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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Carnival of Inkjet Printed Backlit Signs

Printing backlit signs for a travelling carnival

Keith Bernard, owner of Now That’s a Wrap by Road Signs, is a vinyl application expert. Based in Sarasota, Fla., the company wraps anything and everything with precision and perfection.

When the company was recently asked to create a package of 48 backlit signs for two carnival game stations, Bernard decided to take a unique approach.

Instead of simply applying a translucent backlit inkjet material with a gloss laminate to the front of the approximately 24″ x 40″ Lexan panels that would line the top of the game structure, Bernard printed LexJet Simple Transparent Adhesive Vinyl in reverse, backed it with Simple Translucent Vinyl (6 Mil) and applied both to the Lexan with a laminator.

An alternate way to print backlit signs“Since they travel a lot from place to place and they wanted it protected by the Lexan itself so that if the Lexan gets scratched it doesn’t scratch the print. So we did a second-surface mount and mirrored the image so that you’re looking through the Lexan at the graphic,” explains Bernard. “We could have printed to a translucent material and applied a gloss laminate and no one would know the difference, but with the second surface mount to the Lexan it really looks a lot better and it’s more durable for all the traveling it will do.”

Once the carnival is ready to pull up stakes and move to the next venue, like a state fair, the entire game station folds up for easy transportation. Then, when it’s folded out again the Lexan graphics are already in place in their slots and backlit with LEDs recessed in the top of the game station.

“Those graphics really popped out there and the customer was very happy,” adds Bernard. And, thanks to the process Bernard chose to apply the graphics they can be handled rather roughly with no damage to the graphics.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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LexJet Ranks as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Florida

Best companies to work forCustomer satisfaction is directly related to the employee experience. Employees who are empowered and enjoy what they do are far more likely to provide excellent customer service. This philosophy has been the foundation of LexJet’s success and growth over the years and was recognized in Florida Trend magazine’s annual Best Companies to Work for in Florida.

LexJet was ranked 13th among mid-sized companies, which is LexJet’s highest ranking in the past four years and makes LexJet the highest ranked mid-sized company in the Sarasota area.

“What this year’s ranking tells us is that we continue to improve on our dual objectives of enhancing the employee experience and creating the best customer experience in the industry,” says Art Lambert, LexJet founder and CEO. “You can’t have one without the other, and we believe that great customer service starts with creating an amazing workplace – one that’s fun, enriching and entrepreneurial.”

The Best Companies to Work for in Florida program was created by Florida Trend and Best Companies Group and is endorsed by the HR Florida State Council. To be considered for participation, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and have been in operation at least one year.

Companies that chose to participate underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis and determined the final rankings.

“One thing that distinguishes best companies everywhere is their ability to hire effectively. So for our coverage this year we focused on how Florida’s Best Companies go about identifying and choosing their workers,” says Mark Howard, executive editor. “Hard skills are clearly important, but the companies we talked to generally put a lot of emphasis on other things as well — how well a worker will fit into the company’s culture, for example. And in deciding whether to hire someone, they frequently involve as many of their current employees as possible.”

For a list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Florida, go to www.FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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Pump up the Canvas Wrap Volume with the fastFrame and the easyFrame

Canvas gallery and museum wrapsThere’s only one machine on the market that can produce up to 80 canvas wraps per hour: it’s called the fastFrame 1000 from Swiss manufacturer Imaging Solutions, and it’s a fully automated canvas stretching machine that can mount canvas onto 12″ x 8″ to 41″ x 41″ stretcher bars.

Available in the U.S. through LexJet, you can schedule an appointment to test the machine and see it in action, in person, at LexJet’s demo facility in Sarasota, Fla., in July. If you’re interested in scheduling a demo and finding out more about the fastFrame 1000, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.

Later this summer, the easyFrame is expected to arrive at LexJet’s demo center. At about half the price of the fastFrame, it’s a semi-automated system that can produce up to 40 canvas wraps per hour. The fastFrame is listed at around $153,000 USD and the easyFrame at around $82,000 USD.

With both machines you can use pre-assembled canvas stretcher frames, or you can make them yourselves. Imaging Solutions also offers a semi-automatic frame assembling machine called the fastMount.

In the video embedded below you can get a preview of the fastFrame to see how it works and how easy it is to automate canvas stretching, producing consistent, high-quality results…

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Half a Ton of Food to Fight Hunger in Sarasota

Fight hunger and donate to a food bankThe All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota, Fla., is doing yeoman’s work to help the needy in the Sarasota area. The organization distributes food to more than 7,100 people weekly in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, and every Christmas LexJet organizes a drive for the food bank to help meet their goal of alleviating hunger.

This year, LexJet went all out to help, dividing employees into competing teams to see who could collect the most non-perishable foods for the food bank, and creatively stack their collections. This year’s winners, pictured here with their Christmas tree stack topped with a poinsettia, were Jason Dragash, Phil Sutton, Sukesh Pathak and Sean Pukajilo.

Runners-up included Brenda Litrenta, Justin Craft, Danielle Jensen and Kara Work for the Best Vegetarian Contribution and Dean Lambert, Pete Petersen, John Lane and Jeff Leto for the Best Carbohydrate Donation.

After all was said, done and stacked, LexJet donated six barrels and one box of food, totaling an astounding 1,180 pounds. “That is an awesome amount,” says Fran Talley, events coordinator for the All Faiths Food Bank. “We may get a couple of hundred pounds here and there, so this was extremely generous.”

For more information about the All Faiths Food Bank, go to www.allfaithsfoodbank.org.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Directing the Coast Guard with Durable, Vivid Graphics

Printing trade show graphics

Printing effective trade show graphics is a real balancing act. They need to be durable for the length of the event, economical and high-quality. Plus, they usually need to be ready yesterday. Sure, that’s the case with most wide-format graphics, but it’s especially true for trade show and exhibit work.

Registration area graphic panelsBill Harriman, owner of Custom Signs & Graphix in Brooksville, Fla., just north of Tampa, is a seasoned pro who specializes in producing the best possible trade show graphics for his customers. Harriman launched the company with a vinyl cutter, right before large format inkjet printing came into its own.

Harriman has been through the entire evolution of the trade show market and now plies his trade with the latest printer technology from HP, four that run aqueous inks and one that runs solvent.

A good example of the quality output from Custom Signs & Graphix is a recent project Harriman completed for a Coast Guard trade show and conference in Orlando. The event needed a lot of graphic panels for the entrance, cyber cafes, directional signage for the conference component and a smattering of vendor booths.

Harriman estimates that he printed 150 panels, ranging in size from 22” x 28” to 4’ x 10’. All of the panels were printed on LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper, laminated with LexJet 3 Mil Gloss UV Premium Low Melt laminate and backed with LexJet RubberMount Clear Adhesive so they could be applied to Sintra at the show.

Trade show graphics printing with photo paper and a laminateFor extensive print projects like this one, Harriman says he’ll usually print the entire roll and then laminate it all at one time. In addition to the production processes Harriman has honed over the years, he says material choice is just as important.

“If I don’t like it, I don’t send it out. It’s a matter of using the best technology and materials. The materials I buy from LexJet are not the most expensive, nor are they least expensive. What they do is put the ink on the paper and make it look good,” he says. “I’m not interested in finding a cheaper product. I try to find materials that are economical and as close to the top-of-the-line as possible. That’s where your value is, and it’s what I’ve found with LexJet’s products.”

For the Coast Guard trade show, Harriman was after the perfect balance of economy and quality. He says the LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper finds that balance for this type of application.

“I had been using an older, similar paper. When this newer material was suggested to me, I was a little apprehensive at first about changing over since it’s important for me to have consistent performance from project to project,” explains Harriman. “When I tested it I found that it was consistent and performed far better. It dries almost instantly so it allows me to laminate right away. Plus, you can handle the material and not worry about keeping your hands off of it; it’s not super fragile like other papers.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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LexJet Recognized for Enhancing the Employee Experience

Better customer service through enhancing the employee experienceA key ingredient in LexJet’s customer service philosophy is enhancing the employee experience; happy employees mean happy customers. LexJet’s ongoing efforts to do so were recently recognized by Florida Trend magazine’s Best Companies To Work For in Florida.

LexJet has appeared in the list each of the three years Florida Trend has been ranking the Best Companies to Work For in Florida. This year, LexJet was 26th in the medium company category and first among Sarasota’s medium-sized companies.

“Our goal is to develop smart, passionate and empowered employees. This is the key to delivering a great customer experience,” explains Art Lambert, LexJet’s CEO. “We are creating smaller, customer-focused squads within LexJet with a common customer-oriented purpose, as well as to facilitate better communication, reinforce relationships and help each other develop professionally.”

Companies that participated in the Best Companies To Work For in Florida process went through a two-part survey. The first part was an evaluation of each company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part was an employee survey to gauge employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and final rankings.

“We highlight companies that take sophisticated, enlightened approaches to training, communicate the company’s values clearly, and listen to employees as they try to improve the workplace and make the company more productive,” says Mark Howard, executive editor of Florida Trend.

The move to LexJet’s new headquarters in Sarasota earlier this year was also an important factor in enhancing the employee experience. The new offices were designed to make it easier and more enjoyable for LexJet employees to pursue the company’s goal of providing the best customer experience in the industry.

“I like the fact that we have a no-walls policy and I can call on anyone for anything that I need. I also love that I can learn about any aspect of the business I’m curious about. I’ve never worked for a company that empowers their people as much as we do, and I am certainly glad to be a part of it. The best years for LexJet are still to come and I’m looking forward to being an asset to the team,” remarked one LexJet employee in a recent anonymous survey.

The rankings appear in the August issue of Florida Trend and on FloridaTrend.com. To be considered for participation, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and be at least a year old. For a complete list, go to www.floridatrend.com/best_companies.asp.