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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Wall Flowers with Print-N-Stick Fabric

Wall Mural on Print-N-Stick Fabric

Though it may not seem quite like spring in certain parts of the country, the calendar says, “Yes, indeed, it is spring.” And so does Macy’s, which launched its Spring Flower Show last week in select cities.

An important component of the Macy’s Spring Flower Show is the art that decorates the spaces converted for the annual show within Macy’s stores.

Macy's Wall Mural
This is the mock-up that Larry Cooke, owner of Lake Media Services, came up with for the Macy’s Spring Flower Show. Cooke says LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric replicated it perfectly.

At the Macy’s Chicago location, Lake Media Services Inc., owned by long-time print industry veteran Larry Cooke, was called upon to produce a background mural consistent with Macy’s Spring Flower Show campaign. The mural backs a low stage where demonstrations and presentations are held during the show.

Cooke turned to LexJet and his customer specialist Bryce Montisano to find the best method for producing the mural, something easier to apply than vinyl that would reproduce the mural to the same fidelity as the national campaign.

Montisano recommended LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric because it has a bright-white base to ensure color pops and it has a repositionable adhesive that will also make the mural easy to pull off when the show is over.

Installing the Macy's Spring Flower Show wall mural was a breeze with Print-N-Stick Fabric. Once the show is over it will also be easy to remove and leave no trace behind or cause any damage to the wall.
Installing the Macy’s Spring Flower Show wall mural was a breeze with Print-N-Stick Fabric. Once the show is over it will also be easy to remove and leave no trace behind or cause any damage to the wall.

“I took pictures of the wall, created the artwork and superimposed it on the wall so the client could see what it would look like. I then ran a swatch on Print-N-Stick that was 44″ x 80″ and put it on the wall for them to see and then went on with the rest of the printing,” explains Cooke.

The mural was printed in seven 44″ panels on Cooke’s Canon iPF8300 with a 1/2″ overlap between each panel included. Cooke hired an installer who taped the panels in place to ensure they lined up perfectly, and then applied them vertically. Cooke says the application went as smoothly as advertised and when the show is over it will be a breeze to remove them.

“I print a lot of smaller in-store signs for Macy’s, and I’m hoping Macy’s will do this type of work more often now that we’ve created a successful mural for them,” adds Cooke. “What Macy’s really likes about the material more than anything is that it has a nice matte surface that doesn’t reflect the light and distract from their graphics and their message. Also, we found that it was easy to cut with a razor without fraying.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Ice Cold Canvas for Inkjet Printing

Every year, Chicago’s Navy Pier turns to ice. While the weather may be frightful around Christmastime in Chicago, less frightful and much more fun is the temporary ice rink at Navy Pier. The rink is installed to coincide with lighting of the annual Christmas tree and thousands skate and soak in the winter atmosphere.

Speaking of soaking in, the logos pictured here were printed on 3P FlagTex from LexJet. The mesh material allows the water that turns to ice to soak in and provide a smooth skating surface over the logo.

Rob Mueller, owner of Mueller’s in Mt. Clemens, Mich., is an old hand at decorating ice rinks with logos and other graphics. He’s been hand-painting them for about 30 years now, and recently added inkjet printing to his ice-rink graphics repertoire.

“Logos are typically painted with a special ice paint, but the latest trend is to print and freeze the printed graphics in with a mesh-like material,” explains Mueller. “It’s a lot like applying wallpaper. You lay it out, completely saturate it with water and it freezes into the ice. That’s why you want to use mesh. If it’s a solid material like vinyl the ice will just push it to the top.”

The main logo for the sponsoring Chicago Blackhawks is approximately 8 ft. x 10 ft., printed in two panels. Mueller hand-painted the bulk of the 10th Anniversary logo, but used FlagTex for the ornament so he could print the fade and the gold top piece instead of trying to print it.

The FlagTex was printed on Mueller’s Canon iPF8000S, originally recommended to him by his LexJet account specialist, Bryce Montisano. “The Canon printer has been working great since I bought it from Bryce about a year ago. Bryce also recommended the FlagTex and it was perfect because it’s real easy to cut thanks to the paper backing. With other materials I tried I had to use a hot knife, but in this case I just lay it out and trim it with scissors.”