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.

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.

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.

MONDAY: 25% Off Sunset by Fredrix Satin Canvas SUV + Free Pack of GOframe Stretcher Bars

Shop Monday and save 25% on Sunset by Fredrix Satin Canvas SUV and receive a FREE 8-pack of 16-inch GOframe 1500 Pro Stretcher Bars* when you call your LexJet representative at 800-453-9538.

Sunset by Fredrix Satin Canvas SUV delivers fast results with no need for coating on the satin finish that helps colors and details really pop. It’s an ideal one-step solution for large production runs or individual custom fine-art prints.

Getting a Consistent Look from Paper to Canvas

Professional photographers know the importance of creating a signature look with their photography and editing skills, but another way to create a look that clients remember is through the choice of paper and canvas used for the finished piece.

Portrait photographer Tom Milne, based in Fresno, Calif., started with LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin Paper 300g several years ago, thanks to its excellent reproduction, durability and weight, and ability to handle a good, dynamic range of colors. The eSatin is an ideal choice for single prints and framed portraits.

LexJet Keeps Things Lively at The UPS Store Convention

The UPS Store hosted 1,700 of its franchisees on Aug. 11 in Nashville for its bi-annual The UPS Store Convention. The focus of the event was helping The UPS Store franchisees learn how to better serve small businesses in their communities. As a preferred vendor and partner, we had the pleasure of exhibiting during the show.

The LexJet team manned a lively booth with GOframe canvas wrap and Canon PRO-series printer demonstrations throughout the day. “The presence of the Canon PRO-6000S in our booth was a huge hit,” says LexJet’s Vince Bejar. “We generated a ton of interest with UPS Stores that aren’t currently printing wide-format.”

Canon offers several new models with the PRO-series line, and the Canon PRO4000S drew a lot of interest, as it’s ideal for most UPS Store configurations. Bringing a wide-format printer in-house allows The UPS Stores to offer a variety of services to their customers, such as banners, posters, yard signs, custom canvas wraps and much more.

Things got really exciting when our team pulled the name of the winner of our booth’s Canon PRO-6000S printer, which went to Lynne Lee from The UPS Store 2459 in Springfield, Mo. Congrats to Lynne and her team for scoring the new printer, valued at $9,995!

Take a look at the video above to see all the action. If you have questions about how LexJet can support your franchisees, give us a call at 800-453-9538.

Canon PRO-6000S winner Lynne Lee with the LexJet team.
Canon PRO-6000S winner Lynne Lee with the LexJet team.