Business - Applications

Christmas is the time of year where air traffic peaks. Millions of people will be flying home for Christmas, to enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

As one of Europe's leading airlines, Air Berlin has this year gone all in as the one and only Christmas airline, with planes beautifully decorated to really set passengers in the right Christmas mood.

ORAFOL Europe GmbH are the manufacturers behind the graphic material which has been applied to the Air Berlin Christmas aircrafts. Dr. Bernd Görig, ORAFOL's Director of EHSQ Management, says: "We introduced the ORAJET® Aircraft Graphic Film some time ago, and the material is showing superb performance in the field. We are really happy and proud that Air Berlin has chosen the ORAFOL material for this very special seasonal celebration." The ORAJET 3967AC Aircraft Graphic Film is made with a perforated structure, making it very conformable in the application process.

Octink, a specialist in signage, marketing suites and site safety solutions for the commercial and residential property sectors, has been awarded the BuildingConfidence accreditation by Achilles in recognition of its continuous efforts to create safe environments in and around construction sites. Awarded in November, this accreditation is Octink's fourth within the overall Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) initiative.

The Achilles BuildingConfidence standard, launched in 2007, is a rigorous accreditation process that aims to meet the demanding legislative and risk management needs of construction clients. The audit process assesses a company's competence and compliance in line with the relevant audit protocol and identifies areas in which the business can improve and reduce potential risks.

Mike Freely, Managing Director of Octink, says: "Health and safety is always at the heart of Octink's work, whether we're delivering a property marketing suite or helping a client to improve construction site safety compliance. We're committed to creating safe environments, so obviously we're very proud to have been accredited by a fourth SSIP accreditation scheme. Alone, each of these accreditations demonstrates our high levels of health and safety, but together we believe that they show how committed we are to building a safety industry. "

In addition to its BuildingConfidence accreditation, Octink also has accreditations from SMAS Worksafe, SAFEcontractor and Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), all of which are members of the SSIP Forum.

A stunning piece of contemporary art has been commissioned and installed in St Michael's Church, Camden. Measuring more than 60 m2, the large-scale artwork has been produced by artist Maciej Urbanek and printed using an Epson large format printer and media.

The project has been a huge undertaking for the artist but an important one as St Michael's is not just a place for worship but also acts as a meeting place and hub for the local community. Commissioned by Father Philip North, Team Rector of the Parish of Old St Pancras, and funded by John Booth Charitable Foundation, the piece titled 'HS' is made of sculpted bin bags that have been photographed and digitally reworked to create a focal point within the church.

A graduate of Goldsmiths College and the Royal Academy of Arts, Maciej is currently photography tutor at the Royal Academy Schools, while still developing his art practice producing large-scale printed works. He has used Epson materials and equipment within the RA Schools' Epson Digital Media Suite since he was a student so knows the technology well. "Once I had secured funding for the project I contacted Epson who readily agreed to help by offering me the use of their print facility at Hemel Hempstead," says Maciej. But it wasn't going to be a straightforward print job: "I didn't want to print the work in strips because then I have long vertical cuts going through the work and the eye is really drawn to them. I wanted to print the work in elements that would be cut along the lines within the image. Not only does this keep the look of the original artwork but another advantage is that I can install the work easily, putting it together piece by piece – like a giant puzzle."

Maciej divided the work into 27 large pieces which were then printed on Epson Ultrasmooth Fine Art paper using an Epson Stylus Pro 11880 printer. "Having used Epson technology for a few years I know exactly what to expect and the combination of printer, media and inks produces the highest quality finish – it's fine art," says Maciej.

The 64-inch Stylus Pro 11880 is the perfect printer for fine art and photography - it's exceptionally fast and produces superb, long-lasting results. Using Epson UltraChrome K3 ink with Vivid Magenta it reproduces consistent stunning, photo-realistic images and is ideal for colour and black & white prints. The Micro Piezo TFP print head technology features 360 micro-fine nozzles per colour, delivering sharp, grain-free images at ultra-high speed.
It took 24 hours to print the 27 pieces and a further three days to install but the overall effect is stunning. "Epson were so helpful in providing their expertise, help and support, not to mention their time, in order to make the production of this artwork possible," says Maciej. "I'm delighted with the finished piece. It creates a fantastic focal point as you enter the church and I hope that the whole community can come together and enjoy it for the next couple of years."
There will be a grand unveiling of the new artwork by Maciej Urbanek on Thursday 4th December 2014, 6-9pm, at St Michael's Church, Camden Road, London, NW1 9QL.

Somerset, UK-based Parkins Interiors was founded in 2010 by husband and wife team Chris and Rachael Parkins who have a keen sense of interior design and a passion for innovative and stylish products. The company now employs six people and has grown into one of the UK's leading suppliers of wall stickers and accessories geared towards the domestic market. 

Crafted to order from premium quality matt finish vinyl, the expansive range of products can be used to decorate any interior environment, with a particular niche in children's bedroom décor; its wall stickers featuring trees and wildlife are available from Parkins Interiors own website (www.parkinsinteriors.com), alongside the online shop Not On The High Street and a selection of other online retailers.

Having originally created its output on a Canon machine, the company decided to upgrade to the HP Latex 360 from Stanford Marsh Group Graphics (SMGG) in August 2014 in order to boost its productivity and expand its offering. 

Chris Parkins, co-founder of Parkins Interiors explains: "I found SMGG online whilst searching for a solution to our printing needs. Much of our work involves the creation of stickers for children's rooms and therefore eco-solvent was out of the question due to the long gassing out process and the solvent elements of the ink. 

"Similarly, aqueous printers were not up to the challenge as the prints were not durable and would not stand up to sticky fingers. We wanted a printer which could produce durable, scratch-resistant prints that would stand up to toddlers! We needed an alternative solution and SMGG came up with the amazing new HP Latex range."

Parkins Interiors currently prints onto self-adhesive vinyl to produce wall stickers, while developing a mural and wallpaper range with a view to selling the products wholesale to other retailers. In addition, by running HP Latex inks the company can now take advantage of extra durability, media diversity and quality. 

"What's great is the print is suitable for outdoor applications – thereby affording our business greater opportunities in the future," says Chris. "Furthermore, there is a huge range of suitable media for these inks and the print quality is far greater than the equivalent eco-solvent or solvent printers."

Thanks to its green credentials, the HP Latex 360's printed output can enter post-production without any lengthy out-gassing period and creates a healthier production environment.

On working with SMGG, Chris states: "SMGG have been great throughout the whole process. From the initial advice from Steve Guest, who wholeheartedly stood behind the product, to the demonstration of the equipment, through to installation and software demonstration. It was refreshing to encounter a sales representative with such enthusiasm for the product and this carried a lot of weight in our final decision to purchase. 

"Plus, on an ongoing basis, the company is always happy to take my calls and offer suggestions. We eventually see ourselves purchasing a second HP Latex printer and have already invested in two further vinyl cutters from SMGG to keep up with demand."

For more information on Parkins Interiors, please visit www.parkinsinteriors.com  

For more information on SMGG, please visit www.smgg.co.uk

The inaugural BSGA British Sign Awards has proved an unqualified success, attracting over 250 entries across 13 signmaker categories, which were accompanied by over 750 images and half a dozen videos.  The awards received support, in the form of sponsorship from 13 of the industry’s leading businesses and climaxed at a gala awards ceremony attended by over 320 people at Villa Park in Birmingham at the end of October.

“It’s the highest profile event organised by the BSGA for many years and it exceeded all our expectations,” said David Dyke, Association President. “We felt that the industry needed an awards scheme that had real meaning and value and that the BSGA, as the organisation that represents the interests of the industry and constantly presses for higher achievement in terms of both creativity and quality, was the right organisation to manage it.

“The response, in terms of support from the sponsors and the level of interest among sign businesses has been fantastic. We’ve started something that will, hopefully, continue for many years to come.”

The 2014 Awards reached their climax at the Gala Presentation staged at the Holte Suite at Villa Park, Birmingham on October 30th. Hosted by Bob ‘The Cat’ Bevan, one of the UK’s leading after dinner speakers, the lunchtime event attracted an audience of over 320 people who saw the unveiling of 12 signmaker award winners plus the presentations of a ‘product of the year’ award and a special BSGA award and, finally, the announcement by corporate sponsor 3M of the winner of the Sign of the Year trophy, which went to Kettering-based Sign of the Times for a quite extraordinary sign created for the Heinz Innovation Centre in Holland.

“The award categories were created to reflect every facet of modern signmaking, from hand-crafted signs to those which incorporate the very latest technology,” said David Catanach, Director of the BSGA. “Every category was competitive, but we were delighted that the ‘Small Signmaker of the Year’, open only to businesses employing between 1 and 5 people, was the most competitive, with over 40 entries.

“The panel of judges faced an unenviable task but, to make things absolutely fair, the identity of every entrant was carefully redacted from every submission. The judges based their decisions purely on the written submissions and images supplied.

“The awards were open to every sign business in the UK and most entries did, in fact, come from companies who are not members. We hope that the Awards will serve to highlight the role of the BSGA in representing and supporting the industry and that business that entered the awards will now consider it worth joining the association to support the important work we do.”

The winners included:

SIGN OF THE YEAR
Presented by Corporate Sponsor 3M
Winner: Sign of the Times for ‘The Heinz 57 Wall’

RETAIL SIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Complete CNC Solutions
Winner: ASG (Essex) for ‘The Perfectionists’ Cafe’
Highly Commended: Sign 2000 for ‘Hamleys, Heathrow’
Highly Commended: ASG (Essex) for ‘Xbox One’

ILLUMINATED SIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Vink Lighting Solutions
Winner: Castleton Signs for ‘Scottish Gas Edinburgh’
Highly Commended: Sign of the Times for ‘Heinz 57’
Highly Commended: Trade Signs Uk for ‘ITV’

VEHICLE GRAPHICS OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by William Smith
Winner: Allen Signs for ‘Billy Branston Bus’
Highly Commended: Paul Turner Signwriters for ‘IVC VW’
Highly Commended: Joyce Design for ‘Airlift BMWs’

ROLL-OUT PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Nationwide Platforms
Winner: Absolute SG for ‘Worldpay’
Highly Commended: HNS Signs for ‘Lafarge Tarmac’
Highly Commended: Sign 2000 for ‘Post Office’

SMALL SIGNMAKER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Metamark
Winner: Goodwin&Goodwin for ‘Illuminated projects’
Highly Commended: HNS Signs for ‘Penny Blacks’
Highly Commended: IMO Graphics for ‘Bloxwich Childrens Centre’

WIDE FORMAT PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Soyang Europe
Winner: Adam Bourn Creative for ‘One Commercial Street’
Highly Commended: Dyson Signs for ‘Westfield School, Sheffield’
Highly Commended: Signbox for ‘Invesco at London Wall’

THE SIGN CONSTRUCTION AWARD
Sponsored by 3M Tapes and Adhesives
Winner: Trade Signs UK for ‘ITV’
Highly Commended: Castleton Signs for ‘Rambert Dance School’
Highly Commended: PFI Sign Solutions for ‘NEC’

THE INNOVATION AWARD
Sponsored by Epson
Winner: Signbox for ‘StepJockey Smart Signs’
Highly Commended: W&Co for ‘Canaletto Apartments’
Highly Commended: Trade Signs UK for ‘ITV’

DIGITAL SIGNAGE PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Vink Digital Signage
Winner: Image Technique for ‘The View from the Shard’
Highly Commended: Sign 2000 for ‘Hamleys, Heathrow’
Highly Commended: Bright Green Technology/Forrest Media for ‘Xpressway’

THE CRAFTSMAN AWARD
Sponsored by Trade Etching Direct
Winner: HNS Signs for ‘Penny Blacks’
Highly Commended: Enigma signs for ‘White Orchid’
Highly Commended: Creative Sign Solutions for ‘Rusty Bottom’

ARCHITECTURAL SIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Foamalux
Winner: Harrisons Sign for ‘Nestle’
Highly Commended: Trade Signs UK for ‘ITV’
Highly Commended: M4UK for ‘Atrium Apartments’

INTERIOR SIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Decordirections.co.uk
Winner: Castleton Signs for ‘NHS Dean Street’
Highly Commended: Sign of the Times for ‘Heinz 57’
Highly Commended: 360 Signs for ‘TGI Fridays’

WAYFINDING SCHEME OF THE YEAR
Winner: Cobal Sign Systems for ‘The Library of Birmingham’
Highly Commended: Merson Sign Group for ‘Waverley Station’
Highly Commended: Merson Sign Group for ‘Hillington Park, Gasgow’

SIGN PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Signs Express
Winner: The Zeta Bespoke Solar Signage Kit

 

All of the winning signs can be viewed at http://britishsignawards.org/winners-2014/

 

Stone Island is launching its Autumn / Winter collection with an outdoor campaign spearheaded by a Giant Poster on blowUP media’s Old St/Rivington St site.

The 128sqm site will have a footfall of 1.2 million over the two week period of the campaign which has been planned and bought direct by Stone Island through its sales distribution and PR/Marketing agency Four Marketing and is the first time that the company has used a Giant Poster in the UK.

Located in the heart of East London’s high-powered centre of innovation, fashion, design and social entertainment, the Old Street / Rivington Street site is perfectly located to reach Stone Island’s target market. By using a format with the greatest scale and impact, the company will make its campaign a talking point among its key audience, an important goal for advertisers in the fashion sector.

blowUP media CEO Katrin Robertson says: “In fashion, image is everything and a Giant Poster canvas allows advertisers to realise their aspirations in an unmissable and effective way. We’re thrilled to be part of Stone Island’s first ever Giant Poster experience and their selection of this site justifies its reputation as one of the most in-demand OOH advertising opportunities in London”.