Georgia Sign Shop Keeps Kids Busy with Giant Wall Art Coloring Decals

When schools started shutting down, Tim and Shari Roe, owners of Outspoken Signs in Marietta, Ga., felt a calling to do something for their community. “A few weeks ago, we wondered how we could help using our capabilities at the shop,” Tim says. After some brainstorming, the Roes came up with a wall decal coloring project to keep kids occupied while sheltering in place.

Coloring Book Wall Art is a free program for families with kids looking for a creative outlet for their energy. The line drawings are designed in a Zentangle-like style, which is an art form that uses the drawing or coloring of structured images to aid in relaxation. “Before she died, Tim’s mom was really interested in that style of art and she always wanted to teach it to kids,” Shari says. “She was always the creative one, drawing and coloring with pencils and then hanging them on the wall,” says Tim.

When trying to decide choose an adhesive media, Tim reached out to Vincent Bejar, his LexJet sales specialist, to help determine which product would meet his criteria. He wanted a matte vinyl that could be colored with crayons and have a removable adhesive, so as not to damage the walls when the graphics were removed. Bejar knew he had a simple solution for Tim and Shari: LexJet Simple WallCal.

Once a graphic is selected, Tim prints the image on his HP Latex 330 and then die-cuts the animal and the child’s name, so they are ready to color. The two-piece decals are one-of-a-kind wall décor that the kids decorate themselves. “We wanted something bigger than a standard coloring book,” Tim says. “We love the idea that the kids can color them and then put them on the wall,” says Shari. “The kids are excited when they find out it’s an oversized sticker.”

So far, the project is a hit with kids and adults, alike. “These kids see the picture of their favorite animal and they always say ‘hey, it’s got my name on it!,’” says Tim. “We’ve had a lot of joy out of the kids’ responses.”

It seems the graphics are generating some good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. The Anderson family, one of the first families to get the graphics, has six kids — four sisters who are 8-year-old quads, a 15-year old sister, and a 6-year old brother.  “Two of the quads left the shop with energy and excitement,” Tim says. “They said they would get them done faster than their siblings, and theirs would look the best.”

For Tim and Shari to offer this gift to the community, they needed some additional partners. LexJet donated the media for the prints and Ken O’Leary of Surepath Financial in Woodstock, Ga., donated 100 boxes of crayons for families who may not have crayons readily available.

The program is going so well, the Roes are thinking about other ways they can give back to the community. “We’ve thought about working with local fire stations so they can take these graphics to kids who have gone through something traumatic,” Shari says. “We are trying to think of other avenues to get them to the kids.”

Follow the Outspoken Signs Facebook page to see more images of the kids’ creations.

If you are looking for ideas you can help in your community, give us a call at 800-453-9538 or get inspired by LexJet brandUP projects.

60 Minutes Photo Adds a Personal Touch to Photo Reproduction

In the 1970s, 60 Minutes Photo was the first one-hour photo development lab in West Palm Beach, Fla. Today, its ability to continue to offer innovative solutions with top-notch, in-person customer service has helped keep it in business during a time when online competition keeps heating up.

“Photo labs are becoming a dying breed,” says Renea Hutchings, who owns 60 Minutes Photo with her husband, Harold. “We’re more of a custom lab. People walk in and we have consulting where we can pull up their image and show them how it will look at a certain size. We work with both professionals and amateur photographers. Today, we’re one of the only all-around labs in Palm Beach County.”

The team pairs that customer-intimate approach with photo restoration work as well as up-to-the-minute photo reproduction trends, such as acrylic glass art, photo books, t-shirts, puzzles and metal prints, utilizing a variety of print technologies and substrates, based on their customers’ preferences.

The metal prints are particularly popular these days, Hutchings says, because of their sleek look and color reproduction. “If you have a really good shot, and we sublimate it on metal, we can get a really good print,” she says.

Her production team opts for Chromaluxe Photo Panels and LexJet InFuze Rigid Substrate Dye-Sub Paper for transferring the image to the metal. “Our guys like the InFuze better than the others they’ve used — it feels thicker and it’s more  porous, so it holds more ink when we sublimate it — it heats better and works better, especially with the photo panels,” Hutchings says.

When finishing the panels, the 60 Minutes team adds customized hanging fixtures with stainless steel buttons and sticks that are adhered to the back and can hold panels as large as 30-by-40 inches — and they deliver the final product within just a few days.

“We have some interior designer customers in Wellington, which is a huge horse-show world,” she says. “Their photos can be sublimated onto metal and hung outside on patios or in these multi-million-dollar horse barns. You can pretty much just squirt them with a hose and wipe them off. They’re pretty indestructible”

Another popular wall art item the team produces is photos printed Sunset Photo Metallic Paper and adhered to acrylic. “The image just pops,” Hutchings says. “It’s not like looking at a regular print.” She says portrait photographers, restaurants, sports bars and healthcare facilities are just a few of the types of customers opting for these two dynamic options.

To learn more about photo reproduction options, connect with a LexJet print specialist to day at 800-453-9538.

Get the Most Out of Your Aqueous Printer

Are you using your aqueous printer to its full potential? From canvas prints to temporary outdoor graphics, your aqueous printer is the utility player every profitable printshop needs. We’ve put together some applications and media suggestions to help you get the most out of your printer:

Décor: If you are considering décor applications, you may have thought an aqueous printer limited your capabilities, but, in fact, you can print plenty of décor applications, including wall art and wall murals. LexJet Sunset Select Matte Canvas is a customer favorite for photo prints or fine art reproductions. It can also be easily stretched for canvas wraps, like the GOframe system. If you are looking for wall murals, decals or window graphics, try LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric, an easy-to-use and apply option that’s forgivable and repositionable during installation. Check out our Digital Décor Printing Line Card for more aqueous options, as well as many others.

Soft Signage: One of the fastest-growing trends in the market is the transition to soft signage using fabric rather than rigid vinyl or polyester films for POP displays, banners, framed graphics and even trade show booths. The advantage to fabrics like LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth or LexJet FlexTex 170g is that they are easier and lighter to ship, image nicely and can be used for indoor or temporary outdoor applications. With soft signage textiles, you’ll need some easy finishing techniques — watch this video for quick tips on using a hot knife for perfectly finished edges.

Outdoor Banners: When it comes to outdoor advertising and event signage, LexJet TOUGHcoatTM Water-Resistant Polypropylene and  TOUGHcoatTM ThriftyBanner are two of the most popular products. Both products are easy to handle, offer scratch- and water-resistance, and a bright white point which means vibrant prints, even in outdoor weather. Need more outdoor aqueous options? Check out this blog for more ideas and applications that will look great and stand up to the elements.

Still unsure how you can use your aqueous printer to expand your market offering? Call one of our specialists at 800-453-9538 or visit us at LexJet.com.

Looking for Digital Décor Materials? Download This!

So you’re expanding your services to include more digital décor options for your customers, but you need guidance on the best materials to print to. We’ve got you covered, whether you’re printing with aqueous, latex, eco-solvent, UV-curable or dye-sublimation technology.

At LexJet, we’ve got more than 100 materials for you to choose from in a variety of finishes, including media and substrates for wall art, wallcovering, window treatments, fabrics, upholstery and accessories. With these options, you can decorate nearly all of the objects and surfaces in a room, office, retail space or commercial facility with digitally printed graphics and images.

With digital technology, you can make fully customized décor pieces that your customers will cherish. To discover LexJet’s line of digital décor materials, please download our Digital Décor Printing Line Card.

To discover more ways to incorporate digital décor printing into your operation, call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538.

Sub Shots: Making Great Artwork More Affordable

The evolution of SubShots by Dye Hard Sublimations over the past few years is a story that epitomizes the growing capabilities of inkjet and dye-sublimation printing. The team started out dye-sub printing uniforms for lacrosse leagues, but with new products and technology, they’ve begun to evolve into photography reproduction and décor applications and even Christmas ornaments.

“We had every intention of doubling-down on apparel, but once we got the equipment and printable hard surfaces, like ChromaLuxe metal photo panels, we thought: Why don’t we just produce really great, vibrant pictures on ChromaLuxe?” says Sean Calvillo of SubShots. “We think we make good artwork more affordable.”

Cavillo says his team is currently curating more photographic content from professional photographers, and customers can choose from a library of images and order metal or wood prints through SubShots ecommerce site. They also offer customized work for commercial interior design, such as the aerial shot divided into multiple ChromaLuxe metal panels, pictured above.

While the art/photography side of their business gains momentum, SubShots hasn’t veered to far from its sporting beginnings. With the purchase of an Epson SureColor P8000 44-inch aqueous printer from LexJet, SubShots was able to start producing complementary graphics, like life-size wall cutouts of athletes, like the lacrosse player pictured.

“We’ve augmented the metal pictures with LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric to create wall decals to keep with our sports roots,” Calvillo says. “We want to be the one vendor who can do both.”

The creative team has also been working with ChromaLuxe for customized holiday gifts. “We have a photographer customer who was taking the pictures she shot during a session and dye-sub printing them as double-sided ornaments,” Calvillo says.

The SubShots team became a LexJet Blue Business member, and Calvillo says the shipping program has been a game-changer. “LexJet’s personalized service combined with the free shipping program and your competitiveness on price is why you guys are always my first call,” he says.

The Go-to Choice for Consistent Canvas Production

As you head into the busiest season for canvas production, you need a canvas product that you can rely on for consistent results and reliable output, print after print. For nearly 10 years, award-winning LexJet Sunset Select Matte Canvas has been a top seller to busy print shops like yours.

With a smooth, matte-coated surface, this poly-cotton blend is ideal for fine art and photographic reproduction, delivering exceptional color and detail. Plus, it’s lightweight, making it easier to stretch for gallery wraps. It’s the canvas of choice for David Little II of IGLIVISION in Loveland, Colo., who creates and wraps canvas photo and art prints (pictured).

Product highlights:

Watch the video above to learn more about LexJet Sunset Select Matte Canvas, and stock up before the holiday rush hits!

Photos: David Little II