Think of grand-format printing as the Elvis Presley of the signage industry. Just like Elvis, these images appear larger than life and command a certain awe effect that is different from other printing mediums. Of course, such large images require high resolution and photographic quality to produce effective grand-format prints, and a wider variety of substrates are compatible with grand-format prints than ever. Many shops in today’s market are exploring ways to take on creative and high-quality grand-format applications.

 

 

 

SHOP CREATES GRAND-FORMAT EXHIBITS

Before entering the digital printing market, Advanced Imaging, Wilmington, Mass., began as a high-quality photo lab, where all work was done by hand in a dark room, president John Macnamara says. However, as the market turned to digital printing, Advanced Imaging followed the industry and offered the new application.

 

In fact, Macnamara says Advanced Imaging was the first shop on the East Coast and only the sixth shop worldwide to own a Lambda large-format laser imager. Even today, Advanced Imaging prides itself on using top equipment, and Macnamara believes that contributes to its success.

 

“If you don’t keep up with technology, there’s always a better and faster way to do it. Better and faster means you get more productivity out of whatever you’re doing, so you can make more money and get more jobs,” Macnamara says.

 

To stay on top of current technology, Macnamara invests in new equipment every couple of years. Besides, when your competitors are using out-of-date equipment, you have a competitive edge, Macnamara says, because you can offer superb products with a quick and accurate turnaround.

 

Recently, Advanced Imaging completed the “All Hands on Deck: A Sailor’s Life in 1812” exhibit for the USS Constitution Museum in Boston. In this exhibit, Macnamara and his team printed approximately 60 life-sized cutouts of period sailors to show what life was like.

 

The USS Constitution Museum’s Robert Kiihne, director of exhibits, and Margaret Mazz, exhibitor designer, headed this project, which demanded durability and exceptional photographic quality to show off the detailed facial features and clothing intricacies, and that, Macnamara says, required a direct print.

 

“They wanted these printed on a flatbed because it would be more durable because if we just made prints and mounted it to the boards, people could just pick at the edges and lift the print,” Macnamara recalls.

 

To create these images, Advanced Imaging first printed the boards, made of ¾-inch MDO, on his Polytype WP Digital with 12 opaque white printheads. After printing was complete, Advanced Imaging used its Kongsberg i-Cut to digitally route the boards.

 

However, Macnamara says printing these cutouts had its own set of challenges because of the weight and thickness of the board. Weighing nearly 100 pounds a piece, the boards had to be carefully routed to show the intricacies of the silhouettes.

 

Macnamara, like the rest of the country, faced a tough economy last year, but he’s not letting that get in his way of success and growth. As technology continues to progress, Macnamara plans to follow the advancements to provide better output and an improved product.

 

GRAND RETAIL DISPLAYS

Rainier Displays, Seattle, first added digital printing to its service offerings in the mid 1990s to complete work for a local sports team and has grown from there. But unlike some print shops, large- to grand-format projects have always been Rainier Displays’ niche, says display division manager Charlie Reub.

 

“When it started in the mid-90s, 72 inches was about as big as it got, and that’s what we started with and just kept adding,” Reub says.

 

Though Rainier Displays got its start in the sports industry, corporate, trade show and environmental graphics have been popular applications, but Reub finds the most growth in the retail market.

 

“Retailers want larger, more high-impact displays to differentiate themselves from the other competitors and the other windows. There’s a lot of competition out there,” Reub explains.

 

Rainier Displays took advantage of the growing retail market and completed a window graphic for a high-end nationwide retailer that wishes to remain confidential. The retailer wanted a display that created a winter-themed environment with three-dimensional elements. Large 10’ x 20’ canvas banners hung by zip ties, and direct-printed MDF boards were made into birdhouses and suspended in front of the backdrops. To print on these substrates, Reub used a Durst Rho 320 for the canvas and a Durst Rho 800 for the MDF boards.

 

Fabricating the birdhouses was difficult because they had to be shipped all over the country, which, of course, means cost was a factor. Instead of shipping fully built birdhouses, Rainier Displays created modular pieces that were simple for retail employees to assemble and easy on the budget.

 

To Reub, this project is unique because of the varying materials used, and that is what makes this display so appealing.

 

“You have a nice, soft canvas to a wood birdhouse and the contrast between the two made it a fun project,” Reub says. “From a visual standpoint, it added a lot of dimension and depth. It made you stop and look in.”

 

ARTIST USES GRAND-FORMAT PRINTING

When Impress Digital Printing Solutions, Miami, first entered the market in 1993, it began with color copiers but soon progressed. Solely focusing on digital printing, Michael Dean, partner of Impress Digital, says his shop was one of the first to purchase the Indigo Digital Press, which was often used to create prints for high-end cosmetic companies and the fashion industry.

 

By 2003, Dean added grand-format printing to Impress Digital’s services. Dean was previously outsourcing those grand-format projects to other companies but wanted to better control the quality for his clients.

 

“We’re not just a ‘hit the print button’-type of company. We want to make sure the output they’re getting is the best they can get. We sell on quality, not price,” Dean says.

 

Since Dean has been in the grand-format market, he has noticed artists and photographers have become emerging clients because technology now allows many different rigid substrates to go through the printer.

 

“They want to do something different. They need to present their digital art in another fashion to make it really stand out,” Dean says.

 

For the recent Art Basel Miami Beach, Impress Digital was hired to do much of the event’s printing. Directional signage and cut vinyl pieces were created, but perhaps the most unique grand-format project was a print Impress Digital did for Claudia Calle, an exhibiting photographer from a sister art fair.

Impress Digital used its HP Scitex FB6100 to print the photograph on a piece of uniquely finished wood, which was cut, sanded, varnished and primed, and this substrate is what made the project so different, Dean says. Often Impress Digital produces traditional signage, but this primed wood was far from typical. Initially, Dean wasn’t even sure if the ink would adhere or react because he had never worked with this type of primer.

 

Working with the coloring was challenging. The photograph was an African-themed scene with vivid coloring, and that required tweaking the ICC profile calculation in Caldera RIP software.

 

“[Calle] is working with RGB, and we’re obviously printing with CMYK, so we’re trying to replicate really bright reds and really out-of-gamut fuchsia-type colors,” Dean explains.

 

Even with the uncertainties, the photographer was open to the process, and it turned out to be a successful project. The ink was receptive, the color remained vibrant, and the finish was striking.

 

“The photographer’s goal was to have the most beautiful reproduction of her work to be able to sell it. The fact that we can print on so many substrates turns it into an art itself,” Dean says.

 

STADIUM GETS GRAND MAKEOVER

In 2005, Digital One Color, San Diego, Calif., was formed and initially focused on photographic light-jet imaging, but after working in the professional photo market for a year, Paul Moebius, president of Digital One Color, saw the inkjet capabilities and was ready to diversify the business.

 

“We were internalizing costs, and it was another profit center for us and a natural extension to what we were already doing,” Moebius says.

 

Once Digital One Color decided to diversify, Moebius purchased a Roland 1045 printer and Roland XC-540 cutter to produce typical digitally printed signage, such as banners, cut vinyl prints and storefront window displays, but he is also finding new and creative applications, especially on the grand-format side.

 

With Digital One Color’s new capabilities, Moebius and his team took on a large project for the AEG San Diego Sports Arena, including a wall wrap around the outer concourse and an interior display in the swanky stadium bar, Club 3500.

 

The outer concourse featured photographic-quality images of historical events that happened behind stadium walls. Legendary musicians, contemporary artists and famous sports moments were all displayed. Eight walls, measuring 11’ x 40’, were divided into two sections for application on the outer concourse.

 

For Club 3500, Moebius created similar images that were second-surface mounted to Plexiglas. The images were attached to the walls and some hung from the ceiling to the floor. Some of the prints were made of backlit materials, giving the bar an illuminated effect.

 

By the time the project was complete, Moebius estimates he used 5,200 square feet of vinyl for both the outer concourse and stadium bar.  

 

Time was especially important for the project, Moebius says. Considering the upcoming venue events, the prints had to be produced and installed before the large stadium crowds arrived.

 

“The biggest challenge was how fast they needed this done. We basically had less than 30 days from concept to completion—design, photographs, everything.” Moebius recalls.

 

As the grand-format market continues to find more creative applications, Moebius believes clients will ask for more sophisticated projects, creating higher profit potential.