Flex Tek for Aqueous Wins on Color, Durability & Price

Earlier this year, we launched LexJet Flex Tek 170g for aqueous printers, and it’s turned into a fast favorite among print service providers looking for a cost-effective, easy-handling option for banners.

Photos: Jackson Beverages, La Grange, Ga.

This lightweight, 100% non-woven polyester is finished with a slight embossed texture that gives it the look and feel of a woven fabric, making it an ideal option for both banners and canvas wraps.

At Jackson Beverages in LaGrange, Ga., it’s become the new go-to for short-term outdoor banners.

“Since our primary use of banner/canvas material is outdoor signage, the two most important qualities are water resistance and physical strength in windy weather,” says Jackson Beverages’ Tom Weeks. “Flex Tek’s coating proved to keep the ink colors bright in foul weather and blazing southern sun.”

The polyester base also adds to its durability. “Although it is quite light and easy to handle, it is considerably more tear-resistant than any other non-woven fabric based banner material I have used,” says Weeks, who often finishes Flex Tek with grommets for easy hanging. “My overall impression of Flex Tek is that it is a very good medium for outdoor banners that will hang for less than a year.”

Photo: Orgill

For Vern Goodner, print services manager at Orgill, price was a big concern. Orgill supplies products to 6,000 hardware stores and dealers in more than 60 different countries. Goodner runs the print shop where he produces hundreds of flyers, posters and more for store displays.

Orgill also hosts a 1 million square-foot tradeshow two times per year, in which the company creates multiple mock stores to showcase the latest hardware goods. In these stores, Goodner makes 200 retractable banners, which he has now switched over to Flex Tek.

“I was looking for something with a bright white that gives an eye pleasing to eye popping color,” Goodner says. “And was as affordable as possible.”

At $0.50 per square foot he’s now considering switching all the tradeshow banners to Flex Tek. Both Weeks and Goodner print Flex Tek on Canon imagePROGRAF wide-format aqueous printers.

LexJet Flex Tek 170g Product Highlights:

  • PVC-free / recyclable
  • Versatile media for wall art, banners, gallery wraps
  • Can be grommeted or stitched and used indoors or out
  • Images look great close-up or at long-range viewing
  • Also available: LexJet Flex Tek SUV 200g, compatible with eco-solvent, latex and UV-curable inks

Buy 1 Roll of HP Opaque Scrim, Get 1 Roll Free

For a sturdier indoor or outdoor banner option, stock up now on HP Opaque Scrim. For a limited time, you can buy one roll of 36-in or 24-in wide HP Opaque Scrim and get another roll of the same product (matching SKU) for FREE!*

This water- and tear-resistant material has full 100% opacity for no show-through. HP Opaque Scrim produces long-lasting, sharp image quality perfect for a wide range of graphic needs. Plus, it’s environmentally sound and certified flame resistant, and can stand up to all sorts of demanding spaces, making it ideal for busy, high-traffic indoor or outdoor displays.

Product Highlights:

  • Durable, tear-resistant polyester fabric
  • REACH compliant
  • Perfect for long-lasting indoor and demanding outdoor conditions
  • Brilliant image quality
  • Flame resistant with approved fire certifications

To purchase online, add the product in multiples of two (2, 4, 6, etc.) and use coupon code BOGO in your cart, or call your LexJet representative to order by phone.

*While supplies last

Strengthen Outdoor Banners to Beat the Elements

If you’re producing outdoor banners that need to withstand windy conditions, you may want to consider an alternative to regular metal grommets. While grommets are a quick and inexpensive solution for indoor or mild outdoor conditions, high winds can pull the grommet through your banner material with ease.

Banner-Ups-Still
The strength of PowerTabs, seen on the left, is increased because the composite material is spread out over greater area, versus the small circle of the grommet, which can tear easily in high winds.

Our partners at Banners Ups® have developed PowerTabs® that are much stronger than grommets because they adhere to more of the banner material than a grommet circle, and they’re constructed of high-strength composite film, which adds to their durability.

Plus, they’re just as easy, if not easier, to install than standard grommets. Simply remove a tab from the release liner to expose the adhesive, stick on the corner of your banner and punch the hole.

Additionally, Banner Ups PowerTabs® are less conspicuous than grommets and blend into the banner substrate for a more pleasing visual effect. They are available in white or clear for full-color digital banners.

Check out more information on outdoor graphic solutions with these educational blogs:

Let’s Take It Outside with Aqueous Printers & Media

It’s time to dispel the myth that graphics printed with aqueous technology can’t stand the test of time when displayed outdoors. With wide-format printer manufacturers like Epson, Canon and HP advancing their pigment inks, media is performing better than ever when facing the elements.

“When you’re talking about outdoor durability, it comes down to three things,” says Jaimie Mask, LexJet product specialist, “the inks — which have definitely advanced — and the inkjet coating (including top coat and anchor coating) and the substrate itself. Take LexJet’s TOUGHcoat Water Resistant Polypropylene. The reason we call it TOUGHcoat is because its coating is engineered to withstand outdoor climate changes, like wind and rain.”

Create Fast Pole Pockets for Fabric Banners

Finishing a fabric banner for hanging can be a snap. No complicated sewing machine or unsightly grommets necessary.

finished pocketCheck out our latest tips video on how to make two-step pole pockets for hanging fabric banners. You’ll learn the super-easy technique that will give your banners the elegant look your clients are looking for.

We tapped LexJet’s Experience Center pro Michael Clementi to show us the process.

Products featured:

Take a look at the video above to learn his tips, and give us a call at 800-453-9538 to discover more ways to create business opportunities with printable fabrics.

 

How to Choose the Right Media for Your Event Graphics

Whether it’s the big game, a weekend sale or a high school reunion, signage for your event is a vital form of advertising to get people in the door. You’ve got lots of options: posters, window graphics and banners, to name a few.

Each of those serve a different purpose, and choosing the right media to use can be tricky — do you need something to display outdoors that will promote your event for several weeks in advance, or do you need a banner on the day of the event that stands up to windy skies?

Take a look at the video above to learn answers to these questions and many more tips and tricks to choosing the most effective media for your needs.

Call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538 for help choosing and purchasing event media.