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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Making Window Graphics Easy with FaceMount Perforated Window Grip

Installing window graphics on the inside of the windowIf you’re looking for an easier way to install one-way window graphics (where you can’t see inside through the graphic, but you can see out from the inside of the window), LexJet FaceMount Perforated Window Grip with a 60/40 perforated pattern is great alternative.

Case in point is a project that Cottrell Printing in Centennial, Colo., recently completed for Antoine du Chez, a high-end salon in the Cherry Creek area of Denver. The window graphics installation was on the second floor, which was reason enough to use an interior-application solution, as opposed to applying graphics to the exterior.

Window graphics for advertising“The weather is always consistent inside,” says Rick Hillibrand, CEO of Cottrell Printing. “And in this instance, everything is on the second floor, so we would have had to hire a lift or figure out something like that for an exterior application.”

Hillibrand adds that this installation went much smoother than a similar application on the south side of the building. For one, they had to work around a bar in the middle of the window. Plus, since it faces south, the window was a bit hot. This recent application was on one long window with no obstacles to work around and the northern exposure kept the temperature down.

“Mounting against gravity, like we did the first time – having to work from the bottom up on the top panel so we could line it up with the bottom panel – is more difficult. Plus, we’ve gotten better and faster at installing it,” adds Hillibrand.

The graphics were printed by Ultimax Incorporated, Denver, on its Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 low-solvent inkjet printer. You actually print to the low-tack grip adhesive that has an ink-receptive coating. The polyester liner helps ensure a smooth application since it prevents the film from tunneling and curling during installation.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles, Technology & Products
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Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: A Small-Format Laminating Time-Saver

Laminating small stuff, like menu boards and table tents, can be a real pain. Just ask Chuck Black, print shop manager for the Coors Distribution Center (CDC) in Denver.

I recently caught up with Black while he was laminating a run of about 1,500 11×17 signs for CDC accounts. The signs, printed on an OKI laser printer, are troubleshooting procedures for each account to follow regarding kegs and whatnot, and what to do if there are problems before calling in for service.

It’s not the most exciting project to come through the print shop, but it has to be done and they all have to be laminated. Fortunately, what would have previously taken a full day or two to run through the CDC’s larger laminator now takes relatively no time at all.

Earlier this year the CDC purchased a small-format GBC laminator, the HeatSeal Sprint 950, which eliminates the hassle of trimming out each piece individually: you feed the printed sheets (usually up to 30, depending on the thickness of the media) and, voila, a laminated piece with a nice 1/8″ border encapsulating each one.

“We got the laminator to save time trimming everything down. All the small-format media we laminated was going through our 38” laminator, and especially when we were doing hundreds of sheets at a time it would just take forever,” says Black. “Since we got the laminator we’ve easily saved 40 to 50 hours of labor time. You just load your paper and you can pretty much walk away from it.”

Black estimates that about 10 percent of the work that goes through the OKI is laminated. Though it’s a relatively small percentage of the small-format printing, it really adds up and was a real time-killer before the acquisition of the laminator.

Black normally uses the 3 mil laminate designed for the GBC laminator, which comes in various roll sizes and is 11″ wide. He switches to the 5 mil version for signs that need a little more substance to them, either for a higher-end look or so they can stand on their own in a tabletop holder.

“You can set the laminator to 11 inches wide and however long you want each piece to be laminated; we usually set it at 11×17. But if you had a roll of 11-inch paper you could laminate a length up to 200 feet,” explains Black. “We’ve printed two per sheet so afterwards I can use my industrial cutter, line everything up and do two or three chops at once and go through the entire stack.”

For more information about GBC laminates and laminators available at LexJet, contact a customer service specialist at 800-453-9538. To find out more about the laminator and how it works, check out the video embedded below…

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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A UV Boost to Production at the Coors Distribution Center’s Print Shop

Printing signs with a UV curable inkjet printerIn 2011 the Coors Distribution Center (CDC) in Denver printed more than 100,000 signs, plastering the city and the Front Range surrounding Denver with its brand. CDC print shop manager Chuck Black says sign production has increased at least 110 percent and up to 140 percent over the past six years.

Some of that can be attributed to the merging of the Miller and Coors brands, but Black says it all has to do with simple demand.

Inkjet printing point of sale signs“We offer the high quality printing that a lot of our competitors aren’t able to do, so it gives us an edge. We get opportunities to put up signage where not many others can, just because they want that quality,” says Black.

An important component of the quality produced by the CDC’s print shop is keeping up with the latest technology it gets from LexJet. That way the CDC adds versatility to quality, winning on all fronts in Denver’s beer wars.

The print shop recently added CET Color’s X-Press 500H UV Hybrid R-T-R/Flatbed printer as well as a Canon iPF9000S to its lineup, both of which have helped boost production and meet the demand in the field.

Coroplast cut outs printed for special promotions“The new CET UV-curable printer has updated heads and the passes are a lot smoother in the overlap, which means you don’t see the same banding you might usually see in a UV printer. It’s running at medium resolution and it’s running faster than our older UV printer at its lowest resolution, plus it was a lot less expensive than our original UV printer,” says Black.

Since the printer’s a hybrid, it can print directly to flat, rigid materials like Coroplast as well as roll material like banner stock. Black says the UV inks provide a matte finish regardless of whether the print surface is gloss, matte or luster, so when something needs the pop of gloss to make it shine indoors, the Canon printer takes over.

Printing banners with an inkjet printerThe added speed and quality of the two printers allows the CDC to offer its accounts a wider range of signs, including creative Coroplast cut-outs (pictured) for special promotions. Also, and most importantly, the CDC’s beverage brands are front and center, dominating the point of sale in its market.

“The newer technology, with both the CET UV printer and the Canon, helps us win advertising space. When our reps put out our signs they really impress the owners of the businesses we serve,” adds Black.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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High Five: LexJet’s Phoenix Distribution Center Now Shipping

Inkjet product shipment from PhoenixLexJet opened the fifth of five new distribution centers yesterday in Phoenix, bringing one-day ground delivery coverage to 90 percent of the lower 48 states and 98 of the top 100 major metropolitan areas. LexJet customers can receive same-day delivery within 30 to 50 miles of each distribution center, and pick up products at each location.

The Phoenix distribution center is located at:

4625 N. 45th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85031

You can pick up LexJet products at the distribution center until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and receive same-day delivery if you order before noon. Check with a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538 about specific product availability and to find out if you fall within the same-day and one-day coverage areas.

LexJet’s other distribution centers are located in Albany, N.Y.; Birmingham; Charlotte; Cincinnati; Dallas; Denver; Jacksonville, Fla.; Los Angeles; Kansas City; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Portland, Ore.; Reno; and Wilmington, Del. LexJet also ships OEM products from 30 warehouses across the U.S.

For more information about the Phoenix distribution center, LexJet’s state-of-the-art logistics network and Nationwide Delivery System, call 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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LexJet Extends its Nationwide Delivery Network to Five More Cities in July

One day and same day shipping for large format inkjet productsWith the addition of five new distribution centers to its nationwide Delivery Network next month, LexJet will reach 90 percent of the contiguous United States and 98 of the top 100 major metropolitan areas with one-day ground delivery, and customers in LexJet’s 15 distribution center cities can receive same-day delivery within a 30-50 mile radius of those cities.

The new distribution centers – scheduled to be fully online, operating and tied into LexJet’s real-time delivery tracking system in July – are located in Charlotte, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Portland.

“On-time, consistent delivery is extremely important to our customers. It gives them a competitive edge in their markets, it helps them reduce inventory and it ensures they meet every tight deadline,” explains John Lane, LexJet’s vice president. “The addition of five distribution centers to our Nationwide Delivery Network gives our customers the reach and flexibility they need to enhance and streamline their business, whether they’re print-for-pay providers, digital photographers, fine art reproduction companies, in-house corporate and public sector large format print facilities or anyone else involved in large format inkjet production.”

The new distribution centers join LexJet facilities in Albany, N.Y., Birmingham, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Reno and Wilmington, Del. LexJet also ships OEM products from 30 additional warehouses across the United States.

“I can’t count how many times LexJet has totally gone above and beyond to get us materials next-day in order for us to put out a quality product,” says Bob Lizza, owner of Lizza Studios, Tunkhannock, Pa. “The LexJet team is always there to answer questions and get us whatever we need in an expedited fashion. They’ve been a big part of our success.”

The expansion of LexJet’s Nationwide Delivery Service follows the company’s move to a new state-of-the-art technology center in Sarasota, Fla., where LexJet customers receive free and unlimited personal support and service coupled with the power of real-time networks tied directly into LexJet’s distribution centers.

For more information about LexJet’s new distribution centers, its Nationwide Delivery System, and specifics about one-day and same-delivery areas, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.