Like: West Coast Signage

Acrylic Signs by West Coast Signage
Customers really Like these super-colorful acrylic signs by West Coast Signage printed on LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene and applied to the back of the acrylic with an optically clear adhesive.

David Druckerman and Mark Lawrence have each been in the sign industry for more than 30 years. Old-timers, you might say, but using the new-fangled ways of doing things to get things done.

Banners by West Coast Signage
West Coast Signage has had great success with LexJet TOUGHcoat Blockout Scrim Banner, another customer favorite.

Case in point: social media, like Facebook and LinkedIn, which have been beneficial in more ways than just spreading the word.

About two years ago, the two long-time sign industry veterans partnered on a new venture, West Coast Signage, based in Woodland Hills, Calif. Since then, the company has seen steady growth and diversification.

“Whenever we do something nice that we’re proud of, we post it on Facebook, LinkedIn and sometimes Google+,” says Druckerman. “We think that keeping our social media updated has helped drive some business our way.”

Architectural Renderings by West Coast Signage
West Coast Signage prints posters and produces other signage for Lexus, such as this architectural rendering on LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene.

Liking Facebook, or more specifically, Liking LexJet’s new interactive catalog, brought a $500 LexJet Gift Card to West Coast Signage: they Liked and were drawn as the winner of the Facebook promotion.

West Coast Signage’s specialty is architectural signage, but the company recently added wide-format printing to the mix with a Canon iPF8400 from LexJet.

“LexJet had an incredible deal on the Canon, which we’re very pleased with. We were jobbing a lot of stuff out, like banners. We didn’t have the ability to do even a temporary banner, so the Canon printer has helped out a lot,” says Druckerman. “Dave Mayer, who takes care of us at LexJet, has been wonderful in helping us find the right product for whatever project we’re working on.”

Trade Show Prints by West Coast Signage
West Coast Signage has diversified its product offering with wide-format printing, including stellar trade show graphics.

Adding wide-format inkjet printing has allowed West Coast Signage to expand into more promotional and interior applications, like posters and trade show graphics. Druckerman says that LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene has been a versatile, multi-application material.

“We use the polypropylene and an optically-clear adhesive to make full-color, second-surface acrylic signs. It’s been a popular product for interior signage, whether it’s some type of promotional graphic or a photograph,” says Druckerman.

Prints that Win: You Won’t Bully Me

You Won't Bully Me by Kristi Elias

Kristi Elias’ fine art portrait photography transports her subjects through space and time to capture the essence of their personality or to emphasize their vocation or passion. The five-year-old subject of this Sunset Print Award winner is competitive in martial arts, so Elias sent him underground and created an image that exudes toughness.

Entitled You Won’t Bully Me, the print scored a 91 at the Professional Photographers of California annual state competition. It’s a show-stopping image that grabbed the judges’ attention.

“It has impact because it’s shocking. You don’t expect to see a kid looking that tough at that age in what is clearly a rough urban underground area,” says Elias. “I cropped into the top of his head to give it more of a forced perspective, which makes him look tougher. The overall color palette I used also portrays aggression and toughness, which is what I was going for.”

Photographed in Kristi Sutton Elias Photography’s waterfront studio in Long Beach, Calif., she used water and glycerin for the sweat dripping off of him. She added the background in Photoshop using Nik Software filters and her own set of Photoshop actions and estimates she spent about three hours getting everything just right.

“The background was shot on one of my vacations in Argentina of an abandoned underground area. It’s actually two different images I put together. I wanted it to look very dynamic. Whenever we travel I Google ahead of time and find remote, abandoned, strange areas and use them in my portraits all the time,” explains Elias. “People want that 30×40 wow portrait that you notice immediately when you walk into their homes. Because of that I get a lot of cool and eccentric clients.”

A Recipe for Décor Printing at Avant Printing

Avant Printing Decor

Expert in décor printing (and every other type of wide-format printing), Avant Printing, Richmond, Calif., has found the perfect recipe for wall-mounted décor graphics for educational, government and corporate clients.

Avant Printing uses the HP L25500 Latex Printer for instant-dry printing on LexJet Sunset Photo Gloss SUV 275g.

Avant Printing for Corporate Clien“Everyone we’ve done prints for with the paper has loved it. They love the way it looks, and the great thing about the latex printer is that it comes out dry immediately and you don’t have to let it sit, so there is no time between print and laminate. On our aqueous printer, on the other hand, we like to give it at least 24 hours, if not 48, before we laminate,” says Robyn Rickansrud of Avant Printing.

The recipe is completed with a luster laminate, adds Rickansrud. The laminate is less for UV protection, and more to protect the graphics in high-touch zones, but more importantly to cut down on glare and provide a nice finish.

“The gloss paper provides the sharpness, contrast and color saturation so the images stand out,” says Rickansrud. “We fine-tuned the profile for the Sunset paper based on the HP Photo-realistic Poster Paper setting, and that worked well for nice output on the Latex printer.”

Cheers for LexJet Simple MTS Adhesive Vinyl

Printing on Rough and Textured SurfacesApplying vinyl to rough plywood is tricky. Will it stick and stay stuck? To overcome the vinyl-to-plywood challenge, Jim Taylor used LexJet Simple MTS Adhesive Vinyl, which is engineered for rough and textured surfaces.

Taylor teaches a graphics manufacturing class at Val Verde High School in Perris, Calif., where students learn about screen printing, embroidery and digital printing. During the class, the students create graphics that are used not only at Val Verde, but at other high schools in the district as well.

In this case, the students created, printed and applied graphics for the Citrus Hill High School cheerleader boxes the Citrus High cheerleaders use during football season. The photo shows the latest version of the cheerleader boxes that will be in play this season.

Vinyl Application
Putting the finishing touches on a cheer box in Val Verde High School’s graphics manufacturing class.

“We didn’t have to replace any of the graphics last season. They brought the boxes back and we just pulled off the old ones and applied the new graphics. We sat them in the sun for about half a day to warm them up and pulled them off without replacing any of the wood, and applied the new graphics,” says Taylor.

Taylor says the cheerleader boxes take a lot of abuse, going from game to game, but the graphics hold up all season long. The graphics are printed with the HP Latex 260 (formerly the HP Designjet 26500).

“The prints turn out real nice. We cut them in a rectangle, apply them to one side of the box, and cut off the excess around the edges. We applied about 24 of them in about 30-45 minutes,” adds Taylor.

Last Call and Details on the Upcoming Hands-On Printer Workshops

Printing Workshops in California and TexasEverything you wanted to know about inkjet printing for a variety of fine art, sign and display and photography applications will be known at the upcoming free hands-on workshops in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 13, and Irving, Texas, on Aug. 20.

Sponsored by Canon and LexJet, the workshops will feature a close examination of Canon’s printer technology and software, with operational and efficiency tips, followed by a treasure trove of in-depth information on working with photo papers, fine art papers, canvas, films and vinyl.

You’ll find out what makes each inkjet material tick and how to finish, present and apply them. Moreover, expert presenters from Canon and LexJet will guide you through the most profitable, unique and saleable applications you can accomplish in your market.

For instance, you’ll learn all about canvas from start to finish: how the inkjet coating, material composition and finish impact the printed image, followed by guidelines on coating and stretching canvas, and the most profitable applications.

When you attend the workshops you’ll also receive a $50 gift certificate from LexJet, inkjet media swatchbooks, special printer and inkjet media promotions, printed samples and other giveaways. A continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

To sign up for either Irvine, Calif. (Aug. 13) or Irving, Texas (Aug. 20), and if you have any questions, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538. Space is limited, so call to get your seat today, and before registration closes on Aug. 9 for Irvine and Aug. 16 for Irving.

Canon and LexJet Offering Hands-On Printer Workshops in California and Texas

Canon and LexJet Host Printer WorkshopsCanon U.S.A. and LexJet announce two free two-day workshops that address the inkjet printing workflow for a variety of applications for digital photography and fine art (day one) and sign and display applications (day two). Attendees are invited to partake in one or both days of the workshop.

The workshops will be led by inkjet printing experts from Canon and LexJet and will take place in Irvine, Calif., Aug 13-14, and Irving, Texas, Aug. 20-21. They are geared toward anyone interested in learning about new and profitable applications and how to maximize their print workflow.

LexJet Canon Printer WorkshopAttendees will learn how to use the latest Canon imagePROGRAF (iPF) wide format inkjet printers, Canon printer software, applications relevant to your market with application demonstrations, and sure-fire production techniques to increase efficiency and profitability.

The first day of the workshop will focus on digital photography and fine art printing applications, with an emphasis on canvas printing and finishing. The second day will focus on sign and display printing applications, including window graphics, trade show and banner displays, wall murals and more.

The workshops will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Workshop attendees will receive a $50 gift certificate from LexJet, inkjet media swatchbooks, special printer and inkjet media promotions, printed samples, and other giveaways. A continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

The number of attendees each day is limited, so please contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538 to learn more about these workshops or to register to attend in Irvine, Aug. 13-14 or Irving, Aug. 20-21.