 for more information). To help this we will have a van on the stand set up so that visitors can get stuck in and really push the limits of this new film.

“It was first trialled at an exhibition at The Print Show 2016, as we were running wrapping demonstrations for its special Printer’s Bazaar area, and the response from customers was really good and it got a lot of positive reviews, with comments that it was easily on a par with anything else they had tried, and in many circumstances better.”

Grafityp will also be making a good showing of its M Series vinyl, which Stevenson explains has continued to be developed in response to customer demand. He also explains that there will be a focus on educating the market about the possibilities of wrapping a lot more than vehicles, pushing the fact that its materials can be used for shop fitting, retail installations, and marketing promotions.

Stevenson continues, explaining how Grafityp has continued to remain such a bright light in the sign and graphics market in the face of the tough competition it encounters every year at Sign and Digital UK: “The people we employ have been with us by and large for a very long time, and we have a very low turnover of staff. Even when people retire they sit on steering committees and continue to help provide direction and advice for our decisions.

“This means we have a great breadth and depth of experience. And I also hope we are very good at listening to our customers, and logging all their feedback and needs to make sure we are giving them what they need as the market evolves.”

Finish it right

Now referencing the previously mentioned fact that trade shows can be an intense place when it comes to competition, I asked Julian Sage, managing director of Complete CNC Solutions, what marks a successful time at a trade show out from a struggle. One of course is the capabilities of the products and services you have on show, but he explains that it is also about having the right solutions for the specific challenges that sign-makers are facing year on year.

“Most visitors to a trade show will have already done their due diligence, and will already have an idea of what they can see and ‘kick tyres of’ so to speak,” says Sage, who continues: “What we have is something that is genuinely breaking new ground. And that can be an extremely confusing message to take in.

“I think people will look at the Protek Unico TT and think it is a well-muscled production router, and they would be right. But it is also a more than capable print finishing system for cutting demands. So, you can take your £100,000 plus investment capital and come away from the show with a print finishing system, or you could, for less money, come away with a system that will allow you to both rout and cut with truly impeccable and consistent results.



“That is important. Because where lighter systems will start to run out of steam when a foam panel goes beyond 10mm thick, it will cut anything that you can print on, and considering today’s flatbed are capable of processing 25mm panels, it really is saying something.”

Sage concludes: “The Protek really does open up a new spectrum of applications that can be done in-house. And the beauty is that it really can handle heavy-duty jobs like aluminium composite, or very thick rigid plastics without complaint. And when you bundle that package with the financing options and grant sourced funding from us, then it really is worth stopping by to talk to us.”

Now, another key player in a different segment of the finishing and cutting spectrum that will be bringing new bells and whistles to Sign and Digital UK is Sagetech Machinery. It will be using the event to showcase its refocus after coming under new ownership, as it moves to becoming more customer focused, offering a tailored service to support their clients on finding the best machine for their requirements.

Sagetech has also been making improvements to its Zapkut ZM model, to make it more efficient for sign-makers. Indeed, it can cut sheet material such as Dibond, Foamex, Correx, plywood, acrylic, and perspex, and improvements have been focused on the vertical column of the machine, by replacing the old bungee style system and replacing it with an upgraded duty metal pulley system, similar to that which is also used on the industrial Koolkut range.

Another cutting legend that will be bringing upgraded technology to the show is Graphtec GB, which will demonstrate the new FCX2000 series of flatbed plotter/cutters. They are available in three sizes and a choice of either a vacuum suction or electrostatic material hold-down facility, with the former being more suitable for heavier and thicker materials and the latter better suited to the processing of lighter-weight media. The plotter/cutters have a maximum cutting force of 9.8N (1Kgf) and a maximum cutting speed of 400mm/sec.

Key design features of the FCX2000 include a specially configured cutting head incorporating two tool holders, the first of which holds a knife and the second a creasing tool to enable a dual cutting and creasing capability. There is also a USB port to enable offline operation and to allow files to be saved and retrieved remotely, and a barcode function that enables printed bar code and the relevant cutting data to be recalled from memory and cut. The FCX2000 series also features Graphtec’s latest proprietary ARMS 6 (Advanced Registration Mark Sensing) system. This greatly enhanced media detection and cutting solution allows users to flip the sheet of the material being processed and cut from the reverse side, which is particularly beneficial to creasing functions.

Now, of course Sign and Digital UK is not all about the print and cut equation and can boast a solid contingent of suppliers from across the face of the sector. A good example is Applelec, who recently became an official UK distributor for American LED systems manufacturer Sloan LED, and will be focusing exclusively on this product range at the exhibition. Alongside the launch of the new Prism Mini LED module, Applelec will be officially launching its new Textile Frame system that has been specifically designed for use with Sloan LED’s Poster Box 3 modules.

The new Prism Mini LED module has been created for use in shallow built-up letters with an optimal depth of 50 to 100mm. Adopting the same innovative lens technology as Sloan’s revolutionary Prism module, it uses a series of micro-prisms to direct light instead of a frosted lens.

Andy Armitage, head of signage sales at Applelec explains further about the significance of this launch: “At Applelec, we’ve been using Sloan LED’s products in our fabricated signage and built up letters for the last five years, so we’re inviting visitors at the show to come and talk to us about how to get the very best from Sloan LED’s versatile product range.”

A flexible solution

Another vitally important aspect of Sign and Digital UK is of course that it attracts huge numbers of materials suppliers, both in terms of digitally printable vinyl, and special effects and finishes.

APA Spa is one company to have come on board for 2017, which will be showcasing its exotic and highly-regarded range of materials. It will use the show to present the best of its manufacturing know-how and will also use it to announce the launch of some exclusive products.

Among the attractions will be its wrapping films, featuring an infinite array of colours and special effects in addition to APA Digital Print line, which offers customised and printable films with any type of graphics. Additionally, in the spotlight will be its thermo-weldable film for fabrics, which it says is “extremely simple in its cutting, removal from the liner and application”.

Another key area of innovation is its interior design films that have been designed for “customising and breathing new life into the domestic environment and furnishings”. A final area of focus will be its solar and safety film range, which is aimed at tinting and securing glass and windows films.

So, back to the world of wide-format, and another key highlight at Sign and Digital UK will be Canon, which has recently launched an entire new ink and printing system dubbed UV Gel.

Dominic Fahy, Canon UK’s business group manager, display graphics systems and imaging supplies, explains: “We strive to be the partner of choice helping businesses to reimagine and realise their full potential. Once again at Sign and Digital UK we will be inspiring customers with creative and even disruptive ideas to help them unlock the power of print to grow business opportunities.”

Among the products on Canon’s stand will be the Océ Arizona family, including the first showing at a UK print show of the Arizona 2280GT launched last year. Attendees will be able to experience live demonstrations on the Arizona 318 GLW system along with artistic and imaginative capabilities delivered by Canon’s wide format printers, including the Color Wave 700 and the Image Prograf Pro-4000.



Canon’s stand at Sign and Digital UK will also be home to a bespoke ‘Applications Gallery’ once again, which will illustrate the possibilities of print for backlit displays and decorative surfaces. This certainly drew in the crowds last year and created a high-impact visual spectacle.

So, without further ado, I hope these pages have given you a snap shot of why Sign and Digital UK has made it to the big 3-0 and is in the prime of its life.


As Blackett concludes: “One of the main reasons that the sign-making and wide-format industries continue to grow and flourish is that there is competition to be found throughout the channel to market. Manufacturers and suppliers want the very latest and cutting-edge products to lead the field and maximise sales. End-users want the best signage and displays to impress, influence, and draw in more customers. Innovation and creativity spurs the industry onwards.”


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