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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Tips & Tricks
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Last Call and Details on the Upcoming Hands-On Printer Workshops

Printing Workshops in California and TexasEverything you wanted to know about inkjet printing for a variety of fine art, sign and display and photography applications will be known at the upcoming free hands-on workshops in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 13, and Irving, Texas, on Aug. 20.

Sponsored by Canon and LexJet, the workshops will feature a close examination of Canon’s printer technology and software, with operational and efficiency tips, followed by a treasure trove of in-depth information on working with photo papers, fine art papers, canvas, films and vinyl.

You’ll find out what makes each inkjet material tick and how to finish, present and apply them. Moreover, expert presenters from Canon and LexJet will guide you through the most profitable, unique and saleable applications you can accomplish in your market.

For instance, you’ll learn all about canvas from start to finish: how the inkjet coating, material composition and finish impact the printed image, followed by guidelines on coating and stretching canvas, and the most profitable applications.

When you attend the workshops you’ll also receive a $50 gift certificate from LexJet, inkjet media swatchbooks, special printer and inkjet media promotions, printed samples and other giveaways. A continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

To sign up for either Irvine, Calif. (Aug. 13) or Irving, Texas (Aug. 20), and if you have any questions, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538. Space is limited, so call to get your seat today, and before registration closes on Aug. 9 for Irvine and Aug. 16 for Irving.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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A Professional Showroom that Sells at Spectra Imaging

Spectra Imaging Showroom

When opportunity knocks Spectra Imaging’s owner, Brian Rogers, answers. Rogers has had his eye on a space adjacent to Spectra Imaging’s offices and production facility for the past couple of years and when it became available he jumped on it.

It's a natural progression from Spectra Imaging's new showroom into the conference room.
It’s a natural progression from Spectra Imaging’s new showroom into the conference room.

“The area is perfect for a showroom because it naturally leads into our conference room. Our sales staff can take clients through the showroom first and then go into the conference room for a meeting,” says Rogers. “People are so visual and if you have the products set up then they sell themselves a lot easier than simply showing them photographs of your work.”

The makeover was simple: they took the doors off the hinges, replaced the carpet and painted the walls to match the rest of Spectra Imaging’s interior. The overall effect is professional, which is exactly how Spectra Imaging prefers to position itself, and happens to be how it operates as well.

Spectra Imaging's lobby is tastefully decorated, providing a professional atmosphere in which to conduct business.
Spectra Imaging’s lobby is tastefully decorated, providing a professional atmosphere in which to conduct business.

Spectra Imaging is tastefully decorated, as you can see in the photos, while it promotes its work through well-conceived pieces, from the displays in the showroom to the inkjet-printed images in the conference room, as well as framed pieces touting the company’s recognition from both inside and outside the industry.

Rogers reports that the showroom has more than its duty and exceeded expectations as far as generating interest, and ultimately, sales. The key is to set it up so that it makes sense. In other words, there’s a natural progression from one display to the next so that potential clients see options from good to best to meet their needs from both a budgetary and messaging standpoint.

Of course you can’t show everything, particularly those larger projects that would take up the entire space if they were replicated in the showroom. However, and perhaps most importantly, it shows the variety of inkjet materials and finishes on which their graphics can be printed.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends, Technology & Products
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The Professional’s Choice: LexJet Sunset Inkjet Products Win Hot One Awards

Professional Photographer Magazine Hot One AwardA panel of judges made up of professional photographers selected LexJet Sunset Production Matte Canvas and Sunset Fibre Rag for 2013 Hot One Awards.

The annual Hot One Awards recognize photography and imaging products the judges consider their top choices and the hottest products of the year in a number of categories, including inkjet printers, inkjet media, cameras, software and more. Winning products will be featured in Professional Photographer’s August 2013 issue and at www.ppmag.com.

“The Hot One Awards help us establish a benchmark for future product development by providing insight into the types of inkjet media photographers, fine art reproduction companies and wide format print shops need for a successful and profitable print workflow,” says Dione Metnick, LexJet product manager. “We continue to work closely with our printer manufacturer partners – Canon, Epson and HP – to bring inkjet media to the market that maximizes their latest technology innovations and ink sets while providing a consistent and reliable product to our customers.”

Sunset Fibre Rag won a Hot One Award in the Fine-art Paper category and Sunset Production Matte Canvas won in the Canvas category, taking two of the five Inkjet Media categories.

LexJet’s previous Hot One Award winners include: Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, Sunset Select Gloss Canvas, LexJet 8 Mil ImagePro Satin, Sunset Photo eSatin Paper, Sunset Fibre Gloss, Sunset Fibre Elite, Sunset Fine Art Satin SUV by Hahnemuhle, LexJet Prime Gloss SUV, Sunset Velvet Rag 315g and Sunset Select Matte Canvas.

Sunset Fibre Rag wins Hot One Award
Jon Scott, owner of JS Graphics Inc., Chicago, has made Sunset Fibre Rag a staple of his fine art printing for its wide color gamut, consistency and flexibility.

Sunset Fibre Rag, introduced in March 2012, was developed based on demand from photographers and fine art reproduction companies looking for the high-end air-dried look and feel on a 100 percent cotton rag base.

“This paper has a great Dmax, the color gamut is pretty amazing and the surface is nice and consistent,” says Jon Scott, owner of JS Graphics Inc., a fine art reproduction company based in Chicago. “It also comes in various sheet and roll sizes, which is great, because it gives us more flexibility in our printing.”

Sunset Production Matte Canvas Wins Hot One Award
Richard Herschberger, owner of Herschberger Galerie, Arthur, Ill., says he gets “more bang for the buck” from Sunset Production Matte Canvas.

Sunset Production Matte Canvas, introduced in December 2012, complements LexJet’s Sunset Canvas line by providing an economical but consistent option for higher production workflows.

“Of course I really like the price of this new canvas from LexJet, but it still provides good color reproduction. It has a little more tooth to show the canvas texture for mass production projects that require that look,” says Richard Herschberger, owner of Herschberger Galerie in Arthur, Ill. “I also like the fact that I can get it in 60-foot rolls so I’m not changing it out as often; you get more bang for the buck that way.”

For more information about the full line of LexJet Sunset photo, fine photo, fine art and canvas products, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Museum Wall Murals Made Simple

Triad Creative Group Produces Wall Murals for a Museum
Triad Creative Group printed historical wall murals on LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Vinyl laminated with LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Gloss UV Laminate. Triad applied subtle duotones to the images to complement the general color scheme of each exhibit.

 

Illustrating history can be tricky, but that’s why you leave it to consummate professionals like Triad Creative Group, Brookfield, Wis., which specializes in producing brilliant displays for museums and trade shows.

Museum Wall MuralTriad Creative Group won the bid to provide graphics for the Wade House Visitors Center and Carriage House shortly after the opening of the 38,000 square foot facility in Greenbush, Wis.

The specifications for the 18 wall murals depicting horse-drawn apparatus and their use throughout history originally called for prints produced with eco-solvent inks. Triad Creative Group took that specification to the next level with the purchase of an HP Designjet L26500 latex inkjet printer from LexJet.

“We had been in conversations with Kara Work [Triad’s LexJet customer specialist] about upgrading to the HP latex printer. I discussed latex-based prints on vinyl as a way to meet the specifications with our designers and this project pushed us toward purchasing the printer. It was such a huge job it virtually paid for the printer,” says John Toth, project manager for Triad Creative Group.

Museum Wall MuralsOnce the printer was selected, installed and ready to go, the next step was choosing the right material.

Toth was looking for something economical, that would image well and would be simple to work with at the installation site. Work recommended LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Vinyl laminated with LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Gloss UV Laminate.

“It’s a very nice material; it’s very forgiving on a multi-panel project like this. You need the ability to stick it down and pull it back up, which this allowed us to do with its air-egress liner. The color gamut and imagery looks incredible. All the archived photographs that we scanned and put into use with Simple Flo really popped,” says Toth.

Inkjet Printed Wall MuralsMost of the murals, which ranged from 8′ x 10′ to 12′ x 15′, were applied to wood frames with primed MDF faces offset from the wall, another was applied to Sintra and a few were applied directly to the walls. “The Simple Flo adhered beautifully to all the surfaces. It was also easy to trim, so I was very pleased with how it performed,” says Toth.

Mural application began in February and the rest were installed as the exhibits were finalized throughout the museum, with the final wall mural applied last week. It was essentially a year-long project as plans were made and Triad scanned and touched up the historical photos that would be used.

Donor Wall Graphics
The donor wall consists of LexJet Sunset Velvet Rag SUV applied to 6mm Sintra with 1/4″ glass stood off the image an inch. The glass has second-surface vinyl lettering. The portrait panel is Sunset Velvet Rag applied to Sintra.

“The photos weren’t in great condition, so we had to re-touch them in Photoshop. Depending on the location within the museum, each area has its own color designation. They’re all grayscale images, but a duotone was applied based on the color scheme of the area in which they were installed. The reddish ones, for instance, were tied to a firefighting theme,” explains Toth.

Triad also used LexJet Sunset Velvet Rag SUV for the donor wall that Toth says was a nice complement to the overall project.

“Kara was very helpful with finding the right media for this project. She is awesome, not just from the sales end, but from a technical support aspect. She’s very knowledgeable about media for different applications. She’s always been there for us,” adds Toth.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Reaching the Finish Line with Inkjet Printed Graphics

Special Event Graphics

Revolution3 Triathlon (REV3) is a growing, dynamic series of 12 triathlons and adventure races held across the United States. REV3 started about five years ago in Connecticut and continues to add new races every year from Florida to Portland, Ore.

Triathlon GraphicsMost of the races are Olympic-REV half-REV triathlons, with one full-REV (2.4-mile swim, 26-mile run, 100-mile bike) and an adventure race. More styles of events are on tap for 2013 and beyond, such as family fun runs and glow runs before the big events. The events also support various charities, including Run Across America, Ulman Cancer Fund, Team RWB and Multisport Ministries.

REV3 collaborated with KRT Architectural Signage, Warrenton, Va., to build a superstructure at the finish line for all of its events. REV3 art director Jay Bussiere created the concept and KRT built the structure, including a built-in LED timer.

Bussiere also worked with his LexJet customer specialist, Jaimie Mask, to bring not only the finish line structure graphics to life, but the banners and other signage as well.

A Frame Graphics
The A-Frames along the route are printed on LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA.

“We recently purchased a new Canon iPF9400 wide-format inkjet printer. I did a search for vendors online and found LexJet’s website,” says Bussiere. “It was impressive the way I could narrow down my search and find what I needed easily. LexJet’s site is intuitive, and I appreciate that, being a web designer as well as an online customer. Then, Jaimie gave me some recommendations on inkjet materials for use outdoors.”

Given the type of printer Bussiere purchased, Mask recommended LexJet Extreme AquaVinyl w/ PSA and LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA for the structure. Bussiere protected the graphics with LexJet Performance Gloss Vinyl Laminate (3 Mil).

He also used LexJet TOUGHcoat Blockout Scrim Banner, LexJet TOUGHcoat ThriftyBanner, LexJet 11 Mil Blockout PolyGloss and LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Polypropylene for various event signage.

The structure and the signs will travel from event to event. The photo here shows the finish line from a triathlon in Knoxville, Tenn. “The finish line structure is quite massive; you really can’t miss it,” says Bussiere. “And, with quality materials from LexJet, matched with custom REV3 graphics, the finish line and expo area become a beacon for athletes and passersby alike.”

For more about REV3 and upcoming events, go to rev3tri.com. And, check out the video recaps of the Knoxville event in the videos embedded below:

REV3 GLOW RUN – Knoxville, TN from REVOLUTION3 Triathlon on Vimeo.

REV3 Triathlon KNOXVILLE Pro Recap 2013 from REVOLUTION3 Triathlon on Vimeo.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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The Fine Art of Photography on Canvas

Wolf printed on Fredrix canvas from LexJetDavid Micelotta, owner of Through the Eyes of David, a fine art photography studio in Farmingville, N.Y., prints his work almost exclusively on canvas, Fredrix 777VWR Vivid Matte Canvas from LexJet, to be exact.

“At one time I sold framed pieces, but switched to canvas because my customers love canvas. I print them all on 1 1/2″ gallery wraps so the customer doesn’t have to worry about framing the piece and it gives the piece more dimension,” explains Micelotta. “I love the color reproduction and the gamut the Fredrix canvas produces.”

Micelotta travels the art show circuit in New York and neighboring states showcasing his unique take on a variety of subjects. Though he leans toward nature photography, eager art buyers also appreciate his landscapes, cityscapes and nautical photos on canvas.

The key to selling a great photo at art shows, says Micelotta, is the quality of the finished print. Therefore, Micelotta profiles his inkjet materials and calibrates the entire process, from capture to monitor to print.

Fracture Art printed on Fredrix canvas from LexJet“I get the same quality in gamut and detail in both papers and canvas due to the calibration between monitor and printer. After I print the canvas and let it dry, I coat it with a varnish and it tends to saturate the color 10-15 percent more than the fine art paper and gives it more gloss, which I like,” says Micelotta.

Micellota also creates more abstract pieces he calls Fracture Art, a technique he developed using five different graphics software programs.

“It starts with a photo that I bring into the five different programs and then apply formulas I’ve create in each. The outcome is the Fracture Art, and then I adjust those formulas from there to change the look slightly,” he says.