Felts AudubonTag:

Ideas to Help Your Community and Print for a Good Cause
Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

Ideas to Help Your Community and Print for a Good Cause

During this time of social distancing, there are ways that local print shops can help members of the community. Creating graphics, updating and refreshing old graphics, and helping with décor renovations are great ways to help small businesses, as many non-essential companies and organizations are closed.

If you’re looking for inspiration and ways you can help, check out our collection of LexJet brandUP stories:

When Cat Depot moved to its new location in Sarasota, Fla., volunteers taped pictures of cats to the windows and displayed operational hours on regular office paper that had to be replaced often. Because the non-profit organization relies heavily on volunteers and donations, eye-catching graphics were not a priority. That’s when the idea of LexJet’s brandUP was born. A group of LexJet summer interns visited Cat Depot to see what type of graphics were needed and what media would be required. To replace the taped images on the front windows, the interns selected Simple Perforated Window Vinyl 70/30, to help with the interior and exterior doors, they chose LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Vinyl, and to help with some temporary signage, LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric was the perfect solution.

The owners of Average Joe’s Grooming were looking to add some puppy love to their new space and make it more functional. Installing LexJet Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30) on the windows reduced glare to benefit the groomers while passersby were greeted with a welcoming image of a larger-than-life dog. To liven up the interior walls, the team printed smiling dogs and cute cartoons on HP PVC-free Durable Smooth Wall Paper and LexJet Solvent Print-N-Stick Fabric.

Felts Audubon Preserve is perfect for bird and nature enthusiasts. It is tucked away among the neighborhoods of rural Palmetto, Fla. Unfortunately, vandals damaged the signs that were originally designed and donated by a local Boy Scout troop. As a brandUP project, LexJet donated ChromaLuxe EXT metal photo panels with graffiti and fade-resistant properties that stand up to vandalism as well as the tough Florida sunshine. We partnered the ChromaLuxe panels with LexJet InFuze® Rigid Substrate Dye-Sublimation Paper and used the Geo Knight Digital Knight 20×25 Jumbo Swinger for the transfer process.

If you are printing for essential businesses or charities in your community, we’d love to hear your story. Call us at 800-453-9538 and let us know how we can help.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles, Technology & Products
Leave a comment

LexJet brandUP: A ChromaLuxe EXT Print Project That’s Really for the Birds

Felts Audubon Preserve is a hidden gem, tucked away among sprawling neighborhoods in rural Palmetto, Fla. Whether you’re a novice birder or an avid twitcher, Felts is the perfect place to visit when you want to unplug and see some of the spectacular species of birds and butterflies Mother Nature has to offer.

The Preserve land once belonged to Otis and Anita Felts, who owned and operated a family-run dairy farm. When Otis died in 2002, the family wanted the land to remain natural and free from future development, so the Felts family donated the 27-acre parcel to the Manatee County Audubon Society.

The property is beautiful and serene today, but back in 2002, it was in rough shape, and any improvements were always completed by volunteers. There are still no paid staff members at Felts, and original member Don Bansen remembers the first major project: volunteers cleared more than 300 tires out of the lake. “Everybody was covered in mud, it was a mess,” he says.

While tires in the lake no longer pose a problem, one issue occasionally plagues groundskeeper Fred Allen: vandalism. In the past, volunteers witnessed graffiti and spray paint on signs or broken display cases. Membership Director Lucette Wombacher believes mischief increases a little when school lets out for the summer.

“Everything is made possible by volunteers. They help keep the grounds looking good and Fred is instrumental in keeping the trails neat, so birders can walk through,” says Wombacher. “It’s important to have something that resists damage so we can stay focused on clearing invasive plants and trails rather than cleaning vandalized signs,” she says.

To make it easier for the volunteers at Felts, Heather Reece from LexJet suggested ChromaLuxe EXT metal photo panels with graffiti and fade-resistant properties that stand up to outdoor elements. The panels offer a glossy white finish, which makes them perfect for art and photo reproductions. The 0.045-inch metal panels have been tested to last three years or more outdoors without fading.

Continue Reading…