LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSATag:

The Latest Technology That Makes the Cut
Posted on by Liliana Wright Posted in Marketing & Sales, Technology & Products
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The Latest Technology That Makes the Cut

The appropriate cutter can expedite a shop’s printing operations, allowing it to run seamlessly and stay at the forefront of technology. Fortunately, the latest advancements in cutters have significantly simplified the processes for print and graphics shops. Integrating a cutter into your shop’s workflow enables the creation of personalized decals, signage, promotional items, and corrugated packaging, broadening your market reach significantly.

For those considering a new cutter, finding the perfect machine for your shop requires thorough research and asking pertinent questions. Which applications is the cutter ideally suited for, and does it align with the media you plan to work with? If your printing involves a variety of materials, you’ll require a cutter capable of handling them all. Are additional tools or accessories necessary? How much space will it require? Will it allow you to expand your offerings? Most importantly, what is the financial investment required?

The Right Cutter for the Job

Discover cutting solutions from industry veterans like Graphtec, designed to accelerate your production and diversify your product line. Whether it’s complex contours or straightforward cuts, Graphtec is up to the task. Graphtec offers multiple solutions, from the FC9000 Series, their most advanced and versatile roll-fed cutting plotter, to the CE7000 Series. High precision cutting capabilities with printed and unprinted materials are possible with the FC9000 Series- the ultimate finishing solution for the wide format signage, apparel, and automotive industries. You can confidently cut anything from delicate window tint to rigid magnets and high-intensity reflective.

Graphtec provides a Cutting Master 4 plug-in for Adobe and Corel users, Graphtec Studio for Mac, and the popular Graphtec Pro Studio software for design and cut graphics. The CE7000 Series works with both PC and MAC platforms, or you can use the handy USB thumb drive port.

Watch the Graphtec cutter in action:

The Right Media for the Job

Selecting the appropriate media for your cutter is essential, as it can save you precious time and prevent material waste. Opting for high-quality media ensures that your cutter’s blade can effortlessly glide through, creating smooth, sharp edges with precision, like cutting through butter! With dialed-in pressure and force, the blade should perform clean perforated (perf) cuts and smooth kiss (die) cuts that easily separate from the release liner, like on decals.

LexJet offers excellent vinyl options like LexJet Extreme AquaVinyl™ PSA, a long-lasting, waterproof vinyl backed with a permanent but removable adhesive for outdoor signs and vehicle decals. It is so durable that it carries a 12-month outdoor warranty against fading, peeling, cracking, bleeding, and running when used in conjunction with pigmented (UV) inks. This aqueous-compatible waterproof vinyl is durable enough to be used outdoors or on vehicles for up to 12 months.

The super-scratch-resistant coating eliminates the need for lamination. LexJet Extreme AquaVinyl™ PSA is compatible with all aqueous inkjet printers, whether they use dye or pigment inks or thermal or piezo printheads.

Another great option is LexJet TOUGHcoat™ AquaVinyl™ PSA,  a 5-mil adhesive-backed vinyl with a white point that enables bright, colorful photos to be printed on a durable, weather-resistant surface.

The TOUGHcoat™ layer provides such exceptional resistance to water and scratching that graphics printed on this material will last up to 8 months outdoors without lamination. Prints will last up to two years outdoors when laminated with LexJet Elite Matte UV or Elite Luster UV laminates.

The super smooth, bright-white surface and superior ink-saturation properties of this material provide deep rich colors and the expanded gamut needed to produce great-looking photos or graphics with hard-to-hit spot colors.

The strong, permanent solvent-based adhesive sticks to most popular sign substrates and removes cleanly for up to 90 days. LexJet TOUGHTcoat™ AquaVinyl™ PSA is compatible with all aqueous inkjet printers, whether they use dye or pigment inks or thermal or piezo printheads.

Ready to take on workflow automation for maximum workflow efficiency? To learn more or purchase new finishing equipment and LexJet media, please contact a LexJet Customer Specialist at 800-453-9538 or visit lexjet.com.

Section 179- Don’t miss out on tax incentives!

Consult with your accounting professional to find out the best way to utilize the tax deduction when purchasing capital equipment before the end of the year. To get an idea of your deduction, check out the Section 179 Calculator. To claim the deduction for 2023, the equipment must be installed on or before December 31.

Yard Signs Are Quick & Effective to Drive Traffic and Get the Vote Out
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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Yard Signs Are Quick & Effective to Drive Traffic and Get the Vote Out

Yard signs are a quick and easy solution for temporary graphics as well as election year signage, which will be gearing up soon. And that means more demand for signage, such as banners, yard signs and posters.

When it comes to yard signs, there are a few tips to keep in mind in terms of what content to include, color and design and the proper material to print to. Here’s what you need to know, and some tips you can pass along to your customers:

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Do You Have a Winning Lineup for Outdoor Graphics?
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Tips & Tricks
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Do You Have a Winning Lineup for Outdoor Graphics?

Now more than any other time of year, outdoor signage and graphics are front and center and in demand. We hold outdoor graphics to higher expectations in terms of durability and longevity, but also in photo and color reproduction and overall strength and visual appeal. We gathered some of our customers’ favorite outdoor products for a variety of applications. Check out this list to find your tried-and-true choices, as well as some new products that you’ve yet to discover:

Although it’s not technically specified for outdoor use, our customers have found that LexJet TOUGHcoat ThriftyBanner can take the heat … and the rain. Photographer Carl Caylor reproduced football player images, shown above, and displayed them on the field in frames attached with BannerUps for an entire football season. “We had a few games with really nasty weather, and they really held up great,” he says. “The ThriftyBanner got wet, but after the game we hung them up to dry, and everything was fine. It was amazing for a product that’s not really rated for outdoor longevity.”

LexJet Simple Adhesive Vinyl SUV is a tried-and-true outdoor self-adhesive option. It can be used to cover up eyesores, like Spectra Imaging achieved quite stylishly by covering a generator and finishing it with a film laminate for extra outdoor protection, pictured here. Another self-adhesive favorite is LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA, a go-to choice for durable outdoor signs, like those used for election season yard signs when paired with Coroplast or foam boards. And don’t forget that LexJet now carries a full line of Avery Dennison films and laminates made specifically for long-term outdoor use for vehicles, transit and marine graphics, as well as floors, windows and walls.

Need a lasting window option? We’ve got dozens of window graphics choices, but if it’s a retail space and you want to see through the graphic, a favorite option is LexJet Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30). Because 70% of the surface area is printable, you get great graphic reproduction and color punch with the added benefit of not obstructing the visibility through the window. Compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, UV-curable and latex inks, it’s designed to mount on the exterior of the window and will cleanly remove from the glass within the first year of installation.

Try LexJet Production Display Film SUV for banner stands. If you’ve got a customer request for banner stands that’ll be used outdoors, this is an ideal option for you. Our Production Display Films were a huge success when they launched, and it’s not hard to see why — this true lay-flat option won’t curl on the sides the way some material will, especially when they’ve been displayed for some time. The solvent option means you don’t have to apply a laminate top coat, and it’s super versatile. LexJet Production Display Film SUV is ideal for trade shows when you don’t need it to stand up to the outdoor elements.

If you’ve got dye-sublimation capabilities in your facility, a high-end, durable solution is ChromaLuxe EXT, made specifically to be used outdoors and guaranteed to last up to and beyond three years. These metal panels create stunning, high-end signage or décor with the vivid color reproduction we expect from dye-sub transfers. Stay tuned to our blog for more information and real-life examples featuring ChromaLuxe EXT!

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Illustrating Old Tools with New Tools in Graphic Production

Pasto Agricultural Museum Display by Jaru Copy ServiceWide format inkjet printing has been a revelation for Jaru Copy Services in State College, Pa. Traditionally a reprographics and copy shop for engineering and architecture, adding the ability to produce full-color inkjet posters, graphics and signs to the mix has been a big business builder for the firm.

Operations manager Ed Weeden says the graphics side of the business has grown exponentially in the past two or three years, becoming a much larger percentage of Jaru’s total business.

“We’ve produced more between January and June of this year than we did all year last year. I owe a lot of that to LexJet. And, thanks to LexJet shipping, I don’t have to keep any inventory at all; I order it on-demand. We’re quickly evolving and molding ourselves into a one-stop print shop.”

A good case in point is the ongoing graphics project Jaru is putting together for the Pasto Agricultural Museum in Rock Spring, Pa., which is an extension of Penn State University.

Jaru’s latest addition to the museum is the 7 1/2′ x 16′ photographic reproduction shown here. The museum added the antique farm implements below and on top of the photo, which depicts how those implements were actually used.

Museum Display by Jaru Copy Services
This graphic display was also produced by Jaru Copy Services on TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA, laminated with LexJet Performance Satin UV Vinyl Laminate (3 Mil) and applied to 1/4″ PVC.

The photo was reproduced from a 3″ x 6″ original, printed on a Canon iPF8300 inkjet printer on LexJet TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA, laminated with LexJet Performance Satin UV Vinyl Laminate (3 Mil) and applied in four panels to a 1/4″-thick PVC board.

“The printing and laminating went fantastic, but applying such a large graphic in panels was something new for us; it had to line up perfectly. Chris Shigley [Jaru’s LexJet customer specialist] suggested I use a big squeegee so I made one out of the PVC board. That worked well and we had a couple of people working around the board to make sure everything lined up and didn’t skew,” says Weeden.

Weeden adds that there’s a second piece that will go behind a large hay maker. Jaru has also produced the smaller descriptive signs for each display, also printed on TOUGHcoat AquaVinyl PSA.

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 Promotions & Rebates
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LexJet Outdoor Aqueous Inkjet Media: Buy 3 Rolls, Get Another Free

Buy 3 rolls of LexJet outdoor aqueous inkjet media and get another freeFrom now until May 31, order four rolls of any of the LexJet outdoor aqueous inkjet media listed below and get the lowest-cost roll free. Or, put another way, buy three rolls and you’ll get another one free (the lowest-cost of the four).

All of these solutions feature a bright-white base that provides higher ink saturation for vibrant colors with additional scratch and weather resistance for producing photo-quality outdoor and indoor graphics…

For more information about this limited Buy 3 Get 1 Free promotion, as well as help finding the right product for the project, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538. This offer is not available online and is only good when you call in. Some restrictions apply.