Door graphics, such as on these elevators, may be intended to blend into a larger wall mural or stand out for wayfinding purposes.
Installing and removing graphics
Installation is key. A sign shop can do all of the proper groundwork in terms of specifying the right products for the project, only to have a poor installation compromise the integrity of the entire undertaking. Even the best-looking printed graphics will look awful if they are installed wrong. It is important to make sure the installer has the right training and experience for the application in question.
The eventual need to remove the graphics is often overlooked at the outset of a project, but this is an extremely important factor to consider when selecting products. All too often, when sign shops quote a job, they do not factor in removal time.
The average lifespan of wide-format graphics is becoming shorter, particularly with a growing trend toward ‘experiential’ marketing and branding. At the 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game in Toronto, for example, one of the event’s sponsors was a competitor to the venue sponsor. As such, changeable films were used to cover existing branding with short-term graphics for the duration of the internationally televised game. Afterwards, the graphics were removed cleanly without needing additional heat, simply by pulling them away like Post-it Notes.
Many sign shops unfortunately choose the cheapest film they can find—and the cheapest adhesive is a permanent one. In the end, they can wind up spending more on time and labour to remove the graphic than they did on preparing and installing it, particularly when it comes to surfaces like glass. Choosing the right film with the right adhesive can save a lot of time and, therefore, money.
Product categorizations are also relative, depending on the application. A full vehicle wrap for a weeklong promotion using a typical ‘removable’ adhesive, for instance, will still be costly to remove in terms of time and labour, requiring a skilled worker and the use of heat and/or chemicals. There are now ‘ultra-removable’ changeable films, which even a non-skilled employee can easily remove from a vehicle’s body and windows in 20 minutes, providing substantial cost savings. These films also adhere well in cold Canadian temperatures, providing a competitive advantage in a market where other shops are spending more time and effort to do the same types of work with the wrong products.
Guided in the right direction
By taking the time upfront to fully understand various products before finding the right options to complete an application, sign shops can protect their brand image and avoid the cost and time involved in having to redo a job following a failure. And when in doubt, signmakers should reach out to vendors and manufacturers that can help guide them in the right direction.
Jeff Uzbalis is a wide-format graphics specialist for 3M Canada with more than 29 years’ industry experience. For more information, contact him via e-mail at juzbalis@mmm.com and visit www.3m.ca/ij180.
