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Good, Better, Best: High-Volume Canvas
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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Good, Better, Best: High-Volume Canvas

For print service providers expanding their operations into high-volume wall décor printing, we offer a wide variety of canvas options for any price point. Today, we’ve gathered three latex/solvent options for our latest installment of Good, Better, Best.

When choosing a canvas for large runs, look for media that delivers consistency not only in color reproduction, but in how it performs when stretched and folded for gallery wraps. These three options, Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV, priced at $0.45/sq ft; Fredrix Tempo 575SMJ Semi-Matte Canvas, priced at $0.75/sq ft; and Sunset by Fredrix Satin Canvas SUV, priced at $0.99/sq ft, will get the job done quickly. Because they’re built for latex and solvent ink technology, they don’t require a protective layer of coating, so you can print, wrap and deliver all in the same day.

GOOD: Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV. For a cost-effective option that looks and feels like a higher-end canvases, this 100% polyester material is ideal for high-volume runs that still deliver outstanding print production. With a 2-over-1 poly-cotton weave and no optical brighteners, this U.S.-made canvas became a fast favorite among customers as soon as it hit the market, giving them a high-performing option for price-competitive jobs. “Customers come in and ask for museum quality final product, and this canvas gets pretty close,” says Aaron Friedman, owner and CEO of Signarama in Santa Rosa, Calif. “Plus, it’s half the cost of an archival canvas.”

BETTER: Fredrix Tempo 575SMJ Semi-Matte Canvas. This poly-cotton blend is a lightweight option with a 1-over-1 weave that also performs consistently for high-volume jobs. Because it is topped with a thick coating layer, it has more bulk and texture, but keeps the cost point low. The semi-matte finish is optimal for photo reproduction, making Tempo 575 a great choice for modern-looking décor applications.

BEST: Sunset by Fredrix Satin Canvas SUV. For large runs, printers can agree that print consistency is key. That’s what you get with this bright-white poly-cotton blend that delivers truer colors on a heavily textured base. The bright-white canvas with 2-over-1 weave and a pH-neutral base stretches and finishes easily.

“The consistency that comes out of the box never changes with this canvas. Plus, it’s very durable while stretching, which is a very big problem we’ve run into with other products, where the ink will rub or crack on the creases,” says Rachael Zaudke Wilkins of A-R-T & Associates in Atlanta. “It holds a really great line and has fantastic print quality. I’ve tried other products, but this really met our price point for our clients.”

 

Variety Is the Key for Photo Finishing Options
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Technology & Products
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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.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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All New Fire Ratings for LexJet Media

From canvas and backlit film to wall murals and laminates, LexJet media have received fire ratings adding yet another benefit to these versatile wide-format products.

Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV received a Class A fire rating. This 100% polyester canvas is OBA-free and delivers a high-end feel and traditional canvas texture. Compatible with eco-solvent, latex, solvent and UV-curable inks, this US-made canvas is ideal for canvas wraps.

Sunset Select Matte Canvas received a Class B fire rating. A best-selling canvas option, SSMC is an award-winning, poly-cotton blend with a consistently wide color gamut.

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Cheat Sheet: The Scoop on Our ISA Sign Expo Booth
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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Cheat Sheet: The Scoop on Our ISA Sign Expo Booth

Our ISA Sign Expo booth got a lot of buzz last week in Las Vegas. We’ve put together a cheat sheet that shows the innovative ways we used various products to create our Décor, Hospitality & Retail spaces.

On this page, you’ll discover how we maximized our new dye-sublimation solutions in the Blue Stone Grill; wall mural, banner and face-mounting techniques in our Blue Essentials room; and the latest wallcovering and canvas options in our residential space.

Plus, it’s not too late to take advantage of our ISA Show Specials, with discounts up to 30% on some of our newest and hottest products, as well as rebates on printers and equipment. Read about all the show specials on the LexJet blog. Offers valid through April 30, 2017.

Want to learn how you can use these ideas and products to expand your business? Give LexJet a call at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Technology & Products
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Introducing: LexJet Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV

For photography and fine art reproduction shops, LexJet Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV is the all-new solution for high-volume production that demands consistent results for the creative digital market.

The new canvas is a U.S.-made 100 percent polyester canvas with the look and feel of a traditional, 2-over-1 poly-cotton weave, but heavier than a typical polyester canvas. Compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, latex and UV-curable printers, this versatile canvas is a cost-effective alternative that doesn’t require a coating for a satin finish.

Maxwell D1
This print, titled “NY NY,” is available at MaxwellDickson.com.

Los Angeles-based Maxwell Dickson, which specializes in digital canvas décor art, tested the new product and has since put in an order to bring it on as a go-to canvas. “We’re going to use it — that’s the best endorsement I can give anyone,” says Kashif Shaheed, manager at Maxwell Dickson.

“We prefer for our canvas to have a cloth feel to it, so it looks like authentic canvas – not too plastic,” he says. “People confuse it with vinyl if it looks too manufactured.”

Because Maxwell Dickson prints more than 100 prints per month that range in a variety of sizes from 16-by-20 inches to 40-by-60 inches, the fact that this new canvas comes in 150-foot rolls is a bonus.

“We use at least 12 rolls of the 75-foot rolls each month,” he says. “We’d prefer not to change out the rolls as often, so that’s really one of the biggest selling points for us.”

To learn more about the launch of LexJet’s Sunset Production Satin Canvas SUV, call us at 800-453-9538.