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Achieve a New Standard of Excellence with the Right Media
Posted on by Liliana Wright Posted in Marketing & Sales, Technology & Products
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Achieve a New Standard of Excellence with the Right Media

Schools and universities require a high volume of signage throughout various campus locations. One key to a school’s success is choosing the right media that will convey the appropriate message at the right place, and at the right time.

Printing your own signage is a flexible and cost-effective way for your school or university to promote school spirit and safety protocols from the classroom to the football stadium. LexJet offers a complete line of HP products for all your signage needs. Looking for matte, gloss, permanent, temporary, or repositionable vinyl for your indoor and outdoor campus spaces? We have it all with the high-quality, consistency, and performance you expect from the HP brand.

High-impact signage comes alive with HP Prime Gloss CP.  Budget friendly with ease of installation and lay-flat properties. It’s an excellent solution for schools to create colorful displays throughout campus announcing special school events, dressing up boring walls, or displaying safety signs. This product is compatible with latex, eco-solvent, solvent, and UV curable printers.

When searching for outdoor vinyl that is dependable and affordable, two great solutions are HP Prime Gloss Air GP and HP Prime Matte Air GP. Both products feature gray permanent adhesive that provides opacity for maximum coverage and high image quality. These products are ideal for long-term permanent outdoor signs at school bus stops, outside buildings, or as directional signs guiding students and guests. The air release liners also enable fast, easy, and bubble-free installation. Both products are compatible with latex, solvent, eco-solvent, and UV curable printers.

HP Prime Gloss Air GR and HP Prime Matte Air GR both offer outstanding image quality and “pop”. The gray removable adhesives are opaque for maximum coverage, making them a great solution for featuring long-term removable school logos or visually enhancing windows that may also provide privacy, such as locker rooms. This vinyl is easy to install with a low-profile air release liner. HP Prime Gloss Air GR provides a glossy finish with durable print performance with over ten years laminated display permanence. HP Prime Matte Air GR provides a matte finish. Both products are compatible with latex, solvent, eco-solvent, and UV curable printers.

For campuses that have challenging surfaces that make installation difficult, the right solution is HP Grip Matte Polymeric Air. It is a high-performance, calendered vinyl with a high-tack, clear permanent adhesive designed for hard-to-stick surfaces like low-energy plastics and rough or powder-coated surfaces. It’s the tough solution that can handle your toughest challenge.

HP Clear Gloss Cast Overlaminate can withstand many demanding outdoor weather conditions, as well as cleaning. With this overlaminate, long-term applications like school bus or van graphics are built to stand the test of time with UV protection and maximum flexibility. Pair this optically clear laminate with HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP, an easy-to-apply vinyl for wall graphics and fleet graphics, and you have a winning combination. .

Additional powerful solutions are HP Gloss Polymeric Overlaminate and HP Matte Polymeric Overlaminate. These two products offer the extra bonus of being calendered vinyl for long-term indoor and outdoor signs and vehicle graphics with brilliant image quality, as well as being overlaminates for printed images with the utmost protection.

There are countless school signage opportunities to announce career fairs, tournaments, performances, and so much more! For all your education media needs, please contact a LexJet Customer Specialist at 800-4-LEXJET.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles, Technology & Products
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Four-Part Series: Consistent Color on the HP Latex 700 and 800 Series

In the closing segment to our four-part series, Timothy Mitchell finishes his overview of the technology improvements made in the HP Latex 700 and 800 printers. He dug into the new printheads, the new inks, and white ink in the W versions in the previous editions.

In the video above, Mitchell delves into the quality at 4- and 6-pass, the importance of the homogenous print zone, and other improvements like the rotary cutter and upgraded take-up reel system.

Speed and Consistency

With the reconfigured printheads, reduced picolitre size, and modular ink, this family of HP printers can produce stunning images at 4-pass. “This is 4-pass, which is about 334 sq ft/hr. The color pop, speed, everything looks gorgeous on this canvas,” says Mitchell. “I can do it on banner or canvas all day long at 250-334 sq ft/hr., and the colors look fantastic. This is absolutely a testament to how good the technology is.”

Homogenous Print Zone

The significance of the homogenous print zone is a stable print temperature for consistent and accurate color, no matter the external temperature. Whether you’re printing during January in New England or August in Florida, the homogenous print zone will help you achieve consistent graphics from print to print. “It uses just a little bit of temperature in the print zone so that whenever you’re printing, everything that goes through that print zone is exactly the same temperature, which is very important for color consistency,” says Mitchell.

Miscellaneous Upgrades

  • One-year subscription to both ONYX and Flexi
  • New rotary cutter – fast, accurate, and it won’t dull
  • Improved take-up reel
  • Rebuilt platen, edge guards, and ink collectors

Throughout the video, Mitchell talks about a few more of his favorite products on latex technology, including HP Removable Adhesive Fabric and HP Prime Gloss Air GP, and why they work so well on these printers.

Over these four sessions, Mitchell has provided information on what’s new and improved in the HP Latex 700 W and 800 W printers; now, you can take a closer look at them in The LexJet Experience. If you have questions, contact a LexJet printer specialist at 800-453-9538.

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Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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What They’re Saying: “The HP Films are Good Quality and They Look Great”

Over 30 years ago, Tony Evans saw his childhood dream come true when he opened Evans Graphics in Monessen, Pa. “I lettered my first fire truck in 1985, and I started my business four years later,” he says. “Ever since I was a little boy, it was my dream to work with fire trucks, and I would say that now, around 80% of my work is on emergency vehicles.”

Throughout the years, Evans has changed the way he creates the graphics for his clients. He’s always wanted a printer, but he wasn’t spending enough outsourcing his printing to make it worth it. When he realized he was paying as much as $1,000 a month to have another shop print his graphics, he purchased an HP Latex 115.

“I wanted to give my customers prints that mimicked gold-leaf lettering, but I couldn’t do it without a printer,” he says. “Having a printer in-house saves my customers money, saves me from outsourcing, and it allows me to be more creative with what I can do.”

Once he got the printer installed, Evans knew he would need some material for commercial jobs and non-reflective products. Although he’d never purchased from LexJet before, he reached out to sales specialist Trey Kelly who was happy to talk to him about the HP Adhesive Vinyl line.

“I print with a lot of reflective material for the emergency vehicles and I use the HP Clear Gloss Cast Overlaminate,” he says. “The cast laminate is unbelievably awesome! It has a nice high gloss, with no silvering, and it cuts beautifully. It enhances the characteristics of the reflective vinyl and makes it a little easier to handle.”

Reflective Vinyl with HP Gloss Polymeric Overlaminate

Sometimes, certain jobs will call for a little thicker laminate and that’s when Evans chooses HP Gloss Polymeric Overlaminate. “Some trucks have roll-up doors and I have to trim between every slat and for those jobs, because the Polymeric is a little thicker, it makes it easier to use,” he says. “These are flat surfaces, so it works great.”

When he’s not working with reflective vinyl, Evans uses HP Prime Gloss CP and HP Prime Gloss Air GP for various projects like signs and stickers. “I used the Prime Gloss GP last year on a cargo van and I see that van around town all the time and it still looks great,” he says. “The CP, which doesn’t have the air channels, I use for labels. Since they get cut and handled by multiple people, I don’t want the air channels to possibly cause the label or sticker to separate from the backing.”

However, it was his recent experience with the HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP that really got him fired up. Combining the conformable Optimal with the cast laminate, Evans set out to install a ‘supergraphic’ on the side of a minivan for a local pest control company. “I wasn’t sure if the Optimal would conform well because it’s not a cast film. Wow! It was great,” he says.

Panel vans have recessed areas where rear windows would be in passenger vans, and Evans thought those recesses may require the use of the heat gun to soften the vinyl during installation. As it turns out, he didn’t need to warm it up. “Everything went on without a heat gun,” he says. “The entire application, including the gas filler door. I mean, the van looks like it came that way.”

HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP with HP Clear Gloss Cast Overlaminate

It’s not just the ease of installation that Evans loves about the vinyl. Because he’s working with the HP printer and inks, HP adhesive vinyl, and the HP laminates, he’s using quality products and getting quality results. “It prints beautifully, it cuts and weeds easily,” he says. “The HP films are good quality, they take the ink well, and they look great.”

Adding the printer last year has not only allowed him to expand his customer service and his creativity, but it also has kept him busy, especially as things started to slow down earlier this year. “With the work that I do, primarily emergency vehicles, I’m staying busy through COVID. Having the printer made me essential. I’m busier and more profitable than I’ve ever been,” he says.

If you are interested in learning more about the HP latex printers or HP Adhesive Vinyl, contact a sales specialist at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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LexJet brandUP: Supporting Ringling College Students’ VR Game at SXSW

South by Southwest, or as it’s more commonly known, SXSW, is a convergence of creatives across the interactive, film and music industries held annually in Austin, Texas. Marketers exhibit brand roll-outs and new products and applications to attendees.

One brand activation at the 2019 festival featured a group of talented students from Ringling College of Art + Design. About 35 students, studying graphic design, game art, illustration, motion design and business of art and design, launched “Wet Dog Corp.” a futuristic, arcade-style virtual reality game that takes the player through various levels where dirty dogs on conveyor belts are waiting to be cleaned.

“Wet Dog is a zany, fun VR dog washing game that some of our Game Art seniors made in collaboration with Flight School. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to debut the game at SXSW at their Gaming Expo,” says Jamie DeRuyther, a Game Art and Virtual Reality Development faculty member at Ringling College. “It really kind of blossomed into this really, really amazing marketing campaign.”

To attract people to the VR game, the Ringling team wanted to personalize and brand as many eye-catching items as they could. From water bottles to banners to vehicle decals, the Wet Dog logo was everywhere. “It’s real-world stuff with real clients in a real product in real time,” says Jeff Schwartz, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Tallie Malka, majoring in business art and design with an emphasis on marketing, stresses the importance of brand identity. “Branding this company [Wet Dog Corp.] and promoting what we’re doing is what I want to do for a career,” Malka says. “Every touch-point that these people have, they know our brand. That’s why we have branded water bottles, branded everything.”

The students of Ringling and the professionals at LexJet joined together in a collaborative effort to design the graphics, choose the right media, and print the images needed for the project.

LexJet provided the media and offered tips to create many of the large-format printed assets for the experience including banners, displays, vehicle graphics, target boards and water bottles. Here’s a peek into how the students brought Wet Dog Corp. to life:

  • Because the team set up outside, they chose HEYtex Mesh for the eye-popping graphics printed on 60/40 pattern, providing see-through visibility.
  • Easy-to-read graphics printed with LexJet Production Display Film SUV were displayed with banner stands and strategically placed throughout the booth, providing directions and hints to gamers. This durable film was selected because of its excellent image quality and water-resistance.
  • Vehicle branding is one of the easiest, but most important marketing opportunities. The Wet Dog team rented a van for the event and created temporary door and hood graphics using HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP. This calendared vinyl offers a gray, repositionable adhesive and is perfect for fleet and flat-paneled vehicle graphics.
  • In addition to the VR game, a carnival-style game was created with images of dogs printed on HP Prime Gloss Air GP and then installed on backboards. The calendared vinyl with a gray, permanent adhesive is a print service provider’s best asset. This versatile product can be used for indoor and outdoor signage, menu boards, stickers and decals, and many other applications.
  • Using the HP Latex 335 Print and Cut, labels were printed on HP Prime Gloss CP allowing the students to personally brand the water bottles in the booth, on demand. The calendared vinyl with clear adhesive is perfect for stickers, decals and other graphics on clear or light-colored substrates.

The Wet Dog Corp. experience garnered over 900 visitors in a single day. To see more about this successful brand activation as well as see the products in action, click on the video above.

If you are interested in these or other products from LexJet, give us a call at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com, today.

For Wall Graphics, HP Adhesive Vinyl Saves Money & Improves Results
Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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For Wall Graphics, HP Adhesive Vinyl Saves Money & Improves Results

Tyler Birch of Atchley Graphics in Columbus, Ohio, was browsing the LexJet website looking for an alternative to his current vinyl and laminate solution that would still be compatible with his Latex 360 and 570 printers. That’s when he found the HP Prime Gloss Air GP.

“I called Dave [Grotkiewicz], my LexJet sales representative who is very knowledgeable and helpful, especially with new products. We discussed the product and he sent me a roll to try,” Birch says.

With a mission to provide quality and value to his customers, Birch is selective about the products he uses. “It’s about peace of mind and long-term value,” he says. “You don’t want someone coming back in two years because their graphic failed or they had a bad experience. It comes down to the materials that you use, and the people who are printing, laminating and installing.”

Birch looked at what he was paying for his current materials and realized he could save as much as $100 when buying a roll of each vinyl and laminate. Because it’s not just about saving money, he needed to see how well the product would image. “The print quality is great, profiles are set, and I don’t have head strikes or color issues as compared to my other products.”

Birch wears multiple hats at Atchley — “As a press operator, I knew the product was doing its job, just like Dave told me it would,” he says.

He also finishes projects, which includes laminating graphics or working with print & cut. “The Prime laminated great with the HP Polymeric Overlaminates and the print and cut capabilities are also excellent,” he says. “The adhesive is a little different. It’s a bit harder, which means you won’t see gray adhesive poking out of the edges of a cut application.”

Not only has the new HP Adhesive Vinyl line helped Birch improve his output, but it also helps ensure his customers are benefiting from the increase in image quality and the decrease in cost. “HP Prime Air really helps us provide value to our customers and at a price point that makes us competitive, which is great since we are a small shop,” he says.

With many more projects lined up, Birch is excited to try other products as well, including HP Optimal Gloss Air GRP – a high-performance product that offers a gray repositionable adhesive – and the new Prime Matte Air GR, which offers a gray removable adhesive.

To learn more about the HP Adhesive Vinyl products, visit LexJet.com or call one of our sales specialists at 800-453-9538 to find out which solution is right for your next project.

Posted on by Jennifer Corn Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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HP Adhesive Vinyl Case Studies: ‘The Easiest I’ve Ever Used’

Shannon Norwood of Fullmoon Graphics in Athens, Tenn., has been making graphics for race cars for more than 22 years. Recently, his LexJet sales representative, Dave Mayer, told him about the new HP Adhesive Vinyl products. “At first, I was hesitant to switch,” Norwood says. “I’d never had any complaints, but nobody ever said anything about the other stuff I’ve used.”

That’s not the case anymore. “I have one driver who usually installs his own graphics,” he says. “After I switched to the HP vinyl, he called me and wanted to know what material I’d used to print his images. I was initially worried. Usually, nobody asks. I asked him why and I knew I’d get a straight answer from him because he’s very blunt. He said ‘I love it! It went on so easy, it almost falls on. It’s the easiest I’ve ever used.’ I was glad to hear it.”

Norwood orders 2-3 rolls a week, using the HP Prime Gloss Air GP with both the HP Gloss and Matte Polymeric Overlaminates, depending upon his customers’ requests. “I used the matte finish for a rust effect on a car and the finish was perfect. After all, you don’t want glossy rust. Some matte finishes are too coarse and when you take pictures at night, there’s a glare.”

Norwood created a faux rust look using HP Matte Polymeric Overlaminate

While he has been getting positive feedback from his customers who install their own work, it’s the person who is doing the printing who is the hardest to please: himself. “It prints much brighter than my last vinyl. My colors seem to pop better. Also, the images don’t have the mottled look,” he says. “My ink goes on real heavy and on other products, it would look like it was puddling. When I print with this on my 64-in Mutoh, the image is completely smooth, no mottling.”

With drivers all over the country, from Blue Ridge, Ga., to Arizona, to Mississippi, Norwood says that all of them tell him the product is a dream to install. “Nearly everyone tells me it almost installs itself, it’s so easy. All of my guys have worked with products from 3M and other brands.”

If you are working with adhesive vinyl and laminates and would like to learn more about the benefits of the HP Vinyl portfolio, call us today at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.