Stand Out in the Décor Printing Field

These days, it seems like every wide-format print shop is trying to elbow into the décor market. That shouldn’t discourage you from finding your niche in this ever-expanding segment. We’ve compiled four key tips to help you find your place … and then stand out from the crowd.

State your case. Be sure the world knows that you’re offering new services. You can do that with a new tagline after your business name on your printed materials, business cards and website. Don’t forget to update your bio on social media accounts to include your offerings, too. Check out Full Color’s Twitter bio, for instance. You never know where potential customers will look to discover more information about your business before they ever pick up the phone or stop by.

Show off your work. In the décor market, nothing sells printing services better than printed samples. If you’ve got room in your shop, cover a wall with the new customizable wallcovering you’re offering. If you don’t have a free wall, consider stretching printed wallcovering over stretcher bars (like GOframe), to provide a nice-looking work sample. When working on a project for a client, pull out your phone and take before and after photos for your portfolio. If your client is willing, be sure to post them on social media with all the appropriate hashtags (#beforeandafter #decorprinting #interiordesign, etc.). If you’re not into posting your projects, give us a call at 941-256-7915, and we’ll happily feature you on the LexJet blog!

Get specialized. You can truly set yourself apart by offering something unusual in the market. LexJet has long-been known as a provider of specialty products, and we can help fine tune your services. We’ve seen some genius ideas from our customers. Check out our blog on Bumblejax, featuring the face-mounted photo displays utilizing LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic PaperCrystalClear Permanent Adhesive and various widths of acrylic. We were also inspired by the bar stools and bar tops that Jamie Birch crafted using LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric and LexJet Crystal Low Tack. And who could forget Michael Macone’s lamp shades printed on LexJet Sunset Textured Fine Art Paper 310g? If you’re creative with what you can do with print, you can develop a one-of-a-kind business.

Build demand. Sometimes being able to sell a new idea is simply letting people know it can be done. Consider visiting business networking groups or interior design associations to let them know what you can do. Bring samples and fresh ideas. Be willing to write for their blogs or give a mini demonstration.

You may also be interested in:

Best of 2017: 10 Awesome Customer Print Projects

From school pride and works of art to corporate design and thesis exhibits, 2017 was an inspiring year of print output by LexJet customers around the country. Take a look at 10 of the top applications we discovered from our amazingly creative, inventive and sometimes super feisty customers:

Illinois Company Revs Up Custom Car Show Signs Sometimes a passion can turn into an excellent business opportunity, which is exactly what happened to Gary Hedlin, who owns Show Car Signs, a business that specializes in designing, printing and mounting customized signs for car shows. The signs are displayed on the ground, on easels or mounted onto a 4-foot brushed-aluminum stand, and the verbiage on the sign describes details like the car’s make, model and year, horsepower, wheel types, suspension, vehicle upgrades and other tidbits to help the car stand out in the competition. READ MORE

How Bumblejax Gives Mounted Photos Some Real Pop When Seattle, Wash.-based Bumblejax wanted to create an ecommerce site that allowed anyone to have access to high-end, modern face-mounted photo displays, they tested out several different photo papers before settling on the winning product. About five years ago, they came across the award-winning LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, and they were sold. READ MORE

Variety Is the Key for Photo Finishing Options

If you’re celebrating National Photo Month along with us, now’s a good time to consider all the options you have to offer a variety of photo finishes to your customers, such as canvas wraps, photo panels, self-adhesives and face-mounted acrylics, just to name a few.

Canvas Wraps. “When we talk with a photographer, we let him know more of what he can offer to his customers — more than what the customer is asking for,” says Aaron Friedman, owner and CEO of Signarama in Santa Rosa, Calif. “It’s an added value that means more money for the photographer, and his customers get the photos they want, ready to hang on the wall.”

Assembled GOframe stretcher system

At his busy shop, Friedman recently added the GOframe stretcher bar system to his canvas wrap production. Being located in wine country, a lot of his customers are looking for wine-related décor canvas wraps, like the one pictured above.

“The GOframe has done very well for us,” says Friedman, whose team used to hand-stretch all their canvas. “It’s way easier, faster, more efficient and requires less labor.”

Using an HP Latex 300 series printer, Friedman’s shop can print up to 60-inch canvases and meet his photographer customers’ demands for great photo quality, bright color and a consistent wrapped finish with clean edges. “They come in and ask for museum quality final product, and this canvas gets pretty close,” Friedman says. “Plus, it’s half the cost of an archival canvas.”

To discover more canvas options, download The Colorful World of Canvas.

Photo Panels. As an alternate to canvas wraps, LexJet also offers LexJet Sunset Professional Photo Panels that provide a quick and easy way to finish a photo that’s ready to hang. Simply print onto a photo paper, such as LexJet Sunset Photo Canvas Paper 230g, and remove the adhesive on the face of the photo panel and press the photo in place.

With black-trimmed edges and pre-drilled holes in the back of the panel, they’re ready to hang with a clean, modern look. To see how easy they are to assemble, watch this video.

New York Film Academy photography student portraits

Print-N-Stick. For a larger-than-life option, LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric delivers photo-quality images that can be blown up for giant portraits, like those created by students from New York Film Academy, or even entire wall murals. As a less expensive and less cumbersome way to display their end-of-term work, the students printed their final portraits on Print-N-Stick, peeled off the liner and stuck them on the wall.

“The profile was great, and the color was really true, so that’s what we completely switched over to,” says David Mager, chair of the Photography Department.

LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric is a super-versatile product that can be applied to walls, windows, metal and even floors. It’s smooth finish and high quality inkjet coating delivers the richest colors compared to other self-adhesive, printable fabrics in the market.

Sunset Photo Metallic Paper face-mounted to one-inch acrylic

Face-mounted to Acrylic. Another eye-catching photo finishing option is face-mounting to acrylic, which the creative pros at Bumblejax have perfected. After printing the photo on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, Bumblejax adheres it to the acrylic using LexJet CrystalClear Permanent Adhesive.

“We really see an incredible ‘pop’ from the Sunset Metallic Paper when it is face-mounted to acrylic, especially in a gallery setting with proper lighting,” says Bumblejax’s Corey Dwinnell.

Read more about Bumblejax’s success here.

How-to Video: Face-mount Prints to Acrylic

One of the most popular finishing techniques for a clean, modern look for prints and photos is face-mounting the image to acrylic. It’s a technique that’s been perfected by printers such as Bumblejax for images and graphics displayed in homes, commercial buildings, retail spaces and more.

Check out the video above for step-by-step instructions and helpful hacks on face-mounting like a pro using photo-quality media and a double-sided adhesive. In this video, we chose LexJet 11 mil Blockout PolyGloss for its excellent color reproduction, lay flat finish and gray backing for extra opacity. We face-mounted it with the all-new LexJet CrystalClear Permanent Adhesive (see complete project supply list below).

How Bumblejax Gives Mounted Photos Some Real Pop

When Seattle, Wash.-based Bumblejax wanted to create an ecommerce site that allowed anyone to have access to high-end, modern face-mounted photo displays, they tested out several different photo papers before settling on the winning product.

“The thing about acrylic face-mounting is that not all papers work well with it,” says Tate Dwinnell, who runs Bumblejax with his brother, Corey. “Sometimes the texture in the paper causes ‘silvering.'”

About five years ago, they came across the award-winning LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, and they were sold.

“After testing several metallic papers, we’ve found that the LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper offers up the best luminescence and dimensionality,” says Corey Dwinnell. “In other words, this paper really makes your images pop!”

While the metallic paper did its job with photo reproduction, adding the acrylic took their finished products to the next level. Bumblejax creates mounted imagery that’s anywhere from 6×6-inch squares to 96×48-inch panoramas. Projects range from corporate jobs and photo shows to decoration for offices and homes.

“We really see an incredible ‘pop’ from the Sunset Metallic Paper when it is face-mounted to acrylic, especially in a gallery setting with proper lighting,” Corey says.

With the right lighting, the artwork almost has a backlit effect. Bumblejax uses CrystalClear Permanent Adhesive to adhere the print to either 1/8-inch, 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch or 1-inch acrylic, which can give the finished piece an almost 3D appearance.

“It’s a more modern aesthetic,” Tate says. “It’s frameless and floats from the wall, so you don’t see any hardware. It’s a real sleek, high-end modern look.”

Take a look a the gallery below to see Bumblejax’s work: