23 Dec 2024

Sign & Digital UK 2014 website now live

Faversham House Ltd, the organiser of Sign & Digital UK, has announced that the show website is now live.  The new website - which can be found at www.signanddigitaluk.com - has direct links through to the latest show news and features and includes a list of more than 70 companies who have already booked to exhibit.

Roland DG, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Colourgen, Hybrid Services/Mimaki,  Grafityp, Graphtec, Printmax, AG/Cad, i-sub, Resolute DTG, Clarity Software, Esko, DPI/Digital Print Innovations, Oshino LED Lighting, OneDigital, Signmaster Systems, Doro Tape, SloanLED, Applelec, AXYZ, Atech, QPS, Signwaves, Stanford Marsh Group (SMGG), are just some of the companies already confirmed as exhibitors at Sign & Digital UK.

‘Quick link’ buttons on the home page of the website allow users to navigate the site easily to find relevant information, including a press and PR section and a live Twitter feed.  There are also advertising opportunities which offer exhibitors the chance to increase their profile and make the most of their presence at the show.

Social media features prominently on the site, encouraging all sign makers and print service providers to follow the show on Twitter (@signanddigitaluk) and to use the Twitter hashtag (#SDUK).

Allen Signs helps 'wrap up' Holly Fulton for LG limited edition washing machines

Electronics giant LG - the Official Garment Care Supplier to London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014 - has joined forces with celebrated British fashion designer Holly Fulton and Lincolnshire-based vinyl wrapping specialist Allen Signs to launch a Holly Fulton for LG limited edition washing machine.  This follows on from a similar project last year when LG appointed Allen Signs to wrap limited edition washing machines designed by Giles Deacon.

The bespoke F1495KD6HF Holly Fulton for LG 6 Motion washing machine features a striking monochrome Holly Fulton fashion print which the consumer can then customise themselves, choosing from 16 different colour combinations to suit their own interior style.  The colour choices have been selected by Holly herself, including warm summery shades complemented by a choice of four cooler pantones.

Dawn Stockell, LG Marketing Communications Manager, says, “Customisation is something which we have recognised to be a popular trend with our target market. In light of this we wanted to be able to offer a product which involved them at the design stage with the end result being a home appliance to seamlessly suit their personal style at home.

“The first few finished products we have seen wrapped by Allen Signs so far have been met with a fantastic reception, the colours within the designs really stand out well and the quality of the finish maintains a very high standard in all corners and curves of the product.”

Glen Merryweather from Allen Signs adds, “We’re very happy to be working with LG again on this project.  We’re used to wrapping all sorts of objects but mostly vehicles from vans to road planers so this is a more unusual job for us. We’ve already wrapped two machines for the launch of the project and look forward to providing customers with their bespoke colour combinations.”

Allen Signs has been working with Magnet Harlequin, a graphic production agency based in Uxbridge which has supplied the artwork.

There are 50 Limited Edition LG by Holly Fulton 11kg washing machines available to buy exclusively via online reseller ao.com.  For further information please visit http://www.lg.com/uk/hollyfultonforlg

European first as Fosco's installs orange ink option on HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press

Fosco Hayes & Hurdley Ltd (Fosco’s), of Birmingham, has become the first large format print service provider in Europe to install HP's recently-announced Orange Ink option for enhancing colour quality on one of its HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Presses.

The new Orange Ink gives a gamut volume increase of ten per cent with a PANTONE® Colour coverage increase of six per cent and an overall ability to achieve seven per cent more corporate colours.  When printing for companies using orange in their corporate or brand colours, this capability can be a powerful differentiator.

“The flatbed converting market is fairly crowded, making competition for campaigns increasingly difficult,” said David Nicholas, managing director, Fosco, Hayes & Hurdley. “When we were shown print samples of the new orange ink, we were immediately impressed by the stunning impact it gave images and recognised this as a strong USP (Unique Selling Point) for us.”

Launched in April, the HP Scitex FB7600 Color Pack can add two new colours (Orange and Light Black) to the six-colour set of HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Presses and upgraded HP Scitex FB7500s. These additional colours can be installed together or added incrementally.

“We use our two HP Scitex FB7600 presses to print mostly on EB flute, Corex and card,” explains Nicholas. “While the press can handle films and paper, we usually use our other printers to do that. However, sometimes, scheduling means that printing jobs have to be moved and it’s good to have the ability to move jobs easily.”

Fosco’s has a large machine park of HP presses and printers. In addition to its two HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Presses, it has two HP Scitex XL1500 Industrial Printers, an HP Scitex TJ8350 Industrial Press, an HP Latex 850 Printer, an HP Designjet Z6200 Printer and an HP Indigo press 5500.

“This combination of equipment gives us the ability to undertake a wide range of jobs, attract customers as well as giving us production flexibility,” Nicholas continued. “The real drivers now are the FB7600 presses. The rise in demand for short-run rigid products and our ability to offer value-added services like POP/POS design and retail-ready packaging attracts new work. We fully expect new Orange Ink and the print quality it delivers to enhance our position as a print service supplier.”

While the HP Scitex FB76000 Industrial Presses are able to print runs of one, the core of Fosco’s work is in the 50 – 200 sheet range.

“We’ve done runs up to 1000,” Nicholas said. “And, we never know what’s coming in the door: we could get an order at 13.00 today and it would have to be out by 17.00.

“The new Orange Ink adds vibrancy to all the colours; we think it’s fantastic,” Nicholas concluded. “We are looking forward to going to customers and putting what we’ve done up to now next to what we can do with the new Orange Ink – they will be amazed!”

For more information, please visit www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts

Epson supports RNLI sea rescue photography exhibition

Epson has produced more than fifty 64-inch wide large format prints for a major RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) sea rescue photography exhibition titled The Lifeboat: Courage on our Coasts, which will be visiting major cities in the UK and Ireland for five months, starting in September.

Illustrating the lifesaving work of the RNLI, the touring exhibition showcases the photographs captured by RNLI lifeboat crew member and award-winning professional photographer Nigel Millard. The images on display will include dramatic shots of lifeboats in action and portraits of the charity’s dedicated volunteer crew members, lifeguards and fundraisers. “I hope the exhibition will give people a better understanding and appreciation of the RNLI’s lifesaving work, as well as helping to raise funds for the charity,” says Nigel. “The photos are a collection of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

The exhibition will be free and accessible 24 hours a day, whatever the weather, just like the services of the RNLI, and will visit London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Dublin, and Birmingham.

Epson has had a long-standing relationship with the RNLI and Nigel Millard. The large 1750mm x 1170mm outdoor exhibition prints were produced by Epson at its UK headquarters using the Epson SureColor SC-S70600, 64-inch (162.6cm), large format printer. The images were printed on Ilford’s Nanosolvent Satin 255gsm media which is ideal for outdoor applications in all weathers.

The SureColor SC-S70600 uses Epson’s UltraChrome GSX ink set which is perfect for outdoor exhibitions as it is lightfast for up to three years without lamination. Available as an 8- or 10-colour model the printer ensures exceptional high quality prints – essential for picking out the fine details in Nigel’s close-up portraits, whilst the vivid colours and the smooth tonal gradations help to bring the dramatic sea rescue images to life.

Nick White, business manager, Professional Graphics, Epson UK, has also been an operational volunteer with the RNLI for a number of years. “I am proud that Epson continues to support the RNLI and the charity’s lifesaving work, which is essential, often difficult and sometimes dangerous,” he says. “Epson is a leader in the photographic and fine art print markets and its technology produces high resolution and the widest colour gamut which will ensure Nigel’s photography is reproduced to the highest standard.”

The photographs in the exhibition have been selected from a book of Nigel’s photographs titled The Lifeboat: Courage on our Coasts, published by Conway, written by Dr Huw Lewis-Jones, with the foreword by HRH The Duke of Cambridge. Copies of the book will be available to buy at the regional exhibitions.

For more information, please visit www.rnli.org/courageonourcoasts

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Faversham House sees 'surge' of bookings for Sign & Digital UK 2014

Next year's Sign & Digital UK event has seen a 'surge' in stand bookings in recent weeks according to its organisers, Faversham House.  The event is scheduled to take place at the Birmingham NEC between 29th April and 1st May 2014.

On the uptake, Rudi Blackett, Sign & Digital UK Event Director comments, ''I am delighted to report exceptionally strong demand for stands at Sign & Digital UK 2014 and I am now considering increasing the size of the show as a result.  It is fantastic to see so many of the leading companies already booked and planning for the event, which is still seven months away.”

Companies already signed up for the 2014 show include Roland DG, Epson, Grafityp, Graphtec, Printmax, AG/Cad, i-sub, Resolute DTG, Clarity Software, DPI/Digital Print Innovations, Oshino LED Lighting, OneDigital, Signmaster Systems, Doro Tape, SloanLED, Applelec, AXYZ, Atech, QPS, Signwaves, Stanford Marsh Group (SMGG) and many more.

Blackett continues, ''Companies considering exhibiting should get in touch as soon as possible.  With this level of stand booking momentum – and the opportunity of new hall space opening up – it’s vital to secure a prime spot now.''

For more information, please email signanddigitaluk@fav-house.com.

Canon Océ Arizona UV Flatbed printer goes high fashion

World-renowned fashion designer Henry Holland has used graphics printed on an Océ Arizona UV Flatbed printer together with a giant angled mirror for his London Fashion Week catwalk show. The technique, a fashion first, created the illusion that models at the show were walking on clouds.

To set the scene for the show, the catwalk was created in a multi-storey car park in Brewer Street, London, an urban, concrete, but spacious, environment. Holland’s objective was for the audience to soak up the gritty car park atmosphere before being dazzled by his sophisticated, but hard-edged, clothing line.

It is believed to be the first time that such an innovative project using wide-format print and mirrors has been used at a fashion show.

Holland said, “This project has really opened my eyes to the capabilities of wide-format printing. It’s hugely exciting to be able to construct eye-catching, impactful, temporary spaces and environments using a printer like the Arizona.”

“Designers spend so much time and money creating their clothing lines, but it’s the imagery from the catwalk show that speaks to people in the fashion world and will be shown again and again throughout the season.”

Holland worked with Canon and London-based, wide-format printing company Displayways to bring his concept for the show to life.

He explained, “I met with Canon and Displayways to discuss the concept for the catwalk show and they talked me through the different possibilities, including the Arizona and the substrates that we would work with. Our aim was to create an aura effect around the models.”

Displayways has produced wide-format graphics for other high profile exhibitions and shows, including the Barbican commissioned Dalston House exhibition in Hackney.

Keith Birch, Displayways Account Director, said, “Our Arizona XT printer is ideal for projects like Henry’s. The print definition is very fine and it has excellent colour saturation and vibrancy. It’s also incredibly productive, which is essential for this project, as it required 180sqm of vinyl to be printed just for the catwalk.”

Duncan Smith, Wide Format Group Director for Canon UK, said, “Henry’s use of an Arizona-printed catwalk at London Fashion Week is a fantastic example of why the sky really is the limit for designers and other creative professionals when producing wide-format graphics on an Arizona Series printer.”

Canon’s Océ Arizona XT models can print onto any rigid media up to 2500mm (98") wide x 3050mm (120") long, and up to 48mm (1.9”) thick, opening up a whole world of possibilities for those working in exhibitions or the creative industries. The large format flatbed printers feature Océ VariaDot® imaging technology that delivers near-photographic image quality, even at high print speeds, and all models offer white ink printing capabilities.

Holland added, “This is the first time I have worked with a printed catwalk, but it definitely won’t be the last. The quality of the print was exactly as promised –outstanding. The colours came out brilliantly, and the graphics produced on the Arizona were an essential element in achieving the overall impact we had envisaged for the show.”