For Flexibility, Privacy & Design, Squid Delivers for this Texas Printer

Phillip Cole, sales manager at Thomas Graphics Inc. in Austin, Tex., is always looking for unique products to offer his clients. Once he heard about Squid Textiles, a new self-adhesive window fabric that offers privacy, reduced heat and glare from the sun, and the opportunity to create customized graphics, Cole knew it would be a great addition to his product line.

In October, while attending Printing United, Cole stopped by the S-One booth because the Squid demonstration caught his eye. “LexJet had some on display and the print really leaped out at me,” he says. “It looked so unique, which is the type of product I like to lead with to differentiate my company from my competitors.”

Moon image printed on Squid Chalk

With such a unique product, Cole understands that a variety of applications is important. “I went to the website to show some examples of what can be done. One striking image was of the moon. It’s a die-cut circle that looks dimensional, but it’s not,” he says. “Then I showed the client an image of a tree on an office window. I knew it would get the client’s attention, and it did.”

Working closely with his client, they came up with three different graphics to use on two different Squid colors. For a layered tri-colored graphic that is meant to provide some privacy for a conference room, they chose Bone. “You can see parts of the chairs below the graphic, (pictured at top) but you can’t see the table. The amount of privacy is perfect,” Cole says.

The client wanted something simple for two of the half walls that still allows some visibility but doesn’t feel enclosed. Using an EFI printer, they chose to use Rock and use white ink to create the images of the Texas capitol building for one hallway and their logo for another. “In the pictures, you can still see people in the background, but you can also tell how much privacy the product provides,” Cole says.

Texas capitol printed with white ink on Squid Rock

Privacy wasn’t the only feature that caught Cole’s attention. “I like the unique ability to print on it because that’s what we do, and it opens up lots of ideas on how it can be used,” he says. “There’s more than just privacy to this product, the design component is important.”

After the installation was complete, the client mentioned to Cole how well the Rock blended with the flooring. “It’s nice to have the flexibility of various colors to blend with the environment of the application,” he says. “It’s nice to have a solid color as a base for consistency. A different printer or technology might hit a different color.”

This project was Cole’s first experience with Squid, and the install went relatively smoothly. “It’s easy to install, but we did have a little issue with small, intricate cuts because it is a fabric,” he says. “We found a way to make it work and the client was happy with the results.”

Squid Textiles originated in Europe and was introduced to the U.S. market at Printing United last year, exclusively through LexJet. Getting in on the ground floor is exciting to Cole and his team and he knows the addition of Squid will lead to new business as well as additional business from current clients. “I take a lot of pride in the fact that this is one of the first Squid installs in the country,” he says. “This product helped us get our foot in the door for other work.”

If you are looking to branch out into new markets and are interested in learning more about Squid, call a LexJet sales specialist today at 800-453-9538 or visit LexJet.com.