What They’re Saying: HP Matte Polymeric Overlaminate is ‘Dynamite’

About a year ago, Adam Koppelman bought the SpeedPro Imaging in Totowa, N.J., from its original owner. “We’re growing, which is terrific. I’ve brought on a few large corporate clients,” Koppelman says of his clientele.

One corporate client that he and his team are working with is the Dave & Busters at Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, N.J. “The staircase is about 23 feet wide and 36-steps high, with a landing. The graphic isn’t going on the tread, only the risers,” Koppelman says. “I knew it wouldn’t be stepped on.”

Needing to protect the graphics from the occasional kick, Koppelman chose to use HP Matte Polymeric Overlaminate. “We’ve used it for other projects like wall murals,” he says. “With Dave and Busters, there’s corporate branding and color is important, I need it to be right and we didn’t have any issues. It looks dynamite and they are pleased with the results.”

Having used other brands through the years, Koppelman knows there are some issues when using a matte laminate: silvering, bland or faded colors, even installation issues. Laminates can be expensive, so replacing graphics can get costly if they need to be reprinted. “I switched over to the laminate because it is a nicer product than what we were using. Also, it is more efficient from a cost perspective.”

Not only does he feel the HP matte laminate enhances the colors, but his installers are also pleased with the way the product goes down.

“We printed a 6-foot by 10-foot wall mural and the installer asked what kind of laminate we used. He felt that install was easier for him due to the rigidity and thickness of the laminate and vinyl.” With the success of the smaller wall mural in his portfolio, other companies have requisitioned larger pieces for their corporate spaces. “We recently did one that was 8-and-a-half by 26-feet. The customer was very happy with the results.”

Koppelman is not only using the HP matte laminate on his projects, but he is also talking to other SpeedPro owners and they’ve started using it as well. “We’ve been going through the rolls pretty quickly over the last few months.”

What he likes most about the product is the rigidity, his customers like the look of the finished graphics, and his installers like the way it handles. Of course, saving money is also an added benefit.

If you are interested in learning more about the HP Matte Polymeric Overlaminate or the other products in the portfolio, call a LexJet sales representative at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.

Creating a Lasting Impression

053

If there’s one thing that Dearborn, Mich.-based Carhartt prides itself on, it’s making products that “outwork them all.” So it was only natural that the 125-year-old company would collaborate with the trade-show exhibit pros at Morley to make a truly lasting impression.

Saginaw, Mich.-based Morley designed and built a trade-show display that combined the look of an 1890s mercantile with a contemporary 21st century feel in an open and inviting floor plan that provided a private and practical environment for sales reps to conduct business in the booth. It also allowed Carhartt to showcase its seasonal messaging and rugged jeans, jackets and work apparel.

“We’ve used the display for them for several years,” says Bernie Raymond, production manager at Morley, which designs, engineers, fabricates and installs client exhibits. “We do different themes for them with different photography every year.”

The 2015 design has a turn-of-the-century flair with a brick wall facade and rich red, gold and burgundy tones. The upper level houses an actual working conference room that has a wall of frosted acrylic windows. In years past, the windows were decorated with vinyl logo art, Raymond says. To complete this year’s theme, the windows were covered in two-tone images of industrial production scenes.

“We wanted to do something different with it, but we didn’t want the room to be closed off completely with a fully opaque graphic, which would make it feel smaller that it already is,” Raymond says.

He had been experimenting with LexJet’s Simple Low-Tack Clear Vinyl, which is backed with a removable adhesive. “The results, especially when used on a frosted acrylic, were very promising,” he says. Once the images were printed on the HP latex printer, he was able to laminate it immediately. “We put the LexJet Elite Matte UV Vinyl Laminate over top of the vinyl to protect it and give it a little more substance when we mounted it.”

046The images were “perfectly clear,” he says, and could be viewed from either side of the window while still allowing some light to come through. “They loved it,” Raymond says. “It was exactly the kind of effect they were looking for.”

Raymond says he added latex printing to his operation two years ago to take advantage of the durability of latex prints, lack of drying time and a more extensive portfolio of materials he’s able to use that weren’t available for the aqueous printer. The addition has allowed him to be more agile with customers, as well.

“You never know what the client’s imagination is going to come up with, so we have to be prepared for any situation that they can think of,” he says. “My advice is: Have fun and experiment and see what you can come up with. There are all kinds of ways to use these products that can yield some amazing results.”