A Cutting-Edge Update for Visit Sarasota County’s Visitors Center

The space dedicated for Visit Sarasota County’s visitor center started as a pretty blank slate — crisp white walls with high ceilings and lots of potential. The Visit Sarasota team asked LexJet to add some creativity with the possibilities of print. And we took it from floor to ceiling … and beyond.

Since we knew that desktop and bookshelves would be covered with colorful brochures and maps, we opted for a subtle watercolor print for the wallcovering. We chose Vescom Polster wallcovering with a slightly textured surface that provides the natural look and feel of stucco. And because this Type II PVC vinyl wallcovering is Class A fire rated and meets EPA requirements for low-VOC emitting products, we knew it would be a safe option for the busy visitors center.

Panels printed on EnduraFab Frontlit Premier

A large curved wall was just begging for a show-stopping graphic. Using EnduraFab Frontlit Premier latex-printable textile, we printed five hanging panels that created the quintessential Sarasota sunset family portrait.

Our most exciting print project paired canvas wraps with augmented reality. We printed a half dozen canvas wraps with images that photographers captured around the Sarasota area. Using our proprietary augmented reality app for smartphones or tablets, a video would play when the device was held in front of the canvas wraps.

The canvas wraps included images of beach scenes, paddle boarding, shopping and more areas of interest for visitors. We chose Fredrix 777VWR Vivid Matte Canvas with a smooth texture that delivers highly detailed photo reproductions.

Watch the video above to see how it all came together for the Visit Sarasota County group and their open house, which celebrated the new space.

LexJet Highlights AR at the “Epic” IPI Conference

Earlier this month, LexJet joined the International Print + Imaging Conference in Nevada to discuss some of the most innovative photo reproduction technology and media offerings and the latest advancements in augmented reality for the print industry.

LexJet’s Michael Clementi

IPI is made up of photo and print professionals who own businesses and meet annually to network and share ideas on how to enhance their businesses and brands. Supplying Partners like LexJet offer vital products and services for them.

LexJet highlighted several popular products like LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric and LexJet TRIBUTE Satin Photo Paper and newer products, including the new, award-winning HP Recycled Satin Canvas.

“IPI is a strong membership program for us,” says LexJet’s Michael Clementi. “The IPI members are great listeners! We’re able to provide them with educational information so they can use the products we provide and put them into play in terms of the applications they are creating for their customers.”

During the education session, Jason Nelson from LexJet’s parent company S-One Holdings Corporation, presented two hour-long classes on the state of augmented reality in the print industry. The sessions included live demonstrations of three custom-made apps:

  • Jason Nelson on stage at IPIC.

    PhotAR, which allows a user to visualize canvas prints and framed photos on their walls using images from their device

  • SGIA AR, which allows users to see life-sized printers in their space and change the graphics of a light pole banner and roll up banner
  • Culture Book AR, which allows users to watch 5 videos embedded in our 2019 S-One Culture Book

“My main goal at IPIC was to introduce, inform and inspire printing and photography professionals to the possibilities of using augmented reality to grow their businesses by providing new, innovative tools for their customers,” Nelson says. “There was a buzz throughout the show about the potential of AR.”

During his presentation, Nelson highlighted the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as other “extended realities,” such as 360 video. AR, he says, has a strong future in everything from decor visualization to augmented print ads and signage to technical support.

“Everyone at the IPIC show carried a positive vibe,” Nelson says. “The best part was seeing the looks on people’s faces when I launched live demonstrations on my iPad. There’s definitely a ‘wow’ factor that makes me feel like there’s real potential with AR in the commercial printing industry.”

 

SGIA Recap: Connecting Customers to the Latest Innovations

Looking back at the 2018 SGIA Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, we can’t help but recognize all the innovation and exciting launches the show had to offer to the 22,000-plus attendees of the show. The chatter in the LexJet booth focused on major trends like augmented reality, printable fabric and the launch of the HP Adhesive Vinyl and Laminate line.

“A lot of people were looking for fabric — and not just for dye-sub, but for latex and solvent, too,” says Nichole Danzig, LexJet sales representative. “I also had someone who owns a music company looking for an acoustic-rated printable fabric — and we happen to have the EnduraFab, which just received acoustic rating.”

Using AR to visualize banner prints.

Prior to the show, we partnered with Big Picture magazine to create a print ad that included augmented reality in its October edition. In our booth, we showed how our AR app can help print shops visualize equipment, such as printers and cutters, in their shops. Plus, they can use the app to display how certain signage will look in a space, and they could “look inside” our display walls to see how they were constructed.

“Several dozen people got to experience the AR app developed specifically for the show, and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” says Jason Nelson, who heads up augmented reality for LexJet’s parent company, S-One. “People were very enthusiastic about the potential of AR, the ease of using the experience we developed and the opportunities this technology could create for their company.”

Digitally printed fabrics from Kornit.

We were thrilled to feature some great, cutting-edge products from our partners, including the award-winning, printable metal panels at ChromaLuxe and high-end wallcoverings at Vescom, and we ventured out to the creative booths by Kornit, Palram, Fredrix and HP.

“I was really blown away by the fabric selections and the quality, and how big the crowds seem to be around them, especially for apparel,” Danzig says.

SGIA was a great opportunity to continue discussions about LexJet’s focus on customer intimacy. “A lot of people responded well to the fact that we help them with every aspect of their business,” Danzig says. “We help them with market trends, consolidate inventory, keeping cost down — we’re not just selling them products.”

LexJet’s Matt Bailey and Brian Feeney demonstrate the GOframe stretcher bar system.

Fellow LexJet sales specialist Matt Bailey agreed: “I had one guy ask me the best way to sell dye-sub to his customers, in regards to the ChromaLuxe metal panels, which is a really great question,” he says. “You have to focus on the quality. Sure, you can get a UV print on metal, but the quality is not as good as dye-sub to metal. You have to think of it as a piece of art.”

We showcased two major launches from our partners at HP, including the competitively priced HP Adhesive Vinyl and Laminate line of products as well as the SGIA Product of the Year, Textiles-Canvas award-winning HP Recycled Satin Canvas.

“The price point was big with the vinyl,” Bailey says. “They couldn’t afford not to consider it. Those savings will really add up over the course of the year. If you’re buying by the pallet, you’re going to save a ton.”

If you missed SGIA, give us a call at 800-453-9538 to learn about all the top launches and product trends we featured.

 

5 Printing Trends to Watch in 2018

Welcome to 2018! As we begin the new year, we take a look at what’s hot now in wide-format printing and what’s going to gain traction in the coming months. Our team provided insight on what they see as the growing trends for 2018, so we can help you be prepared with the media and equipment you need to meet your customers’ evolving demands.

1. Digital Keeps Growing: During the past two decades, we were at the forefront as digital took the lead in the graphics, photography and signage markets. Now, we’re watching digital printing make new inroads in industries that range from décor to flexible packaging. In the same way digital printing made signage faster and more customized than technologies of the past, we’re going to see that advantage work for short-run, super customized, more quickly produced fabrics for applications such as signage, upholstery, drapery, bedding, accessories, fast fashion and much more.

Kornit Allegro roll-to-roll digital fabric printing system

Because digital allows a file to print directly to a substrate without expensive plate setup, short- or even micro-runs are a whole new possibility for fabric, specifically. With these shorter run possibilities, we anticipate more fabric printing here in the U.S., rather than mass production off-shore that equates to tons of inventory on shelves here. One-off digital printing means your customers no longer need to stock all that inventory from overseas.