Even museum exhibits sometimes have to be temporary. This one is made of Gatorfoam.

“Everything is temporary. Everything is bound to end.—Keren Ann, singer/song-writer

All signage is temporary. Sometimes it needs to last for 10 years and sometimes for 10 minutes, but nothing lasts forever. So what is the best way to print something that will only be used for a short while? The client doesn’t want something that looks temporary, but they often only want to pay for temporary.

Alpina makes snap frames for easy poster changes.
Banner stands, like this one from Expand, are a great way to make changeable, large-scale P.O.P. signage.

Direct printing onto the substrate is the obvious first choice. It saves the cost and time of mounting one printing media onto another substrate. And there are many choices available. Although for shops that have not yet made the transition to flatbed, there are alternative low-cost substrates and adhesives from suppliers, such as quality media and lamination.

THE MACHINES
The original (and least expensive) direct-print machines are the roll-fed solvent printers that have a flatbed option. These are not true flatbeds, but allow sheet stock to be fed through the heads. The rigid media may have to be coated to accept the solvent inks. While not perfect, this is an inexpensive way to enter the lucrative direct-print market.

UV flatbeds are the current kings of this industry. Speeds are getting faster,and print quality is becoming much better. The UV inks contain an adhesive that allows them to stick to almost any uncoated substrate. The versatility of these printers is amazing.

Dye sublimation printers recently have made the giant leap away from transfer media to the direct-print process. However, this only works for textiles and has limited use for temporary signage other than flags and banners.

THE SUBSTRATES
The market is flooded with lots of lightweight, inexpensive substrates that are designed for temporary signage. Some of the most popular are available from many sources, so it’s a buyer’s market.

Banners printed on vinyl, Tyvek, paper or any other rollable substrate is a natural choice. They are perfect for temporary posters or other large signage and can be printed with or without a flatbed.

In this age of high-tech materials, with something new coming out every month, good old-fashioned card stock should not be forgotten. It still can be very useful for temporary signage. Card is rigid, attractive and very inexpensive.

Foam boards often consist of extruded polystyrene foam bonded between two layers of wood fiber or paper veneer. The standard sheet size is 48” x 96” with thicknesses ranging from 1/8” to 2”. These sheets are rigid and very lightweight.

There also are specialty foam boards available with plastic caps on one or both sides. Gatorplast from Alcan is a good example. These boards are more durable than their paper-faced counterparts. Alcan also has JetMount, a foam board product that offers increased rigidity and warp resistance for demanding mounting jobs and direct digital-printing applications.

PVC boards, like Sintra, are a lightweight yet rigid board of expanded closed-cell PVC extruded in a rigid sheet that offers superior dent and scratch resistance when compared with foam boards. They may be direct digitally printed and are often fire rated. Sheet sizes are 4’ x 8’ and 5’ x 10’. They come in a wide range of sheet thicknesses from 1 mm to 13 mm.

Composite materials are made of two (often pre-painted or anodized) sheets of thin aluminum, generally with a solid polyethylene core. Composites, like Dibond, have the most durable surface of the lightweights, are the most rigid and last the longest outdoors.

MOUNTING AND DISPLAY STANDS
A key element in creating successful temporary signage is determining how they will be displayed in the final environment. The client will need holders that make the signage easy to change, do not damage the building or furniture with their attachment method, are attractive and cost effective. The easier it is for your temporary-signage customer, the more they will order from you.

Framing systems vary from the more expensive (but beautiful) snap frames to the inexpensive plastic track inserts. These are useful for medium- to large-sized posters that need to be changed regularly. Sometimes the frames will need stands in order to raise the graphics up from the floor or counter-top. Many companies have this as an option.

Banners are the workhorse for larger size temporary graphics. Banner track consists of two pieces of extrusion that clamp onto the top and bottom of the banner to facilitate hanging. Banners also can be hung using simple grommets and/or ropes. But the rise of the inexpensive banner stands has allowed for much greater use and flexibility in creating eye-catching, large-sized in-store graphics. Banner stands and related P.O.P. display materials are available in an array of styles from a range of suppliers.

Architectural signs sometimes need to be changeable, as well. Tenant names, office names, etc., all are subject to regular changes. Mounting systems that allow graphic sheets to slide into tracks or snap in and out behind attractive protective facials are sold by suppliers like Vista Systems.

THE ENVIRONMENT
The challenge of creating temporary signs is not just to make them look great and fit into tight budgets but also to deal with sustainability issues. These graphics must be disposed regularly, and none of us want to see more waste in the landfills. New to the market are recyclable plastic-based sheets and paper-based corrugated-core rigid sheets, such as PlyVeneer’s BioBoard and Hexacomb Falconboard from Pregis. Careful choice of substrates and inks can yield products that are recyclable or, even better, re-useable.

RIGID SUBSTRATE RESOURCES:

TEMPORARY SIGNAGE RESOURCES: