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Posted on by Sean McGettigan Posted in Tips & Tricks
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Epson SureColor S30670 Printer Setup Videos

Setting up Epson printersLike any other printer, a little bit of help with printer setup can go a long way in getting your new printer up and running in a short amount of time. While the setup guide and quick reference guide that accompany the Epson SureColor S30670 are invaluable, sometimes seeing how everything comes together can be even better.

The Epson SureColor S30670 Printer Setup Videos embedded below, in the order shown, include:

  • Printer Stand Assembly
  • In-take and Take-up System Installation
  • Installing Cleaning Cartridges and Ink Cartridges

In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for more videos related to the SureColor S30670. To find out more about Epson’s new low-solvent printer and its numerous features and capabilities, click here for a preview posted earlier this month at the LexJet Blog.

As always, if you have any questions about setting up and using this new printer, or other Epson products, please contact a LexJet Customer Specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles, Marketing & Sales
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Inkjet Printed Trading Card Sports Posters and How Shipping Makes a Difference

Printing sports postersJack Deere, owner of Three Oaks Photography in Wake Forest, N.C., is always on the lookout for new and unique products for his photography studio. One source of inspiration is the LexJet Blog, where others share their experiences and ideas.

“In addition to the great service I’m getting from LexJet, I appreciate the other things LexJet does with tools like the blog. It helps a lot, because I get great ideas from it, like the growth chart printed on Photo Tex,” says Deere. “In fact, we’re testing Photo Tex for different things, like appliqués on windows, wall murals and anything else we can find to do with it; it’s a great material to work with.”

Deere says the studio has been printing its own work for years, and one of the keys to doing it successfully is the confidence he has that he’ll not only get the support he needs, but more importantly that he’ll consistently get the products he needs on time and just in time.

“As a small business, cash flow is king. When an ink cartridge costs more than $100 a pop, even for the small ones, I don’t have to buy one until I absolutely need it. LexJet products get here within one day. I just had an order that arrived from two different distribution points, but they got here at the same time this morning at 10 a.m.,” explains Deere. “LexJet has never missed that deadline so I can order with one day’s notice, and we get quick shipping for that flat rate of $9.99. That’s what I really appreciate – the depth and breadth of how LexJet’s distribution is set up. Sometimes I’ve ordered at 3 in the afternoon and it’s here at 10 the next morning. Hello? That’s why I’m a customer for life; LexJet has saved my bacon every time. And, when I call the 800 number, the phone system is routed so I get my personal rep. I call and I don’t get a voice system, I get, ‘Hey Jack, what’s up?'”

Deere adds that product suggestions from his customer specialist, Michael Clementi, are another plus. One of those suggestions helped lead to a successful product launch that local high schools have embraced called Trading Card Sports Posters.

Deere prints the posters on LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA (the product Clementi suggested) and applies them to Coroplast. The posters are durable enough to withstand inclement (pun intended) weather when they’re hung up around outdoor venues, like the high school football stadium.

“We only photograph seniors for the posters. We shoot an action shot of them, which I turn into a charcoal pencil drawing in the background, and then add a head shot and a photo of them with the seniors on the team,” explains Deere. “They’re typically used for senior nights at the sports banquets and it’s a gift to the senior from the booster club. Once schools see the posters I get calls from the booster clubs, so I’m in about seven high schools now. We also frame some of them, and when we do that we use LexJet TOUGHcoat Water-Resistant Self Adhesive Polypropylene.”

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Inkjet Printed Window Shades as a Complementary Interior Décor Design Element

Inkjet printed window shades

Most accidents fall into the Not-so-Happy category, but some fall into the Happy category, as was the case with a recent home décor project Tim Dussault, owner of The Color I in Anacortes, Wash., recently completed for a homeowner.

Printing custom window shadesDussault printed custom window shades on LexJet Poly Select Light as a complement to the interior décor of the home, which was based around a painting that hangs in the couple’s living room. The “accident” was the bottom section of the shade was also a perfect complement to the home’s overall color scheme.

“They rolled the shades down about nine inches to let as much light into the room during the day, making a nine-inch valance.  It created a nice design element to the room so that you didn’t have to have the shade completely up or down to do that,” says Dussault. “That really opened my eyes to using that bottom section of the print for whatever design element you want, whether it’s a consistent color or pattern, to go with the overall interior design of a room.”

Inkjet printed window shadesThe artwork is from a 24×36 original watercolor by Jennifer Bowman, an artist Dussault has worked with in the past. Dussault generated the scene into panels that matched the window spaces in the bay window and printed them on Poly Select Light.

Dussault used his recently updated line of DiY Roller Shade Assemblies for the window shades, which you can pick up at artrollershades.com, and watch the videos below to see the installation of this project as well as how to use the DiY Roller Shade Assemblies. Or, if you prefer, you can view them at YouTube at this link.

“The installation went smoothly and they really liked it and how it all flowed together,” says Dussault. He adds that he chose the Poly Select Light over the Poly Select Heavy since he wanted as much light as possible to flow through them when they’re drawn down.

Dussault also used Poly Select Heavy in another recent project he collaborated on with his wife for a restaurant that turned its bar into a club. In addition to hanging wall murals, Dussault created custom gallery wraps with Poly Select Heavy.

“I like to stretch that material; it’s easier to stretch than canvas. I was also surprised by how well it accepted the spray coating. My experience with fabrics told me that it would absorb some of the coating and change the color of the image, but it dried really well and there was no color shift. Using the fabric and stretching creates a totally different look that I think is more attractive; it’s softer and more tactile,” says Dussault.

Look for photos from this project and more information in a future post here at the LexJet Blog. In the meantime, check out the videos of the installation and how the DiY Roller Shade Assemblies work…

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Get More POP for Your P.O.P. with LexJet at the Shopper Marketing Expo

Retail graphics and point of purchase trade showThe Shopper Marketing Expo at Chicago’s Navy Pier, Oct. 18-20, is more than a point of purchase exhibition; it’s all about the entire “path to purchase.” As an integral part of the path to purchase, LexJet will be on hand in Booth 720, showcasing the latest creative point of purchase and shopper marketing ideas.

Stay tuned here at the LexJet Blog before and during the show for LexJet show specials and reports on what’s going on in retail graphics and marketing. Also, check LexJet’s Twitter feed during the show, Oct. 18-20, for up-to-the minute news and points of interest.

LexJet provides retail graphics solutions for in-house corporate print shops and point-of-purchase providers looking for versatile, flexible and unique ways to produce eye-catching, effective promotional and branding programs.

To register for the show, click here, and if you have any questions, you’re looking for specific information from the show or you’d like to meet us there, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Tips & Tricks
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How to Print through Adobe Illustrator and the Epson Driver

How to print throug Illustrator and the Epson printer driverA common file type in the print workflow is Adobe Illustrator. If you don’t have a RIP (Raster Image Processor) and you’re printing through the printer driver, you need to know how to make the correct color management and print settings in Illustrator. A sound workflow will help you to achieve consistent results.

In the two videos below, you will learn how to print through Illustrator and the Epson printer driver using a Mac or a PC, in that order. We’ll follow up with a post on how to print through Illustrator and the Canon printer driver for both Mac and PC, so keep an eye on the LexJet Blog for those instructions…

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Weekly Update: Upcoming Shows for Graphics Providers and Photographers

Over the next few months there will be a trade show for just about any type of imaging work you do, whether you make signs, print or specify large format graphics, screen print, engrave or specialize in photography and photographic output. Moreover, all of the trade shows listed below offer continuing education and seminars on how to use your skills and capabilities to expand into other markets…

WPPI, Feb. 17-24, Las Vegas: Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) will host its annual trade show and conference at the MGM Grand Hotel this year with more than 300 exhibitors and 75 speakers covering the full gamut of photography from capture to print and beyond. LexJet will live blog from the event with the latest news and items of interest from the show. Also, look for regular updates and show specials from LexJet reps Justin Craft and Michael Clementi at twitter.com/LexJet. Stay tuned here at blog.lexjet.com for more details on our Where’s Waldo (Craft/Clementi) and the special prizes and promotions available if you find them on the floor during the show as we get closer to WPPI.Special events graphics trade shows

FESPA Americas, Feb. 24-26, Orlando: FESPA, well known in Europe for its giant graphics trade shows, will come to America for the first time this year. Events at FESPA Americas include: Global Business Forum, Wide Format Print Shop Live!, Screen Masters Workshop, Digital Textile Conference, Wrap Cup Masters, Digital Debate at the Innovation Theater and more. Register online and you’ll get a free pass to the show.

The NBM Show, March 24-26, Austin, Texas: The NBM Show is an excellent venue to learn more about your graphics specialty and sample related markets, like screen printing and apparel decoration, engraving and vehicle graphics. The expanded education conference with more than 60 seminars begins Wednesday, March 23. The Austin show is the first NBM Show of the year, which will also travel to Indianapolis (June 9-11), Long Beach (Aug. 11-13) and Baltimore (Sept. 8-10).

ISA International Sign Exposition, April 28-30, Las Vegas: This annual giant expo produced by the International Sign Association may be a harbinger of the beginnings of an economic recovery as ISA reports that the number of exhibitors and pre-registered attendees is up sharply this year. The expo will feature 75 courses in business management, technical requirements and industry trends, as well as a number of special events, such as The American Wrap Star Contest (a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy will be given away in a sweepstakes drawing), a New Product Showcase and a Green Product Showcase.