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Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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VIDEO HOW-TO: No-Sew, Silicone-Free Frame for Fabric Graphics

Silicone-edge frames have grown in popularity in recent years as the ideal option for framing lightweight printed fabric used for signage or room decoration. Yet, using silicone requires sewing, and not every print shop has access to a machine … or a seamstress.

Which is why we’re excited to offer a sew-free, silicone-free option for easy print installation that anyone can do. It not only helps print shops, but makes it easier for your customers, too, who need to ask employees to switch out seasonal graphics, such as in a retail environment.

In the how-to video above, we used EnduraFab™ Frontlit Premier to print our graphic with a one-inch bleed. This latex-compatible fabric is a perfect choice, thanks to its thickness and tooth, which work well with the patented grip strips in SignComp’s Front Load Soft Signage Frame. The EnduraFab™ textile has also recently been acoustically rated for sound absorption to help reduce room noise.

To see how quickly and easily these two products work together, watch the video above. You’ll also need a squeegee, like this option from Avery, available at LexJet.

 

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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SGIA Recap: Connecting Customers to the Latest Innovations

Looking back at the 2018 SGIA Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, we can’t help but recognize all the innovation and exciting launches the show had to offer to the 22,000-plus attendees of the show. The chatter in the LexJet booth focused on major trends like augmented reality, printable fabric and the launch of the HP Adhesive Vinyl and Laminate line.

“A lot of people were looking for fabric — and not just for dye-sub, but for latex and solvent, too,” says Nichole Danzig, LexJet sales representative. “I also had someone who owns a music company looking for an acoustic-rated printable fabric — and we happen to have the EnduraFab, which just received acoustic rating.”

Using AR to visualize banner prints.

Prior to the show, we partnered with Big Picture magazine to create a print ad that included augmented reality in its October edition. In our booth, we showed how our AR app can help print shops visualize equipment, such as printers and cutters, in their shops. Plus, they can use the app to display how certain signage will look in a space, and they could “look inside” our display walls to see how they were constructed.

“Several dozen people got to experience the AR app developed specifically for the show, and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” says Jason Nelson, who heads up augmented reality for LexJet’s parent company, S-One. “People were very enthusiastic about the potential of AR, the ease of using the experience we developed and the opportunities this technology could create for their company.”

Digitally printed fabrics from Kornit.

We were thrilled to feature some great, cutting-edge products from our partners, including the award-winning, printable metal panels at ChromaLuxe and high-end wallcoverings at Vescom, and we ventured out to the creative booths by Kornit, Palram, Fredrix and HP.

“I was really blown away by the fabric selections and the quality, and how big the crowds seem to be around them, especially for apparel,” Danzig says.

SGIA was a great opportunity to continue discussions about LexJet’s focus on customer intimacy. “A lot of people responded well to the fact that we help them with every aspect of their business,” Danzig says. “We help them with market trends, consolidate inventory, keeping cost down — we’re not just selling them products.”

LexJet’s Matt Bailey and Brian Feeney demonstrate the GOframe stretcher bar system.

Fellow LexJet sales specialist Matt Bailey agreed: “I had one guy ask me the best way to sell dye-sub to his customers, in regards to the ChromaLuxe metal panels, which is a really great question,” he says. “You have to focus on the quality. Sure, you can get a UV print on metal, but the quality is not as good as dye-sub to metal. You have to think of it as a piece of art.”

We showcased two major launches from our partners at HP, including the competitively priced HP Adhesive Vinyl and Laminate line of products as well as the SGIA Product of the Year, Textiles-Canvas award-winning HP Recycled Satin Canvas.

“The price point was big with the vinyl,” Bailey says. “They couldn’t afford not to consider it. Those savings will really add up over the course of the year. If you’re buying by the pallet, you’re going to save a ton.”

If you missed SGIA, give us a call at 800-453-9538 to learn about all the top launches and product trends we featured.

 

EnduraFab™ Textiles Now Acoustic Rated for Sound Absorption
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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EnduraFab™ Textiles Now Acoustic Rated for Sound Absorption

For customers who want to reduce room noise, you can now offer latex-compatible EnduraFab™ Textiles for printing customizable sound-absorbing panels. All EnduraFab™ Textiles have received acoustic ratings for sound absorption and noise reduction when mounted to acoustic foam or board.

Choose any fine art, photography or graphics to create great-looking, customized sound-absorbing panels for use in theater rooms, recording studios, offices, restaurants, schools or anywhere you want to cut down the noise or improve a room’s acoustics. EnduraFab™ Textiles are finished with a proprietary chemical designed for exception image output on HP Latex printers. Colors are vibrant and the fabrics have a nice hand-feel that is easy to finish.

When the printed textile is mounted to acoustic foam or board, it acts like a sponge that absorbs all the sound and echo in the room. You can find a variety of acoustic foams and boards at providers like Acoustimac.com. When paired together with EnduraFab™, the design potential is limitless. You can even mount the boards to the ceilings to help cut down on echo and reverb in the space.

All EnduraFab™ Textiles have been acoustically rated. Check out the full portfolio:

Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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Shift Your Focus on Wide-Format with LexJet at SGIA 2018

As a print service provider and business owner, you know it’s critical to keep your eye on what you do best, while also smartly diversifying your business with new offerings for your customers. Gone are the days that we can get by on banner prints alone! Thanks to ever-evolving print technology and media offerings, new opportunities exists in décor, textile printing and even outdoor graphics.

When you start to shift your focus on what you’ve always done in wide-format printing to what you can do in the future, you’re sure to see a boost in your bottom line and discover new and exciting markets that will delight your customers. Check out these three key ways to grow your business and if you’re headed to SGIA Expo in Las Vegas, Oct. 18-20, be sure to stop by booth 1185 to learn more from our print specialists:

LexJet Flex Tek

Increasing your profits: As a customer-focused supplier of printers and media, we’re always on the lookout for the best products at the most advantageous prices for print service providers. We’re seeing some exciting offerings in outdoor signage, and we’ve brought those to market this year. We partnered with Avery Dennison to provide a full line of exciting vinyl products for a huge variety of applications. We’ve also launched LexJet Flex Tek, a PVC-free, recyclable, non-woven technical fabric that can be used as either a banner or a non-cracking canvas for gallery wraps. Print service providers should be excited about dual-action products like this, and we expect to bring more environmentally friendly, versatile products to market in the coming months.

Mastering new markets: If you’re a print service provider and you’re not at least sticking your big toe into the décor market, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. We’ve seen a wide array of exciting finishes and designs introduced into our wallcovering lines that are compatible with latex and solvent. But even if you operate an aqueous printer, you can also get in on the action. Décor doesn’t stop on the walls – it includes canvas prints, fine art reproductions, photo enlargements, textile printing and so much more. Dye-sub printers have more options than ever, thanks to advances in outdoor metal panels, like those from the ChromaLuxe EXT line.

EnduraFab Textiles

Answering customer demand: If there’s one thing we’ve been hearing from end users it’s that they want more printed fabric! This started in the soft signage arena but has quickly expanded into trade show graphics as well as décor. PSP’s customers love fabric because it drapes elegantly in retail environments and can be easily swapped out by any employee. Fabrics used for trade show exhibits also quickly pack up and ship for less than films or vinyl. Screen printers cornered the market on printed fabrics for decades, but with the advances in latex-compatible textiles, we’re seeing gorgeous results in specially formulated fabrics for elegant, lightweight, easy-to-handle modern signage.

To discover products in each of these areas and to learn how to shift your focus on wide format and expand you’re offering, visit LexJet’s SGIA Expo booth 1185. We’ll be featuring the latest print technology and helping you to tie it to your customers’ applications.

If you still need a free SGIA Expo pass, we’ve got you covered! To register for your free pass from LexJet, click HERE and follow the instructions.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Technology & Products
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Tradeshow Trends: How to Standout in a Crowd

There was a time when walking around a tradeshow was quite monotonous, not much creativity in the messaging or use of products from designers. Everyone was using flat graphics printed on paper – laminated for protection and glare-reduction, of course – displayed on a banner stand or two.

Times, audiences and products have changed, which means that tradeshow designers had to keep up with the demands of more sophisticated crowds. According to Statista, tradeshows are still one of the top activities for business-to-business marketing, generating nearly $13 billion in revenue in 2016.

If you’ve attended a tradeshow lately, you may have noticed that companies are building fully functional worlds on their plot of land on the convention floor. The reason for such a dramatic shift in attention-grabbing designs is because more than 80 percent of attendees are directly involved with purchasing decisions, according to Statista’s report.

Access to current print technologies such as latex and dye-sub allows for booth designers to expand their storytelling ideas, given such limited space and narrow window of time to capture the imagination of the attendees and draw them into the booth.

Many LexJet customers are using a variety of products and applications for tradeshows and we’ve included some of their favorites when it comes to producing show-stopping, conversation-inducing booths:

  • ChromaLuxe dye-sub aluminum panels boast beautiful photographic images to create décor or custom table tops where visitors relax and enjoy the artistry of the booth.
  • Graphics produced with latex-compatible EnduraFabTM textiles are lightweight and easy to install. EnduraFabTM Frontlit can be used to create banners or table skirts, or use EnduraFabTM Stretch in an SEG frame as an alternative to acrylic cardholders.
  • For soft, backlit graphics, HP Durable Backlit Fabric is another lightweight solution that creates crisp photographic images using latex technology.
  • The Avery Dennison MPI 2600 Series Wall Films can add texture and life to the temporary walls that dominate the tradeshow floor with graphics printed on eco-solvent or latex printers.

If you are looking for new products to explore, call your LexJet sales specialist at 800-453-9538 today.

Go Latex and Print Earth-Friendly
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Technology & Products
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Go Latex and Print Earth-Friendly

While opting for latex print technology is a great choice to add versatility and more market opportunities to your business, it can also open up another highly effective selling point: Environmentally friendly print options. Here are four products that are specifically made for latex (or latex-compatible) that will make your customers feel good about their next print project:

HP PVC-free Durable Suede Wall Paper

FOR DÉCOR: HP PVC-free Durable Suede Wall Paper was designed specifically for HP Gen 3 Latex Inks to create beautiful, customized wallcoverings that are Type II compliant without a top coat, so they can be used in sensitive environments like healthcare settings or schools that are also subject to lots of wear and tear. The wall paper also meets sustainability standards with FSC certification, which ensures the product comes from responsibly managed forests; and Greenguard Gold certification, which ensures it is safe for use around sensitive populations, like the elderly and children. These attributes can lend a hand to building designs being considered for LEED certification points, which scores the healthy environment for commercial buildings.

FOR RETAIL: The all-new HP Durable Backlit Fabric, pictured above, is another latex-compatible option that answers the demand for a lightweight fabric for backlit signs, but also ensures extra safety, thanks to approved fire certifications (B1 and NFPA 70). The fabric is also REACH compliant, which regulates and ensures the safety of chemicals used to create products and their potential impact on human health and the environment.

FOR SOFT SIGNAGE: Specifically designed and coated for latex printing, EnduraFab Frontlit FR is another fabric solution for a variety of applications, including indoor signage, tablecloths, drapes and SEG frames, to name a few. PSPs and their customers can rest assured when using EnduraFab Frontlit FR, thanks to it passing NFPA 701 flame retardant standards under fire test conditions.

FOR HIGH-VOLUME POSTERS: PSPs running industrial HP Latex printing now have the all-new LexJet Satin Poster Paper 200g, a PVC-free option with a paper base that’s coated for durable, water-resistant prints that won’t bleed. PVC-free options are beneficial because they do not contain harmful chemicals that can be found in some vinyl materials. PVC-free materials have been growing in popularity in Europe and in the décor market, and is becoming a hot topic in signage, too. Plus, this poster paper is recyclable after use, making it an attractive option for some customers.

To learn about more environmentally friendly media options, give us a call at 800-453-9538.