HP Designjet Z6100Tag:

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
Leave a comment

Educating with Big Pieces of Printed LexJet Tyvek

Montessori Timelines Printed on LexJet Tyvek

The title is a tad misleading. It’s not the LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek that educates, but what ETC Press Inc. prints on the Tyvek that does it.

Educational Timelines Printed on LexJet TyvekETC Press, a subsidiary of ETC Montessori based in Houston, provides curriculum and educational materials to Montessori and applied learning schools. Among the important teaching aids ETC Press produces are 107″ x 17″ educational timelines printed with the company’s HP Designjet Z6100 on LexJet TOUGHcoat 3R DuPont Tyvek.

ETC Press executive director Aki Margaritis says LexJet Tyvek is the go-to material for the timelines because it’s durable and images with clarity.

“The timelines need to be very durable because they’re handled quite a bit by the kids. A timeline needs to last in a class for a minimum of five years with constant handling, and the LexJet Tyvek has held up,” says Margaritis. “The images are coming out nice and crisp, the colors are vibrant, the kids love it and we’re very happy with the print material.”

Margaritis adds that a student once unwittingly stamped the edge of one of the timelines with the tip of his chair leg when he sat down, leaving an indented ring in it. “We told the teacher to just let the timeline sit out like it normally would, rather than trying to push out the crease or roll it up, and sure enough, the indentation went away,” he says.

The timelines tie into the curriculum the company publishes. The timelines often tie into each other, as well. For example, one timeline outlines the history of communication from 25,000 B.C. to today, while another follows the same timeline, but focuses on the progress of mathematics.

“The kids can line up the timelines one next to other and see the relationship between communication and mathematics and how each affects the other,” explains Margaritis. “They have to be small enough to fit in the classroom and large enough to allow two to three groups of kids to gather around the timeline and focus on the different events and subjects they’re studying.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
Leave a comment

Point of Sale Print Horsepower at Standard Distributing

Window Graphics on Simple Perforated Window Vinyl by Standard Distributing

The top beverage distributor in Delaware requires a top-notch print shop to win space at the point of sale and build the brands they sell. Standard Distributing Co., New Castle, Del., has the advantage of quality and quantity at the point of sale through the work of its print shop, led by sign industry veteran Matt Glick.

Standard Distributing recently added the Epson SureColor S30670 low-solvent printers to its printer lineup.
Standard Distributing recently added the Epson SureColor S30670 low-solvent printer to its printer lineup.

Before joining the Standard Distributing team nine years ago, Glick had worked with grand format solvent VUTEk printers. Glick already knew the ins and outs of these 10-foot-wide industrial machines and has translated that experience into an efficient and productive print shop.

Glick recently brought in Epson’s new SureColor S30670 low-solvent printer that he got from LexJet to add to a printer arsenal that also includes an Epson GS6000 low-solvent and HP Designjet Z6100 aqueous printer.

LexJet Simple Adhesive Vinyl SUV“We had another solvent printer for about eight years and it wasn’t producing the quality and speed we needed, so we got the Epson SureColor from LexJet. The clarity and visibility of the colors is much better; the colors just look richer. Everything I print on the Epson is clear and the resolution is better, and there’s no smell, and the speed is fantastic,” explains Glick. “One prints scrim banners and window perf, the other prints adhesive-backed vinyl, and the Z6100 prints paper posters, banners and temporary stuff. It speeds up production when I don’t have to worry about changing materials every time there’s a different job; we can nest them together on the same printer.”

Window Sign by Standard DistributingIn addition to the print production horsepower provided by those printers, there’s also a Seal 410 laminator for mounting and laminating, a rotary cutter and a 72″ large-format cutter for finishing.

Glick estimates that about 60 percent of the 400-600 designs created in the shop each month are prints applied to Coroplast, 30 percent banners and 10 percent specialty graphics, like perforated window film, floor graphics and counter-top graphics.

For banners, Glick’s material of choice is LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene; for adhesive-backed applications on Coroplast and aluminum it’s LexJet Simple Adhesive Vinyl SUV; and for window graphics it’s LexJet Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (60/40). Glick adds that perforated window vinyl graphics are an effective way to get tap handles into an account

“My biggest challenge is over-marketing our accounts. We want to be as visible as possible without being so busy that we lose the message in the process,” explains Glick. “Simple is always better and consistency is another important ingredient. From a production standpoint it’s been helpful to work with a vendor like LexJet. My rep, Kyle Stephens, has been very helpful with my questions, he’s accessible, and he always seems to have the shipping down so we get the products we need when we need them; the customer service has been outstanding.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
Leave a comment

Printing Unique Promotions that Stick at the Point of Sale

Printing cornhole boards for tournamentsPrinting point of sale promotions and advertising can become a bit humdrum: banners, cooler wraps, window signs… They’ve all been done, but that’s the beauty of the plethora of the latest printer technology and printable materials; you can advertise on just about anything.

At Caffey Distributing in Greensboro, N.C., production manager Bob Korabek has been finding new places to stick adhesive-backed materials to boost their brands at the point of sale, like cornhole boards for tournaments and on mini-fridges.

Cornhole, in case you’re not familiar with it, is a bean bag toss game that has swept through bars and pubs across the nation. Rumor has it that the game, at least the version now being played, was popularized in Cincinnati, moving its way south as transplanted Ohioans moved to warmer climates.

Whatever its origin, Korabek saw promotional opportunity and ran with it as local bars began holding cornhole tournaments. It’s a simple process: Korabek prints LexJet Extreme AquaVinyl w/ PSA on one of his HP Z6100 inkjet printers, applies it to the approximately 4′ x 2′ board and cuts out the vinyl where the hole at the top of the board is located.

“The bars set up four sets of boards for the tournaments, and the winners get some kind of big prize. I printed some with Miller Lite, Blue Moon and other beers we wanted to promote, usually tied in with a beer special,” explains Korabek. “Instead of just a logo in the middle of the board, I covered the entire board to give us more promotional space.”

Printing mini fridges with logos and promotionsThe printed cornhole boards have been a huge hit in the market, creating widespread interest and driving demand for both the game and the printed versions of the game.

Another popular application for adhesive-backed materials that Korabek introduced to the market is decorated mini-fridges. The graphics are usually tied to whichever sport is in season, whether it’s football or basketball.

Because the temperature of the mini-fridges can vary, Korabek was looking for a material that wouldn’t expand and contract as the fridge got colder or warmer. His customer specialist, Kelly Price, recommended LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Self Adhesive Polypropylene.

“They’re very popular and our accounts will often buy a couple of extra ones. For one of the March Madness promotions the contest winner got a fridge with the team they wanted on the fridge. It’s a little perk that our competitors don’t provide; it’s something extra special we do for those accounts,” says Korabek.

“When I first started here 16 years ago all I had was a Gerber EDGE and a plotter. The technology has moved so quickly since then and Kelly is awesome because she keeps me up to date on new products and she gives me great suggestions that work for my printers and any application I’m trying,” adds Korabek. “Plus, with LexJet’s distribution network I get everything on time; turnaround time for me is super-fast.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Tips & Tricks
Leave a comment

HP Z6100 Firmware Update Provides Vacuum Control for Slipping Substrates

Firmware updates for HP large format inkjet printersSome media types like to slip slide away as you print. Fabrics are particularly guilty of this slipping offense. To help with those troublesome textiles, and any other media printed on the HP Designjet Z6100, HP has a firmware update that fixes this issue.

The update allows you to modify the amount of vacuum applied to various media, and for both thick and thin materials, you can adjust the loading vacuum level. So, for fabrics like LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth and the Poly Select line of fabrics, the extra control makes it easier to keep them in line.

Click here for more instructions and to download Firmware Version 9.0.0.4.

And, as always, if you need any additional help with the firmware update or have any questions about LexJet’s fabric line, HP’s Designjet printers, and any other inkjet printable media, call a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.