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Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in Technology & Products
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Squid Self-Adhesive Textile Now Available for Latex

You’ve heard about Squid and the unique way it dresses up windows, and now it’s available for latex ink technology, exclusively in the U.S. through LexJet.

Squid gives windows in offices, healthcare facilities, restaurants, hotels and homes an elegant finish that’s easy to install after printing. It can also be cut into odd shapes for partial coverage.

Squid has many design and eco-friendly benefits, such as:

  • Prints easily using wide-format technology, including solvent, eco-solvent, UV-curable and latex
  • Crisp output is ideal for branding or advertising messaging
  • Reduces glare and reflects heat from the sun
  • Creates privacy
  • Resists humidity and has antibacterial properties
  • Can be used printed or unprinted
  • Fire retardant and PVC-free
  • Alternative to plastic film products typically used for window graphics

Squid is available in six base colors (latex is only available in Chalk) to provide a variety of warm, contemporary and minimalistic finished looks. Because the adhesive is only placed on the fibers of the textile, Squid still provides a bit of transparency while still blocking about 1/3 of the sun’s energy.

If you have used Squid with other technologies and want to switch to latex, please note that the liner has changed and the rolls are wound with the printable Squid fabric on the outside of the media roll, versus on the inside for the other printer technologies. If Squid for latex needs to be trimmed on a cutting machine, we recommend testing it advance with your preferred cutting equipment.

To learn more about Squid, visit our product page and call a LexJet printer expert at 800-453-9538.

Color, Fabrics & Customization Lead the Trends at RetailX
Posted on by Shellie Terry Posted in News & Trends
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Color, Fabrics & Customization Lead the Trends at RetailX

Our teammates at our parent company, S-One, made their debut at GlobalShop @ RetailX in Chicago last month, showcasing media options hand-selected for retail environments.

Fabrics were a huge trend all throughout the show, and S-One highlighted some tried-and-true favorites as well as brand-new to the market options.

“Fabric was everywhere, and it’s always going to continue to trend,” says sales rep Matt Radauscher. “The guys who don’t have dye-sub yet were happy to hear they had options to print fabrics on latex.”

Our team showcased HP Durable Backlit Fabric, a lightweight option suitable for SEG frames that’s latex-compatible. We also brought the brand-new adhesive fabric, Squid, which generated a ton of buzz. The fabric’s fibers are finished on one side with a special adhesive that is designed for windows. Squid can be printed or used alone to create privacy, block out the sun’s rays and/or display brand messaging. It’s an elegant solution for high-end retail and corporate environments. Stay tuned for more info to come soon!

Throughout the show floor, we were excited to see some emerging trends, most of which played around with dynamic color and customization. SuperColor Digital featured printable blackout fabrics that were enhanced with lighting features that actually changed the colors of the graphics (see photo).

We noticed that many of the exhibits focused on brick-and-mortar retail’s current challenge: competing with ecommerce by using dynamic, sometimes over-the-top displays to create a memorable in-store experience.

“When looking at the booth designs, nearly every one of them had some sort of electrical element in the displays themselves,” says S-One Marketing Director Terry Lynn Belzer. “Whether they were blow-up fixtures, floor fixtures or even animal displays with eyes that lit up. There was also a lot of focus on tactile experiences throughout the show.”

There was even an “Instagrammable” moment with a Game of Thrones-inspired display with a giant throne and sword that was a photo opp just waiting to happen.

Colorful, hyper-customized walls, windows, floors and even ceilings showcased the power of print throughout the exhibits at GlobalShop @ RetailX. To get a closer look at the materials that S-One showcased, please visit our RetailX page for product info or give one of our retail specialists a call at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Technology & Products
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Windows Made Simple with Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30)

LexJet has just introduced Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30) to complement its Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (60/40) offering. The 70/30 offers more print area for that extra punch at retail; 60/40 is best for applications – like vehicle windows – that require more visibility looking out the window.

Using window graphics for advertisingSimple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30) is a 6-mil perforated vinyl designed to stop people in their tracks outside a store and lure them inside. Once inside, shoppers can see outside, and see quite well since the vinyl also cuts down on sunshine glare.

The two-layer perforated liner allows trouble-free printing for shops with UV-curable printers. “We printed some large panels and with UV-curable printing we have to make sure that your ink stays on the liner and doesn’t come off and fill the hole. It’s an issue we’ve had with other similar products, but we haven’t seen it at all on this product,” says Ricky Shannon, operations manager for Keith Fabry Inc., Richmond, Va.

Designed to be exterior-mounted to windows, Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30), is easy to handle and easy to print, install and remove. “It’s fairly low-tack when you apply it, but it becomes fairly aggressive so that it stays on the window. Then, when we peeled it back to remove it there was no residue so it works very well from installation to removal,” adds Shannon.

Use LexJet’s Optically Clear Cast Laminate or LexJet Gloss Polyester Laminate (2 Mil) for additional protection, if needed. A nice bonus is that the laminates not only protect, but will not interfere with the clarity of the image or the inside-outside view.

Simple Perforated Window Vinyl (70/30) is compatible with solvent, low-solvent, UV-curable and latex printers, and is available in 60″ x 100′ and 60″ x 20′ rolls. To find out more, and to find the right material for the application, contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Technology & Products
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Try before You Buy: Pick up Your Free Fabric Swatch Book While Supplies Last

Selecting fabrics for inkjet printing applicationsInkjet printable fabric is an excellent alternative for a variety of graphics applications – including banner stands, table drapes, point of sale, trade show, backdrops and special events – but picking one can be tricky. Each has its own feel, texture and weight, so that’s why LexJet is offering its customers free swatch books of its popular line of Poly Select fabrics while supplies last.

The swatch book includes un-printed samples of the Poly Select Aqueous and SUV (compatible with solvent, low-solvent, UV-curable and latex) lines.  Each swatch is 3″ x 4.5″ and appears in the order shown on the inside front cover of the book…

LexJet Poly Select Light: Weighs in at 155g, is 7.5 mils thick and with its tight, barely discernable weave it’s ideal for reproducing colorful, finely detailed high-end images and designs.

LexJet Poly Select Medium: Combines the tight weave of the lighter fabric with additional durability and thickness (12 mils).

LexJet Poly Select Heavy: It’s 13 mils thick, 230g and lays nice and flat so it’s easy to work with in production. Plus, it’s glare resistant for consistent viewing in any lighting situation.

LexJet Poly Select Light SUV and LexJet Poly Select Heavy SUV: The solvent/low-solvent/UV-curable/latex compatible versions have similar qualities as the aqueous versions, but are more durable for outdoor displays.

Call a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538 to pick one up before we run out, and here are a few posts that show how LexJet Poly Select fabrics are being used in the field:

Short Term Promotions with Punch at Colonial Beverage

Lighting up a Room with Inkjet Printed Fabric Window Shades

Fabric Fanatics: Creative and Colorful Fabric Applications by FBIS

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Technology & Products
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New Versatile Fabric Line for Aqueous Inkjet Printers

Printing on fabric with a large format inkjet printerPrint shops looking for a versatile, economical and high-quality fabric to include in their product offering for their aqueous inkjet printers now have a dependable choice with LexJet’s new line of Poly Select fabrics.

The polyester fabrics were engineered for short-term outdoor applications like special events and longer-term indoor applications, such as banner stands, retail point of purchase, trade shows, corporate lobbies, table drapes, flags, backdrops and more.

“We’ve actually gained in our marketplace because the customers like the LexJet fabric so much. A lot of customers run specials and they can take it down, fold it up, store it and when they start that special again they can put it back up,” says Todd Barlow, graphic design and special event coordinator for RMC Distributing in Pueblo, Colo. “It’s versatile, flexible, easy to work with and the colors come out brilliant.

We use it just about everywhere and for every type of promotion and special event.”

The fabrics are available in three weights: Light, Medium and Heavy. LexJet Poly Select Light is 7.5 mils thick and weighs in at 155g. With its tight, barely discernible weave it’s ideal for reproducing colorful, finely detailed high-end images and designs. LexJet Poly Select Heavy is 13 mils thick and weighs 230g. It lays flat so it’s easy to work with in production and it’s glare resistant to ensure consistent viewing in any lighting situation. LexJet Poly Select Medium combines the tight weave of the lighter fabric with additional durability and thickness (12 mils).

Printing fabric with a Canon inkjet printer
LexJet Poly Select Light, Poly Select Medium and Poly Select Heavy all take advantage of the wider color gamuts provided by the latest generation of printers from Canon, Epson and HP. Photo courtesy RMC Distributing

“Canon, Epson and HP have greatly improved their aqueous inkjet technology. The ink sets in the latest generation of printers are more durable and provide a wider color gamut, so it was important to our customers that we make the most of those improvements with a fabric line that maximizes the latest printers’ capabilities,” says Dione Metnick, LexJet’s product manager.

All three fabrics – LexJet Poly Select Light, LexJet Poly Select Medium and LexJet Poly Select Heavy – are available and shipping from one of LexJet’s nationwide network of distribution centers for one-day delivery to most of the Continental U.S. LexJet Poly Select Medium is currently available in only one roll size: 36 in. x 150 ft. Poly Select Heavy and Poly Select Light are available in 24 in., 36 in., 42 in., 50 in. and 60 in. widths.

Posted on by Sean McGettigan Posted in Tips & Tricks
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How-To Videos: Floor and Carpet Graphics Installation

How to install floor and carpet graphicsFloor graphics can be a very effective form of advertising and can also be used for directional and informational signage, among other applications like trade shows and special events. With the right material, they are easy to print, laminate, install and remove.

In the videos embedded below, learn how to install LexJet’s Simple CarpetAd and Simple Indoor FloorAd (compatible with low-solvent, solvent, and UV curable printers). In these installations, both materials have been partnered with LexJet Velvet Floor Laminate for an easy-to-handle 8.4 mil solution that UL classified for slip resistance on indoor floor surfaces. You can also download the Installation Guides at the following links (right-click and Save Target As…):

FloorAd Installation Guide

CarpetAd Installation Guide

If you have any questions about these floor graphic solutions or are interested in other options, please contact a LexJet customer specialist at (800)453-9538.