The sign industry is one of the UK’s biggest success stories that you have ‘never heard of’. Okay, well most of the people reading this article will know how amazing, creative, productive, and technologically advanced our industry is—for the person on the street it is usually no more than liking the design of their local estate agents illuminated lettering.
It astonished me when I first entered the industry back in August 2010 to realise just how technically skilled, passionate, and creative the vast majority of sign-makers are, whether they specialise in doing wide-format banner printing, or provide services that span the entire visual communications spectrum.
It was also interesting to learn for the first time that, breaking our industry down, there were several ‘hot sectors’ that were rapidly expanding and facilitating the growth of a large swathe of the industry.
Characterised by this quick growth and resulting significant increase in profits for the companies involved, these ‘tiger sectors’ have seen the sign industry move from, largely, a collection of specialised ‘ma and pa shops’ to the far more industrialised operations that make up today’s sign world.
The next generation
The Canon Océ Arizona 660 GT is among a new generation of highly-productive
flatbed printers that are far more affordable than their predecessors
It is fairly easy to identify some of the usual suspects when it comes to the technology behind these ‘tigers’; wide-format roll-to-roll print, CNC cutters and routers, self-adhesive vinyl, and most recently LED lighting systems. These were the frontrunners that trans-formed the industry, giving birth to a myriad of sub-sectors that have flourished in and of themselves—seeing the creation of now staple products and services. To name but a few, these include vehicle wrapping, halo-illuminated sign letters, 3D ‘bas-relief’ displays, poster and billboard printing, as well as PVC banners. These are all now maturing areas, with lots of price competition and fairly saturated coverage.
So, what of the new tigers? Well, in addition to digital signage and wall graphics, the last few years in particular has seen a technological ‘mini-boom’ in wide-format flatbed printers that can print directly onto anything from ceramic tiles to foam-core board.
There are a wide variety of rigid medias available. One of the interesting technical developments is the growth in direct-to-substrate printing, especially using UV in”
Whether it is established players like Durst, EFI, Agfa, Océ (now Canon), HP, Inca Digital and Mimaki, or relative new comers like Roland DG, Gandy Digital and Galaxy Printek, each has been ramping up its research and development in this area to address rapidly growing demand for machines that put ink onto rigid substrates.
Why? Well the teenagers of today would say that the products you can now create using such systems are ‘fashion forward’. In translation this means that products such as directly printed doors for retail or hospitality spaces, or light-weight 3D point-of-sale constructions for applications in areas like cinemas and toy stores are cool, eye-catching and in-demand. The result has been that perhaps the sign industry’s newest tiger sector is wide-format flatbed printing, and as a result, rigid signage materials.
With his roots at flatbed pioneer Océ, Dominic Fahy, business group director UK and Ireland at Canon UK believes there are some key reasons for this new emergence: “There are a wide variety of rigid medias available. One of the interesting technical developments is the growth in direct-to-substrate printing, especially using UV ink.
According to the research that Canon commissioned as part of the deep dive into wide-format printing as an addendum to the Bigger Picture research, it showed that print buyers (including signage) want to see faster turnaround times, improved quality and the demonstration of the different applications that could add value to the end customer”
“This technology is very substrate friendly and does not require specially coated surfaces. This has made direct-to-substrate printing more efficient and enabled a huge variety of different looks and finishes. According to the research that Canon commissioned as part of the deep dive into wide-format printing as an addendum to the Bigger Picture research, it showed that print buyers (including signage) want to see faster turnaround times, improved quality and the demonstration of the different applications that could add value to the end customer. The new Canon Océ Arizona 660 series is able to use white ink and varnish, which enables the sign-maker to produce a wide variety of looks and finishes that add value to the customer.”
Fahy concludes: “According to our research the ability to provide samples of work, cost competitiveness, customer testimonials and quick delivery times makes the sign-maker or service provider appear more credible when selling new applications to their customers.”
The new elite
Palight PVC foam board from Perspex Distribution is ideal for creating very large-
format graphics applications
As Fahy argues, a key factor in the growth in demand for rigid signage materials is that wide-format flatbed printers are now more affordable, while also being more productive and capable of producing high-quality graphics. Another important element is that until direct-to-substrate flatbed printing came along, you had to do things like print a graphic onto a vinyl roll, then cut and apply it to a rigid board before laminating it.
This particular method, while effective, is time consuming, and reduces the profit mar-gin on rigid signage products. Printing such boards direct leaves a lot more room for margin and increases productivity many-fold, increasing the money-making potential of such products.
Application requirements also push the product innovation further, for example Alufoam is 30 percent lighter than standard aluminium composite, plus it has a white core—rather than the standard black—making it useful for both hanging signs and displays with a visible edge”
Speaking to Luke Martyn, marketing manager for Perspex Distribution, he explains that demand is driving technical innovation, which in turn, is creating increased demand: “Development within our non-Perspex colours included making products flatter and whiter—this is for the growth in the digital flatbed print and signage market.
“An example within our product range of this is Alupanel Ultrawhite Digital, which is an aluminium composite—it has been produced with a specific ultrawhite finish developed for maximum colour during print. It also includes features such as an easy peel film which again makes life easy for the printer and reduces the risk of adhesive marks on the substrate.”
Martyn continues: “Application requirements also push the product innovation further, for example Alufoam is 30 percent lighter than standard aluminium composite, plus it has a white core—rather than the standard black—making it useful for both hanging signs and displays with a visible edge.”
Martyn also highlights that today’s rigid signage materials are also seeing ‘hot sector’ crossovers, with technologies merging to create products that can honestly be described as innovative.
Development within our non-Perspex colours included making products flatter and whiter—this is for the growth in the digital flatbed print and signage market”
He adds: “Lastly, Perspex continues to respond to the changing trends within the sign-making industry, one of the recent major changes being the increased use of LEDs. Perspex Spectrum LED was developed to diffuse the light to look bright, bold and evenly illuminated, whilst eliminating LED hotspots and facilitating slimmer designs. With our large Perspex stock levels, all eleven colours within this range are available straight from stock.”
Companies like Perspex are part of a new specialised elite, that are capable of stocking, shipping, and giving in-depth technical and application advice on rigid materials, something which is no mean logistical feat—just think of the difference between processing lengths of robust vinyl that go into a nice roll versus the task of handling large quantities of rigid sheets without damaging them.
“We are well known for our large range of cast-acrylic products, but very much our message is also about the non-Perspex materials. So when looking at rigid substrates for signage we are seeing rapidly increased demand for aluminium composite, foam PVC, polycarbonate, and rigid PVC,” explains Martyn, who adds that the former two are currently its best sellers.
Highlighting what is driving this trend, Martyn says: “There seems to be a growing trend where the guys who are running traditional signage-only companies are looking to expand their services and diversify through buying wide-format flatbed printers. Previously they would have used sub-contractors for that work, but we are seeing that this wider portfolio of products is now appealing to the pure sign-maker.”
The starting point for anyone considering diversifying into creating products that use rigid materials as their base is to get the right advice”
In addition to rigid materials becoming flatter and whiter, Martyn highlights that there is also an intense focus going on to develop products that have better ink fastness and absorption to create graphics that, ‘really pop’— for example Perspex’ Alupanel Ultrawhite Digital. Another horizon of development is ultra-light materials for hanging displays that retain very good rigidity and ink adhesion, such as Perspex’ Alufoam.
Looking to its acrylic range, there are also some big steps being taken, with the development of textured surfaces and bespoke special effects for commissions that require, ‘something different’. As previously mentioned, he also puts a lot of faith in ‘next generation’ products that see LEDs integrated into thinner acrylics for enhanced light diffusion.
Martyn concludes: “The starting point for anyone considering diversifying into creating products that use rigid materials as their base is to get the right advice.
Some suppliers are one-stop-shops, and that is great if you know exactly what you are doing and the limitations of each material. Our approach is to provide a more targeted range of products, both in terms of price and application. This means we can provide expert advice and deeper knowledge on each and every one—this is what businesses really need to produce high-quality work.”
A steep curve
Antalis is experiencing an ongoing boom in demand for its range of rigid substrates,
and has also worked hard to develop environmentally-friendly options
Another player in this sector that is making a name for itself is Antalis. Having diversified from a paper supplier into providing materials for the signage industry, its market manager for sign and display, Chris Green, has some astute observations when it comes to predicting the sector’s trajectory: “When you look at sign materials in the rigid sector they are generally quite historic. This is because they originated from the screen-printing era, where the majority of graphics were applied using this method.”
Green continues: “Things like foam PVC and aluminium composite have been around for a long time, so when it comes to new developments they fall into two categories. The first is products that are environmentally-friendly and the second is those that have some sort of innovative application edge.
When you look at sign materials in the rigid sector they are generally quite historic. This is because they originated from the screen-printing era, where the majority of graphics were applied using this method”
“Within our range we have placed a lot of emphasis on developing green products to meet a demand that our customers are experiencing from end-users. This comes from areas like, not only the retail sector, but the corporate and commercial sectors that want displays and graphics that are essentially PVC-free. This has been very difficult with foam products especially, but we have created a solution with Smart-X, which is a polystyrene product. The beauty of this is that it has value when it comes to recycling. This means a customer can get money back from this product, as opposed to paying landfill tax on products that cannot be recycled.”
In addition to stocking materials from 3A Composites, Correx, Dibond, Forex, Dilite, and Kapa, a key growth product for Antalis is Antacote Lite. An alternative to foam-core board, Green claims its stand out feature is how dimensionally stable it is, as many products in this field ‘bow like a banana’, he claims.
This view is not without merit, as there are thousands of super markets across the UK that have signs swinging away in the rafters and at the point-of-sale that are warped and look fairly unattractive. This development keys into Martyn’s point that the trend now is for ‘flatter and whiter’ products that remain dimensionally stable while being printed. Antacote Lite is Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) accredited and has reportedly seen high-level demand from a number of top high-street retailers.
“There is massive potential in this market—if you look at the scope of our industry, there are many diverse segments within it. So, whether you can print directly, or have to use self-adhesive material to apply graphics to rigid substrates, it gives you the opportunity to exploit real growth in demand from various consumer areas,” adds Green, who goes onto identify areas like point-of-sale (POS) signage, cut-out boards, 3D modelling for product exhibits, and exhibition stand work as key areas to research.
Being able to use rigid substrates really does widen the market, and the beauty of them is that it uses far less processes, especially if you are printing direct”
Green continues: “Being able to use rigid substrates really does widen the market, and the beauty of them is that it uses far less processes, especially if you are printing direct. We are even seeing sign-makers getting into really niche areas, like providing directly printed hoarding panels for construction companies to disguise ugly building sites.”
Antalis’ head ‘sign man’ also echoes Martyn’s point that supplying into this sector is a specialised skill: “Trans-porting rigid materials as a distributor is a tough thing, not everybody can do it. So the big trend for me, something I really noticed at FESPA 2013, is that flatbed printers are becoming cheaper. This is significantly increasing the take-up on these machines and thus the materials they use. This makes us ideally placed, as we have been doing this a long time.”
A little luxury
The Foamalux Colour PVC sheet range is one of the most popular series of
products at Brett Martin
One key point that Green, Fahy, and Martyn all make is that rigid signage materials allow the sign-maker to strike out into new territories and provide some really high-design luxury products with high margins.
One supplier that has seen the potential of this is Brett Martin, which launched its new Foamalux Colour PVC sheet range at FESPA 2013. This is a big development from the company and sees it able to supply colours such as Neon Pink, Neon Green, Raspberry, and Black Sparkle. With 15 options available in total, the aim is to really broaden the creative scope for sign-makers and designers when approaching projects that require something, ‘a little bit different’.
“Our industry leading Foamalux Colour foam PVC sheet range offers designers unlimited application possibilities in the creation of interiors, shop outfitting, signage and fabrication,” comments Hayley Lowry, marketing manager, Brett Martin.
Our industry leading Foamalux Colour foam PVC sheet range offers designers unlimited application possibilities in the creation of interiors, shop outfitting, signage and fabrication”
She continues: “We showcased our whole range on our stand at FESPA, and the positive response we had from visitors is testimony to this. The new colours offer further brightness and fun without compromising the established quality and performance of our Foamalux PVC sheets.”
The Foamalux brand is an undeniable success story, and was among the first to get out in front of demand for lightweight, smooth, and dimensionally stable rigid media that could handle the full spectrum of graphic application techniques. With the standard range available in 1 to 19mm sheets, the new limited edition colours are available in 3mm and cleverly the board is fully coloured and so maintains a coloured edge even after cutting, engraving, or routing. The new range also includes: Strawberry Red, Red, Orange, Sunburst Yellow, Yellow, Ivory, Green, Blue, Light Blue, Grey, and Black.
While Brett Martin also supplies a large range of Polycarbonate and rigid PVC products, Foamalux has been a flagship brand for its sign and display market. The range also includes Foamalux Ultra, which has six colours and a high gloss finish, and Xtra, the core of which is made from 80 percent recycled material.
The company’s European sales director of semi-finished products, Duncan Smith, weighs in about trends affecting the market: “The evolution of flatbed printing really has been the driver for the development of foam PVC markets. Before this technology came along the sector had stabilised and the increasing number of Asian companies moving into the flat sheet market left many western suppliers at the quality end of the sphere. But since flatbed printers came down in price and went up in productivity that has changed and our business has been expanding its sales of rigid display products significantly.
The evolution of flatbed printing really has been the driver for the development of foam PVC markets”
“This is because the market has demanded a much higher quality of substrate. And while the non-European providers may have the ability to create PVC foam, they can’t do it in terms of quality, sheet after sheet, for this very sensitive digital printing process.”
Smith concludes: “We stay very much in touch with flatbed printer manufacturers to stay ahead of the technology’s development. And it is definitely changing; these systems are becoming more sensitive as the machines get faster and use less ink.
“This means that the substrate has to be up to the job. More traditional sign-makers are expanding into this area and are scaling up their production processes. At the same time, screen-printers who started off with industrialised machines are now meeting them in the middle—with demand as it is there is a lot of room for new companies diversifying into this sector.”
Simple answers
Speaking to the great and good of the rigid substrates sector there is one common denominator that stands out above all else—this sector is hot. Having discussed the core reasons for this new trend, there is one more that is clear: the products you can create using modern materials and graphics application methods are allowing sign-makers to move away from heavily commoditised markets into more specialised niche markets, with healthy demand and a much better return on investment. So, my conclusion is very simple: go and catch a tiger by its tail.
