Want to produce some “Graphics that Rock”? Stop by the MACtac booth at SGIA 2007. As part of its new branding campaign, MACtac will launch products for interior, exterior, and wrap graphics, in-booth demonstration stations, a feature presentation in the wrap pit and solutions that will truly make your graphics rock solid.

“MACtac’s SGIA showing will be bigger and better this year – all for our customers,” said Rick Moore, director of marketing, MACtac Graphic Products. “Customer service is our passion and superior products, such as IMAGin media and Permacolor overlaminates, are our specialty. Our graphics experts will be on hand at SGIA to demonstrate how this combination can give them an edge over the competition – and that certainly includes the quality guarantee to customers offered through our industry-leading Open-Image Warranty.” Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to introducing new materials, formats, and textures, companies serving the banner market show an unflagging passion for innovation. So says Jeffrey Steele in an article over at Wide-Format Imaging magazine.

“Today, wide-format imaging professionals report they are able to provide their customers with a wider assortment of banner products than ever before. And it’s not just the evolution in printers that is facilitating that variety. As printers change, so do the substrates used in banner printing, which are more durable, consistent, and receptive to printing than they were in the past. That’s allowing print shops to produce banners that are larger, last longer outdoors and showcase brighter colors and more sharply defined graphics. The result: Banners that can be used for everything from touting a new fast food menu item to replicating the look of a famous Major League Baseball stadium.”

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AdPads are  hitting the streets. What are they? High resolution, bitumen based, full color graphic images that stick to the concrete or asphalt outdoors. They can be as small as your hand or as big as a parking lot. It’s a ad strategy that’s getting hotter — and you can get in on it.

AdPads has its own thing going on, but that doesn’t stop you from offering clients vinyl floor graphics. Think out of the box. There’s so much more you can do to generate income beyond vehicle wraps and vinyl banners. Check this out for yourself. It’s a lucrative opportunity that’s right up your alley.

“I wonder what the first person thought when they heard someone was selling advertising on a bus bench? We are currently at that stage,” said Angie Sampson, president, Limetree Media. “AdPads take communication to a whole new level. They help companies get noticed and stand out from the competition by getting away from traditional advertising.”

Looking for a new vinyl graphic material? Arlon’s 70A series engineering grade film is worth a look. You get the benefits of both cast and calendared vinyl at a lower cost. This is a 2.8 mil film. It’s highly flexible and conformable, designed to meet rugged screen printing applications, including ocean container, construction railway, and transport equipment. You can get this film in standard white and gloss black. Arlon promises it will retain its original brightness and adhesive bond over the life of the decal. It’s rated for an outdoor durability of up to seven years.

Pantone has unveiled the PANTONE Goe System, a new color inspiration and specification system for the graphic arts industry since the introduction of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM 45 years ago. With 2,058 new PANTONE Colors, the PANTONE Goe System is designed to inspire creativity and fulfill the requirements of a fast-changing, technologically advancing industry. The System includes modern tools and interactive software to improve versatility in an increasingly global, multimedia environment.

“The original PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM was designed to meet the needs of an industry that was functioning without a precise and reliable way to communicate color,” explained Richard Herbert, president of Pantone, Inc. “The PANTONE Goe System works in concert with the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM to empower everyone in the creative and production process with a simpler, more complete, user-friendly workflow from the moment of inspiration to the realization of a finished project. Just as the original System enabled the industry to step into its future, PANTONE Goe will impel designers and printers to stay competitive and versatile in today’s challenging and evolving marketplace.”

The 2,058 new colors in the PANTONE Goe System are arranged in an intuitive, chromatic order for easy, precise, cross-media color selection and specification. The PANTONE Goe System includes the PANTONE GoeGuide and PANTONE GoeSticks, a two-volume set of adhesive-backed chips, along with intelligent software for creating color palettes that can be imported into applications, shared among coworkers and clients, and archived for future reference.

What’s Ceelite-certified film, you ask? Vinyl film products certified by CeeLite, LLC for use with their LEC (light-emitting capacitor) technology. CeeLite LEC panels turn any surface into a light source and offer many benefits: the LEC panels are paper-thin, provide flawless white surface illumination, consume little power and generate no heat. Read the rest of this entry »

The Professional Decal Application Association, or PDAA, is inviting vinyl installers to journey into the world of vehicle wraps at WrapQuest 07. The industry’s premier vehicle wrapping event of the year will get under way October 21, 2007 in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and run through October 22.

WrapQuest 07 is a mini-trade show for vinyl installers. The hands-on, practical two-day event lets installers view vehicle, boat and even wall wrap demonstrations up close and personal. Attendants will also get to practice wrapping vehicles with various vinyl products.

“This is a unique opportunity to learn new techniques, hone your skills and pick up a few tips and tricks from vehicle wrap gurus like Wade Davis and Rob Ivers,” said PDAA Founder Nathan Franzblau. “We’ll even have manufacturers on site with some cool new tools that will help you become more effective in the vehicle wrapping trade.”

Vinyl Insider will also be on hand to meet and greet industry professionals looking for additional information.