Restoring Old Photographs for Digital Printing
No photo is too old or too damaged to reproduce in a digital format for graphics oriented projects.
Impresoras e Impresoras/Cortadoras de Inyección de Tinta
Tips From a Vehicle Graphics Guru #2
Jay Lansburg of Automic Designs in Buena Park CA, has been specializing in vehicle art since the mid 70’s. While he used to either hand paint or layer vinyl to create his graphics, he now believes that inkjet printing is the key to making money in the sign business. “Our industry is on the verge of its next revolution,” he says, “A sort of second revolution that is going to change the way we make signs…not dissimilar to the way vinyl plotters changed the face of the industry 20 years ago!”
Tips From a Vehicle Graphics Guru #1
After building race engines and even taking a few victory laps himself, Jim Conquest became one of the first graphics pros to buy a printer/cutter. His shop, Imagine It Graphics, began 10 years ago by producing name decals on motorcycle helmets. When Conquest watched an introductory video for CorelDRAW®, he saw unlimited potential for computerized signmaking.
Standing the Test of Time: Adding Durability with Liquid Clearcoats and Laminates.
“People like to touch,” says Mike Richford of Design Air Graphics. “In my line of work, people can’t just look at things. It’s human nature. They say wow and put their hands all over it. Durability is critical.” An artist by nature and a product of the digital age, Richford uses digital print/cut technology to produce durable powerboat and marine graphics. “When I’m done, people don’t know if my graphics are airbrushed art or printed vinyl,” says Richford. “They look that good!”
Once his graphics are printed and cut, he adds an extra level of protection against abrasion, moisture and UV light with liquid clearcoating or overlaminate films.
Camisetas que se Venden
Cree Nuevos y Emocionantes Diseños con Piedras Preciosas de Fantasía. Las soluciones comerciales R-Wear de Roland DG permiten a los talleres textiles atraer nuevos clientes con el poder de la personalización. Al operar dispositivos de producción Roland DG, el software de diseño R-Wear de Roland DG le permite agregar rápidamente un enorme valor a artículos que van desde jeans y camisetas hasta gorros y bolsos.
What’s it cost to produce two 2-by-20-ft. digitally-printed banners
Printing on hemmed, grommeted stock saves time and money.
One of the things that digital printing makes easier is banners. I noticed in the Design & Price [SignCraft, March/April 2008] feature on a 4-by-12-ft. banner, that three of the four sign designers who participated described producing a digitally-printed version. It’s fast, and it lets you use color without worrying about how many colors or layers of vinyl it will take.
Professional presentations result in profitable printing projects.
Most sales are not too difficult to close; however, at times we must resort to some “extra yard” presentation techniques to close our multi-unit printing opportunities. This week I am proposing a digital printing and cut-vinyl vehicle graphics package for three distinctly different trucks. All the messages are the same; however, there are layout issues that differ from truck, to van, to van. To dramatically increase the chances of our getting this nice graphics package order, we simply resorted to our Roland DG VP-540 to help us create some “sample boards” to show the client what we could offer to increase his business right away.
The economy, effectiveness, and value of digital printing versus cut vinyl graphics.
Old habits die hard around my sign company. For years and years we have designed and created effective window graphics for numerous retail businesses. Vinyl lettering and window graphics were always created on our plotter with solid color vinyl and assembled in layers on site. With my Roland DG VP-540, the same jobs are completed in about 25% of the usual time, with a definite upgrade in appearance and value for the customers.