Wide-format Printing: Adding value with inkjet special effects

by all | 12 December 2017 9:04 am

By Reinhilde Alaert
Most of today’s print service providers (PSPs) find their customers require extended colour gamuts for consistent image quality across all types of branded output, whether printed on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), non-PVC media, fabrics or rigid media. An end-to-end print production workflow that integrates colour management is key to meeting these clients’ expectations, along with strong service and support.

To go beyond those expectations, however, PSPs need their own unique selling propositions (USPs). One way to add further value to their offerings is to adopt inkjet special effects, such as varnish and primer options, that deliver greater ‘pop’ for wide-format graphics and are not yet common in the marketplace.

The digital advantage
The economics of wide-format inkjet printing have driven down the costs of producing signs and graphics. At the same time, market trends toward shorter print runs and job versioning have driven many jobs from screenprinting to digital presses.

The ‘crossover’ point has moved from as few as 100 prints to between 400 and 600, depending on the characteristics of a specific job. In some cases, digital inkjet printing has also supplanted offset and flexographic press work.

In a competitive marketplace, PSPs are seeking out wide-format printers that offer a relatively low total cost of ownership (TCO), premium-quality output and high productivity.
A machine’s versatility and ink colour gamut are important factors, too.

Citing the costs of ink based on square footage can help when pricing jobs and ensuring bids will be profitable, but adding new and unique applications—particularly with different substrates—can help PSPs (a) make more money and (b) serve new customers. It has become popular to inkjet-print graphics on a wider variety of non-traditional media. ‘Industrial’ applications, such as furniture, are also becoming more common.

Keeping up with application trends
While the most commonly produced inkjet graphic applications continue to include banners, posters and point-of-purchase (POP) displays, the markets for these product categories have become very price-sensitive. Static billboards are seeing the greatest decline.

Wall, window and floor graphics still represent strong growth potential, as advertisers seek to capitalize on surface areas for their images. They are customizable for a wide variety of POP and specialty applications, such as building wraps. Soft signage is also growing, particularly in the trade show, exhibit and decor markets.

Printed decor applications, especially, are having a major influence on the sign and graphics industry. Instead of simply printing a sign, poster or banner, inkjet technology is
being used to decorate built environments, so as to customize and personalize them, whether for a special event or for long-term branding purposes. Entertainment venues, office buildings and even residences are being transformed with graphics to set a mood or establish a theme.

These types of projects represent a big opportunity for PSPs. Fabric graphics, for example, not only are easier and less expensive to ship and install than rigid or vinyl prints, but they also provide a sophisticated, upscale appearance for spaces such as high-end automotive showrooms.

Achieving new dimensions
With today’s advances in digital inkjet printing, the addition of varnishes, primers and white inks can enable a wide range of multi-layer and textural effects. Unique, eye-catching output can be achieved by layering and isolating these inks and varnishes at various points throughout an image.

By way of example, ultraviolet-curable (UV-curable) inks and varnishes can be deposited onto a substrate in layers, so as to create a three-dimensional (3-D) ‘lens’ effect without requiring a lenticular material. Essentially, this process involves printing a series of transparent lenses.

With traditional lenticular printing, a precise multi-step process is required to create a 3-D motion effect by combining at least two images. The resulting graphic seems to move when it is viewed from different angles.

For the varnish-based lens effect, on the other hand, the chosen substrate no longer dictates the animation effect. Instead, depth is added to the substrate by tuning the size of the lenses and the array in which they are printed. With this concept, the varnish is layered to help build sufficient height for the 3-D effect.

Software is used to create the pattern. Then the printer outputs the imagery in multiple steps. First, the image is output with a white background on a transparent substrate, such as polycarbonate or acrylic, that is 3, 5 or 9 mm (0.12, 0.2 or 0.35 in.) thick. Next, the sheet is flipped and registered. Finally, the pattern of tiny lenses is printed in layers with clear varnish.

This process provides an easier way to add a lenticular effect to many different applications at many different sizes, including POP displays, posters, trade show graphics, decorative prints and packaging. For PSPs, it could well be a key to greater profits and market differentiation.

This is just one example of how multi-dimensional printing can create unusual graphics that leave a lasting impression of passersby. There are many creative possibilities for using inks and varnishes on both sides of a substrate and combining ‘static’ and ‘moving’ images with depth. Whether used for advertising and promotional messaging or for architectural effect in decor applications, digital inkjet technology is versatile and effective not only at producing high-quality output, but also at making a client’s project stand out from the crowd.

Reinhilde Alaert is a marketing manager for Agfa Graphics’ high-end sign and display products. This article is based on a seminar she presented at the 2017 Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) Expo in New Orleans, La. For more information, visit www.agfagraphics.com[3] and www.sgia.org[4].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/wide-format-printing-adding-value-inkjet-special-effects/

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