The Professional Decal Application Association, or PDAA is inviting vinyl installers at all levels of expertise to join its once-exclusive ranks. The invitation marks a major shift in the non-profit association’s membership strategy and creates an organization that fosters further industry development, education and training, networking opportunities and a sense of community. Check it out for yourself. Click here to visit the web site.

Want to see a cool megawrap? Nationwide enlisted Irving, TX-based advertising firm t:m and billboard sales company Orange Barrel Media, to develop a wallscape for a building. The initial wallscape featured a romance-novel theme, but Nationwide wished to push the envelope. This is a building wrap, a megawrap, worth taking note of.
Click here to check it out for yourself in Signs of the Times magazine.

The OAAA’s Shelia Hayes penned a nice article on vehicle wrapping. “Imagine driving along when something costumed in colorful, high-tech graphics attracts your attention,” she writes. “Taking a closer look, you discover it’s only another vehicle. But it’s no ordinary vehicle. Rather, it’s an ad-wrapped car — also known as a moving billboard — decked out in eye-catching advertising messages.”

Hayes offers a look at several vehicle wrapping companies, along with photos of their creations. Click here to read the rest story on SignWeb.com.

Structa-Board combines many of the benefits of legendary Fom-Cor and Gatorfoam. Its tough, lightweight, man-made wood-fiber veneer facers offer Gator-like strength and rigidity with an extruded polystyrene core that is denser than traditional Fome-Core. It die cuts, saws, routs and can be direct screen or digitally printed.

It’s available in 4′ X 8′ sheets in 3/16″ (5mm) thickness, with bright white facers and black core, Structra-Board is ideal for POP displays and interior signage. Better yet, the black foam core offers recycled material content. You can also get quick service on cut-to-size orders.

Click here to request a sample from Alcan Composites.

3M, the global technology company, has brought together its expertise in high quality graphics and knowledge of the commercial vehicle sector to launch 3M Fleet Advertising, a flexible solution aimed at the rapidly expanding fleet advertising market.

Designed to take advantage of an industry that has grown steadily over the past few years, 3M Fleet Advertising is offering a ’superior service’ to fleet owners and brand managers looking to create highly effective outdoor advertising and promotional impact.

3M conducted extensive research prior to launching the new solution, and found that the most important requirements for fleet advertising amongst blue chip brands were: the long term credibility of the supplier; the quality of the graphics; and use of re-usable materials.

In response, 3M launched its new system using an ultra-slim framing system combined with existing 3M print technologies. It is also offering a fully comprehensive warranty on every part of the system, and innovative finance solutions.

Ads will be printed onto film, laminated on to 3M panels and slotted into the framing system which is bonded to the vehicle sides. The panels have a 3M clear coat which resists dirt, protects against abrasion and adds to the clarity of the image.

At the end of the campaign, the film can be peeled off and the panels can be used again and again, thereby reducing unnecessary waste.
Click here to read the rest of this release in Sign Update.

SignGold Corp. has added to its line of precious-metal vinyl (PVF) for the signmaking industry. Gilder’s Gold, a 23.5k, “yellow” gold, large-engine-turn design, gold vinyl is available in regular non-printable, thermal-printable and solvent inkjet-printable 15-in. punched, and 24-in. non-punched rolls. Rolls are available in 2-, 5-,10- and 20-yd. rolls. These products have a guaranteed 12-year outdoor life.

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced the immediate availability of Adobe Acrobat 3D Version 8 software, a major upgrade to the desktop application for driving document-based 3D design collaboration and CAD data interoperability capabilities to virtually anyone inside manufacturing organizations and across the global supply chain.

With Acrobat 3D Version 8, CAD, CAM, CAE, and technical publishing professionals in the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, heavy machinery, life sciences, and AEC industries can convert virtually any 3D CAD file—including large assemblies of more than 500 megabytes—into a single PDF document. The PDF file can maintain precise geometry or be compressed over 100 times smaller than the original file, depending on the needs of the specific business process. Three-dimensional CAD data can also be easily combined with other critical project information, such as product specifications, spreadsheets and bills of materials, into a more secure PDF document containing product manufacturing information (PMI). PMI is used to convey geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, annotations and other specifications directly on a 3D model.

Once 3D models are combined with other documents in PDF, Acrobat 3D Version 8 users can enable extended teams of colleagues, suppliers, partners, and customers to participate in an efficient document review process leveraging the free, ubiquitous Adobe Reader software. Adobe Reader users can view detailed product structure and, when enabled by Acrobat 3D Version 8, have the ability to use commenting, measurement and cross-section tools directly on 3D objects in PDF files. By helping engage technical and non-technical team members in 3D-based communications throughout the product life cycle, the software can help workgroups diminish the risk of misunderstandings, discover design flaws earlier, and speed product development.