Expanding frontiers with UV printing

by carly_mchugh | 10 June 2022 7:05 pm

By Ginny Mumm

For a growing number of sign shops, the benefits of adding ultraviolet (UV) printing capability are clear. UV printers produce quick-drying, long-lasting, vibrant prints on a wide variety of surfaces, including rigid substrates and promotional products. According to ResearchandMarkets.com, while the overall digital print market is projected to grow from USD $24.8 billion in 2021 to USD $34.3 billion in 2026, among digital printing inks, UV ink is projected to grow at the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the forecast period.

To understand the advantages for sign shops expanding into lucrative UV printing applications, we spoke with Mark Tanigami, general manager of Frontier Signworks and Safety in Brooks, Alta. His shop recently brought in UV printing capability to further its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for its clients.

How did you come to own Frontier Signworks?

Mark Tanigami (MT): I was working in the instrumentation field when a friend told me about an opportunity to buy a sign shop. My wife, Brittni, and I purchased Frontier Signworks in August 2010. Brittni currently oversees the day-to-day operations of the Signworks division, and I am general manager for Team FS. With the help of our management team, we now offer a wide range of services.

How did your business become known as Team FS?

MT: When we purchased Frontier Signworks, it was operating with older equipment in a 111.5 m² (1200 sf) shop. We recently moved Frontier Signworks into a 650-m² (7000-sf) facility in an industrial section of town, just south of the local skate park. The production and installation area is around 511 m² (5500 sf), while our sales reception and design area is about 140 m² (1500 sf). We also have several very large vehicle bays for large truck installations.

We added our safety division, Frontier Safety, in 2014, and began referring to our group as Team FS. The two divisions operate in neighbouring buildings that share a parking lot to provide a true one-stop shop. We currently have 10 people in our Signworks division, including three graphic designers, two experienced installers, three production experts, one inside sales manager, and an operations manager. We have four employees in our safety division.

What services does Frontier Signworks offer?

MT: We offer wide-format printing, using our Roland DG SOLJET 64-in. printer and a 1524 mm (60 in.) Graphtec cutter to produce stickers, signs, magnets, vehicle graphics, and wraps, and window and wall graphics. We also print canvas for stretched frames. We print banners for indoor and outdoor use, along with large-format posters and maps. We also provide copy and print production services, direct-to-garment printing, engraving, embroidery, and screenprinting.

Our most recent equipment addition is a Roland DG VersaUV LEF2-300 UV printer. With it, we have expanded our services to include direct printing on promotional products, as well as a range of personalized awards, drinkware, and other 3D products.

What industries do you serve?

MT: Fortunately, almost every industry needs signage, promotional products, and safety supplies. We do a lot of work for the oil and gas industry and for various other industrial companies, retail stores, and restaurants, as well as for schools and sports teams.

The variety of equipment we have allows us to produce orders for both large and small corporations. We see a wide range of customers, from company owners to local farmers, team coaches, and school teachers. We also serve walk-in clients who are simply looking for a custom-made item.

We mainly serve clients in Brooks and the surrounding area, but we have done work for businesses across Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. In addition, our online store has made us more accessible across Canada. We have shipped items throughout North America and overseas.

How did you decide to incorporate UV printing?

MT: We are always looking at ways to improve our product offering to meet growing customer demands. We provide engraving on promotional products and company gifts. However, we noticed a growing trend in customers asking for full-colour logo imprints.

We did some research and liked how versatile UV printers are. You would be surprised at the variety of products people want to add a logo or design to. The Roland DG VersaUV can accommodate a vast array of materials and can print directly on materials and objects up to 101.6 mm (4 in.) thick. It’s been interesting to explore the possibilities and see all that this printer can do.

We like that the software is very user friendly, and we have the option of printing white ink only as well as the capability to add gloss or matte finishes. In addition, we purchased the available RotaPrint attachment, which fits into the LEF2, rotates the object, and makes it easy to print on drinkware without overspray or fading. We have found even irregularly shaped items can still get a really crisp print.

What products do you customize on your UV flatbed printer?

MT: It changes every week. We do a lot of custom tumblers and mugs for individual clients and corporations, as well as office nameplates, plexiglass frosted signs with full-colour pictures, UV printed puzzles, custom golf balls, and awards and trophies with full-colour imprints.

How has having UV printing capability enhanced your value to customers?

MT: The UV print capability has added great value to our Signworks division. Now, when customers come in and want to add a logo or custom design to an item, we are excited to be able to offer the full-colour UV print. Similarly, if an item can’t be engraved, we now have the option to offer UV print instead. It gives our customers more options and, currently, we are the only shop in the community offering UV print capability.

We also recently did a large order of tumblers for a customer who is very particular. The features on the VersaUV LEF2 allowed us to be incredibly precise in our colour selections and placement, making a very picky customer very happy.

How do you bring business to Team FS?

MT: A lot of our Signworks clients are long-standing repeat customers; referrals and word-of-mouth are also big part of our business. Our clients also find us through social media, as well as through our online store.

Our local community support has also helped to draw in clients. We have worked with nearly all of the schools in Brooks and the surrounding communities and, in previous years, had an Athlete and Student of the Week program that awarded students with custom T-shirts. We love to support schools and athletics, which is one of the reasons we decided to call ourselves Team FS.

Both divisions play a part in drawing in potential clientele. Once a client sees the wide range of services we can offer and the amazing staff we have, they branch out and try each division.

What lies ahead for Team FS?

MT: One of our customers once called us “the Google of Brooks,” and I think that is because we are always doing our best to keep up with the latest advances in technology and technique. We strive to offer everything in-house. We have a young, innovative team that is always looking for ways to serve our customers and community better. Our shop motto is “Another job well done, by people who really care!”

Ginny Mumm is a freelance consultant for digital inkjet printer/cutter provider Roland DGA. For more information, visit
www.rolanddga.com.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/expanding-frontiers-uv-printing/

---