Category: Tips & Tricks

How to make the inkjet printing workflow as efficient, productive and profitable as possible with helpful tips from A to Z.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Technology & Products, Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

Four-Part Series: HP Latex Printer Accessories

Part One – When to Use Platen Covers

If you’ve recently purchased an HP Latex Printer, there are some important tools you may not be using that can make printing a little easier: platen covers, counterweights, butterfly edge guards, and spindles.

In part one of our four-part series, we’ll discuss when to use platen covers.

Long, unattended runs on the latex printer is a great way for print service providers to complete large projects while staying on schedule with short runs or quick custom jobs. However, some PSPs experience issues when continuous runs are printed on fabric.

Because the media is porous and a heavier ink load is required (185-200% coverage), condensation can build up between the fabric and the platen and stain the image.

Timothy Mitchell, HP Latex Specialist, says that the platen covers, which are included with the Latex 365 or 500 series, are made specifically to reduce the condensation during these runs.

“These are there to prevent the accumulation of condensation and creating a discolored stain,” he says. “If I’m going to run an entire roll for a trade show, I will put these on because I am going to run continuously, and it will create a lot of moisture and the felt [on the platen cover] is necessary.”

Watch the video above to see Mitchell discuss the proper times and ways to use the platen covers. If you have an older 300 series printer, you can contact HP Latex Support.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about printing with latex, contact a LexJet printer specialist at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.

How to Customize Weddings with Wide-Format Print
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

How to Customize Weddings with Wide-Format Print

When wedding planning, most brides include printing in their plans, but that often begins and ends with invitations. While custom invitations are certainly a vital piece of the planning process, using print to create a unique experience can permeate all the way through the big day itself. And wide-format services can make those projects come to life.

Makayla Harris during a wedding reveal event.

Makayla Harris of The Harris Co. in Saratoga, NY, operates a Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-Series 4000 to create a fun “reveal” event for couples before and after their weddings. If Harris has photographed their engagement photos and/or wedding photos, she prints sample portraits and hangs them in her studio to give the couple a feeling of what they look like on the wall.

“We customize the studio for them, and it really helps our sales,” Harris says. “It’s such a wow factor to see them on the wall — they just can’t resist.” (Check out The Harris Co.’s Instagram Behind the Scenes stories to see how couples have reacted to the reveal events.)

During the reveal, she also projects wall-sized photos for the couple to review digitally. Often, she says, couples choose engagement photos to print for large displays during the wedding. “We didn’t want to be a high-volume studio,” Harris says. “We wanted people to come to us for statement pieces.”

She says many younger couples have expressed interest in the new, award-winning HP Recycled Satin Canvas for portraits. “It’s interesting,” she says. “The younger the bride, the more they care about that.”

Wide-format print can also come in handy for wedding day signage, backdrops and more. On trend that’s caught on in recent years is a “step-and-repeat” photo area for the couple as well as their guests (pictured at top). Fabrics that offer some opacity are a good option, especially when flash photography is in use. For dye-sub, Fisher Textiles 4019 Nirvana BOB provides a built-in black backing. EnduraFab™ Stretch fabric is a latex-compatible version that prints and hangs elegantly in settings that don’t require the opaque backing.

Signage can also come in handy during weddings, including completely customized welcome and wayfinding signage, as well as posters that can be displayed to provide useful information, such as table seating. A number of adhesive-backed products can be printed and adhered to poster board, including:

For more ideas on how to customize weddings with wide-format printing, call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538.

 

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

Trend Alert: Touchy-Feely Textured Wallcoverings

This new wallcovering trend is hitting us right in the feels, and Vescom is answering the call with a variety of high-end, quality finishes with their digitally printable wallcoverings.

Textured wallcoverings are gaining popularity not simply because they offer a tactile experience, but because they can also add richness with that texture, along with color choices and strategic printing that can be completely customized. Linen finishes printed with natural colors and designs can bring an outdoorsy feeling inside, while a metallic-finish paired with Art Deco-type graphic designs will add modern shine to a room.

Embossments, embellishments and even metallic threads sewn into the wallcovering can really transform a room where visitors won’t be able to keep their hands to themselves.

Plus, wallcoverings with textured finishes can actually help mask imperfections in the wall’s plaster or drywall, while providing some additional protection for the wall, as well.

Vescom’s popular textured finishes include:

Watch the video above to get a close-up look at these textures from Vescom that are easy to install and meet EPA requirements for low-VOC and Class A fire resistance.

Soft Signage Options for All Printer Technologies
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

Soft Signage Options for All Printer Technologies

Recent reports show that the demand for soft signage has seen double-digit growth in the last few years. That means you need options to create fabric banners, signs and exhibit graphics that work with the equipment and printer technology you own.

And while some fabrics may cost more for, say, trade show booth graphics, the upsell to your customer is that they can use fabric graphics more than once, and they’re less expensive to ship and stand up to traveling better than heavier, easily damaged options.

Let your customers know that the higher cost buys them easier installations that are foldable, reusable and even wrinkle resistant. Plus, they look more high-end and will drape more elegantly than vinyls or films they’ve used in the past.

So, in effort to make soft signage and printable fabrics more accessible to you, we’ve collected a list of products, based on printer type and application to streamline your search:

Latex

EnduraFab Textiles

Fabric solutions for Latex printers have hit the market in recent years, including the EnduraFab line of products, which are finished with a proprietary coating made specifically to work with Latex inks, while providing durability and a soft hand to the fabric. EnduraFab Stretch is a great option for SEG frames (or sew-less frames like SignComp). Check out this video review from HP’s Timothy Mitchell on how EnduraFab performs on Latex. For hanging banners and other indoor soft signage, try HP Light Fabric, for brilliant prints that stand up to creasing and wrinkling — now available at a reduced price.

Aqueous

LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth

You don’t need dye-sub to create great-looking fabric signage. You can get it done with an aqueous printer and the right printable textiles. For everything from banners to backlits to signage, LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth is a lightweight option that is finished with a coating that will hold high levels of ink saturation and maintaining its water resistance. One of our customers says: “The cloth is very durable! The fabric holds the colors well, and can easily be folded to fit into convenient packaging for transport. Any creases or wrinkles can be quickly reduced with a light ironing upon arrival.” For a slightly heavier, versatile fabric, consider LexJet FlexTek 170g, an aqueous-compatible, budget-beating option that can be finished with either grommets or sewing, and works indoors our out. It also works well as an alternative to canvas, and wraps easily on stretcher bars.

Solvent/Eco-Solvent

We’ve got the versatile LexJet FlexTek SUV 200g in a solvent-compatible version, as well. Great for outdoor projects, and a cost-friendly option for banners and gallery wraps. For a lighter-weight option for backlit displays or trade show graphics, check out LexJet Poly Select Light SUV. The tight weave and satin finish give it an elegant finish that looks great in retail spaces or even for décor items.

Dye-Sublimation

Teardrop flags.

Tried-and-true printed fabric results are traditionally achieved with dye-sub, and now we offer Fisher Textiles in wide-format widths. We’ve got a full portfolio of Fisher Textiles to choose from for a variety of projects, but we wanted to highlight 4019 Nirvana BOB for its award-winning soft knit fabric that’s coated with a black backing, so you get the lightweight fabric with excellent opacity and flame resistance certification. If you’ve got requests for the popular teardrop flags, there’s no better option than Fisher Textiles 1701 Primary Flag.

For even more fabric ideas that match your printer technology, call a LexJet specialist at 800-453-9538 and grow your soft signage business, too!

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

HP’s Timothy Mitchell: EnduraFab Stretch “Excellent” for Sign Frames

If you’ve got customers demanding fabric solutions for retail signage or trade show displays, HP’s “Latex Czar” Timothy Mitchell suggests EnduraFab Stretch for great performance on HP Latex printers as well as excellent scuff and scratch resistance.

“This was the first company to come out with a truly durable latex textile,” he says in the video above. When building its durable textile portfolio, HP was looking to improve scuff and scratch resistance, as well as improved performance on the latex printers.

The EnduraFab Textiles family of products include a proprietary coating that ensures they print seamlessly on the latex and maintain a soft hand-feel while also standing up to multiple washings. The 100% polyester warp knit fabrics are specifically designed to be used with HP’s third generation latex inks.

The EnduraFab Stretch option, which is also available in a fire retardant option, has a one-directional stretch that’s ideal for easy installation into SEG frames. It is also acoustically rated for Sound Absorption and Noise Reduction when paired with acoustic foam or boards.

“This would be excellent, for example, in a sign frame,” Mitchell says. “Using a SignComp frame where you are going to stretch it into a frame or sewing in the SEG gaskets.”

Watch the video about for all the details and possible uses for EnduraFab Stretch. Call a LexJet representative at 800-453-9538 to learn more about the EnduraFab line and how it can help you grow your retail and trade show offerings.

To see how EnduraFab was used in an over-sized SEG frame to create décor in an office setting, watch the video below.

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

Explore New Markets with Fisher Textiles for Dye-Sub

Now that we’re carrying a versatile portfolio of Fisher Textiles‘ fabrics for wide-format dye-sublimation transferring, you can explore more options to offer your customers. Providing dye-sub fabrics in wide-format sizes makes it easier for you to create great-looking outdoor signage, trade show graphics and even high-demand décor items at lower prices than other wide-format print technologies.

Fabric signage has become increasingly popular in the last few years, edging out vinyls and films for its ease of use, inexpensive shipping costs and ever-improving reproduction results. Plus, our finishing partners like SignComp, are creating more options to make them easier to install the final display.

For exhibits and signage or table skirts, try Fisher Textiles 1707 Soft Knit for a lightweight option or the award-winning Fisher Textiles 4019 Nirvana with a block-out banner when you need lightweight fabric plus opacity.

For photo backdrops, like the one pictured, we recommend Fisher Textiles 1708 Heavy Knit, which can also double for roll-up banner stands or Fisher Textiles 4608 Power Stretch, which can be shaped into geometric displays and tension displays.

Fabrics in backlit displays are another preferred choice these days. Fisher Textiles 8864 Triple White and Fisher Textiles 8862 Single White Backlit both perform excellently.

Teardrop flags for sales and seasonal promotions are stylish and easy to use, and we’ve recently added Fisher Textiles 1701 Primary Flag specifically for this high-demand application.

One of the most exciting dye-sub applications is in the décor market. Sew-free SEG-type frames, such as those offered by SignComp, give dye-sub printers the opportunity to create finished wall art that’s a less-expensive option than traditional canvas. For instance, if you use Fisher Textiles 1709 Heavy Knit with a SignComp Front Load Soft Signage Kit, you’ll save at least 50% on the fabric over typical canvases on the market, and the frame can be used again and again as the graphics and messaging changes — what a great price savings and usability to pass on to your customers!

Plus, the SignComp frames are quick and easy to use. Check out this how-to video: