LexJet Print-N-Stick: Encouraging Students to Explore the World

When Ashton Elementary School teacher Rachel Montisano wanted to liven up her classroom while simultaneously providing an interactive educational environment, she reached out to LexJet for some ideas.  Michael Clementi, LexJet’s in-house printing guru, recommended that she use LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric.

“The use of large-format graphics has allowed me to create an interactive environment for my first-grade students as we study different topics,” says Montisano. With the bright, matte surface, easy repositionability and cleanly removable adhesive, the Print-N-Stick was the right product to bring the world into Montisano’s classroom.

Recently, her students were asked to research and report on the different animals found in the Arctic. As they stood at the head of the class to give their presentations, an image of polar bears frolicking near a snow-lined river served as the back drop for the students. Montisano says, “the students added animals and wrote their own captions and labels on the image. They were so excited to use what they had learned and make it a part of the large, realistic scene.”

Now that their trek through the Arctic is finished, the students will be whisked away to the Amazon rain forest. Once again, they will be asked to research the plants, animals and other interesting critters that call the rain forest home. Excited to see what the students’ imaginations will bring, Montisano says, “they will create their own plants and animals to add to our rain forest graphic, turning our classroom wall into a life-sized page from a non-fiction picture book.”

However, this new graphic will not just be for the students’ education and enjoyment, “they will make a presentation to parents,” she says. “As everyone walks through the rain forest, the graphic – and the special additions – will help them explain to their parents everything they have learned about the Amazon.”

Montisano is thrilled with the results of the images on the Print-N-Stick Fabric and says that the size and scope of the graphics played a huge part in bringing the environments to life in her classroom, which continue to generate excitement and learning amongst the students. The vivid colors, the ease of working with the product and the photographic image quality all contributed to a successful experience for the Ashton Elementary first graders.

“Working with this product allowed me to use thematic teaching – incorporating reading, writing and science in the same project – and it has been so rewarding to see such enthusiasm from my students,” she says.

Finish Soft Signage Fabrics Like the Pros

With the heavy retail season upon us, you’re likely getting more requests for fabric banners and displays these days. Retail outlets often prefer the elegant, lightweight drape that fabric signage offers, as opposed to vinyl, for instance, for banners, hanging signage, table skirts and more.

LexJet Poly Select Medium used for hanging posters.

However, when it comes to fabric signage, finishing needs can vary from fabric to fabric, since some cut cleanly and others may fray. Watch the video above to learn how to test your fabric, and which ones can simply be trimmed with a knife versus those that need a tool such as a heating knife to keep the weave from unraveling.

We offer a wide range of printable fabrics for a variety of print technologies:

For Aqueous

HP Light Fabric used for retail banners.

For Latex

For Solvent

A popular finishing option for printed fabric signage is pole pockets. Watch the video below for a fast, easy and professional result:

4 Ways to Step Up Your Floor Graphics

Floor graphics aren’t just for retail anymore. They provide an easy way to create ambiance for special events, turn bland walkways into brilliant displays, and even provide directional signage in the most unusual places. Here are a few examples from customers who have stepped outside the point-of-purchase box:

Wicked-cool Décor: Mark Hawkins of Mark Hawkins Photography took the “Wicked” theme of a recent fundraiser gala to new heights. Hawkins was tasked with bringing the world of Oz to life, and he turned to LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric to create graphics such as the iconic Yellow Brick Road, informational signage and what looked to be the poor Wicked Witch squashed by one of the bars. With its versatility, spot-on colors and ease of install and removal, Print-N-Stick was the go-to choice to create fun, customized graphics for the event.

History in the Printing: One School’s Dedication to Fostering Creativity

Each year, more than half a million middle and high school students participate in the National History Day competition. At the Weiss School in Palm Beach, Fla., this means months of research and preparation for the students, guided by their mentor and social studies instructor, Steven Hammerman. The students get to pick a historical topic relevant to the NHD theme of the year, and create a research project to present to judges.

Weiss_1

The project allows for a wide range of educational and artistic freedom, given the students get to design their projects as trifold exhibit boards, performances, papers, documentaries or websites. “Whatever the format is, the students get an understanding that it’s not just what you know, but how you present it, that matters,” says Hammerman. This year, Weiss has invested in a new tool to aid the students’ creativity: a DesignJet Z5400 Postscript Printer.

Easy Ways to Start Marketing Your Décor Services Today

Whether you’ve got full décor printing capabilities, or you’re just dipping your toe into this new market, everyone will eventually need to start marketing their services to build business. We sat down with LexJet’s market development pro Rachel Gamberg to learn how to get a décor-focused marketing plan off the ground.

“Based on your equipment and current capabilities, you can identify markets that you can created product lines for and start to segment these groups,” she says. “And if you have plans to invest in new equipment, started thinking about more applications you can offer in the future.”

The Final Print Caps Off Photo Students’ Thesis Projects

Earning a photography certification from the New York Film Academy encompasses everything from learning to shoot and use equipment to mastering the art of printing. That breadth of knowledge is put to the test as photography students spend an entire semester on their thesis project, fine-tuning their concept, shooting photos, receiving critiques, editing their images and, finally, printing the end result to display their work to the world.

The best images of the semester are chosen for display for the students’ graduation ceremony, and left up, gallery-style, on the walls for several months.