Sign & POP World is your one-stop business guide by understanding and staying in pace with the transition of the global signage market. The magazine assures you to bring in reliable and comprehensive information in the form of industry news, events and exhibitions, to keep you abreast with the latest developments – be it technology, products, or concepts of signage being incorporated in the promotional world. Besides, there is also an informative trade directory to meet your business needs.
Using IESVE for Loads, Sizing and Heat Pump Modeling to Achieve Decarbonization
LED Modules for Signs and Displays: Manufacturing & More
2. Read on the Digital
Version of the Latest
Edition to Stay Abreast
and also Avail
Information on all the
Latest Updates and
Trends by
Subscribing NOW!
The Complete Magazine on
Signage & Point of Purchase Quenches
Your Entire Quest Regarding The Industry.
Click on the link below &
participate in our fortnightly
Facebook Contest to
WIN Exciting Prizes.
Click Here
6. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘152
8 Innovative Concepts
57 Event Calendar
58 Newswire
56 Installation
66 Resource Guide
COVER STORY
28 “Sign” off your event well!
SIGNAGE
16 Game changers of the
Indian Sign Industry-
Part III
26 Novel advertising
media: Opportunities
unexplored in India
FEATURES
46 LED building wraps:
Let your building do the
talking!
OOH ADVERTISING
10 LED modules
for signs and displays:
Manufacturing and
more
38 Gadgets on billboards:
To mind your business!
CASE STUDY
REGULARS
CONTENTS
54 FESPA/European Sign
Expo 2015 Cologne,
Germany
EVENT COVERAGE
8 38 34
42 New developments in
digital ink technology
INTERVIEW
Smokers up for a rude shock
with free cigarettes on World No
Tobacco Day
Gadgets on billboards:
To mind your business!
Decorating Freedom @
Home With Digital Printing
34 Decorating freedom at
home with digital
printing
TECHNOLOGY
50 Are laminators still in the
running?
PRODUCT FOCUS
52 Apsom introduces new
turnkey solutions for the
Sign & Graphics Market
PRODUCT LAUNCH
12. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘158
Mumbai’s Worli Sea Face looked a bit different in June with the addition of several benches that
looked like open laptops. These were a part of Reliance Digital’s new campaign ‘Boot-up your life’
which was trying to entice young college goers into attending their laptop festival that also held
exiting offers for them such as free products. The innovative concept was executed by Active Media
Innovations who decided to move away from mundane announcements to effectively reaching out
to their target audience at a frequent hangout.
IHF Foundation’s hard-hitting campaign
on World No smoke Day got many smokers
to think about their uncertain future if they
didn’t kick the habit. The 2-day campaign
held across Delhi, Mumbai & Pune, had
kiosks placed at over 100 paan-bidi shops
which had cigarettes kept in a pocket
saying, “Free Smokes – who cares about
No Tobacco Day”. People attracted to the
distinct kiosk picked up cigarettes only to
realize that they were not cigarettes but
‘Death Certificates’ that were rolled up in
the shape of cigarettes. Kinetic OOH that
doled out the campaign hopes that their
creative communication would not just
make people aware of the ill effects of
smoking, but also make them take one step
ahead to call it quits.
‘Boot-up your life’ with
Reliance Digital
Smokers
up for a
rude shock
with free
cigarettes
on World
No Tobacco
Day
INNOVATIVE
CONCEPTS
‘A home for every dream,
whatever the size’
promised by 99acres.com
The extensive PAN India campaign by 99acres.com which offers property options for interested
parties from all socio-economic classes, made use of several mediums to convey its message in
the cities of Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Responsible for executing the
campaign, Span Communications conveyed the message through a straightforward creative on
flagpoles, reflective pots, cube signs, transit mediums like Volvo buses and radio cabs, billboards that
had real 3D metallic keys hanging from them and overhead signage.
13. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 9
To demonstrate the parking sensor
technology of the Fiat 500, marketing agency
Leo Burnett, Germany designed an interactive
video billboard that featured a range of
people trying to guide drivers into a parking
space in front of them.
Ultrasonic sensors were attached to the
video billboard and the vehicle behind
which observed the parking maneuvers and
operated correspondingly to the gesture of
the assistants on the video billboard, who
moved their hands closer and further apart to
indicate how much space a driver had.
Fiat’s video billboard assists drivers
into parking their cars
INNOVATIVE
CONCEPTS
Campaign by Denver
Water drives home
important message
Denver Water not only serves high-quality water to the people of Denver and
its surrounding suburbs but also promotes its efficient use. In its latest campaign
‘Use only what you need’, the agency used diverse materials such as colored
pencils, Post-it notes, clay, crushed soda cans, Legos, yarn and string to create 10
original pieces of art. Each depicts water in various forms, such as drops, splashes,
cascades, showers and spray. The work adorns bus shelters around Denver, as well
as print and online ads. The headline, “You can’t make this stuff,” drives home the
message that water is a non-renewable resource.
Nivea brings a smile
with its special
sunscreen doll
Kids at Rio De Janeiro’s beaches were taught the importance of using sun
block when Nivea representatives gifted them Nivea’s new UV-sensitive dolls
along with a bottle of Nivea sunscreen. The dolls turned pink under the sun’s rays
but with a little application of the sunscreen went back to their original color. The
creative stunt was conceptualized by agency FCB Brasil.
14. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1510
LED Modules for Signs and
Displays: Manufacturing
and More
L
ED displays and signage are extensively
used for promotions these days. The
LED screens/displays and signs are
made up of LED modules. Thus LED module
is the basic unit of an LED signage or display.
LED display assemblers/suppliers/authorized
dealers in India source this LED module
from China, Taiwan etc. However, there are
a couple of LED module manufacturers in
India like Sign India Corporation based
in Surat and Aura Opto Electronics India
based in Mumbai/Nasik. An LED module
has the complete drive circuit. The LED
module consists of the following parts and
components, LED, IC, PCB, signal connector,
module kit, resistor and capacitor.
LED MODULE CLASSIFICATION
• LED modules can be classified based on
the color; single color LED module, tricolor
LED module and full color LED module.
• It can also be divided on the basis of the
type of LED used; DIP LED module and
SMD LED module.
• LED modules are also divided as per the
material used in its make; Epoxy module,
PVC module and lens module.
• Based on the usage LED modules are
divided as outdoor LED module and indoor
LED module.
COMPOSITION OF AN LED DISPLAY
A number of LED modules are joined
together to form an LED display/screen. One
LED module forms one pixel of the display.
For an outdoor LED display module the pixel
pitch (physical distance between the pixels)
usually ranges from 10mm to 25mm. “These
days P10 mm and P16 mm displays are
common and are widely used. For many LED
display manufacturers, P10mm is still the
display with the smallest pixel pitch that is
manufactured,” says Mr Abhijit Bose, Partner,
Satyam Techno.
However, with innovative production
technology, there can now be P6mm and
P8mm LED modules for outdoor displays.
Though having a smaller pixel pitch means
increased number of LED clusters in a
display. For instance, a NanoLumens 114”
display with a 4mm pixel pitch uses 247,760
pixels, where as a 6mm LED display of the
same size uses 96,000.
“The more LED clusters in a display, the
higher the expense. One can cut their cost
and still have a superb quality display by
going with a larger pixel pitch if the audience
isn’t too close to the screen. However, in
case the display is in a space where the TG
will be closer to the screen like that in a
retail environment, a 4mm pixel pitch would
probably suit better,” says Mr Bose.
COVERSTORY
Wililux India LED modules
Sign India Corporation’s LED modules & components
16. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1512
“There is no such difference between indoor/
outdoor LED modules as all LED modules
we offer are waterproof and hence can
be used both indoors and outdoors. We
are the distributor of GOQ and NC LED
modules. SINOLITE is our own brand and
we get that OEM from China. We categorise
the modules as per specifications because
different customers have different demands.
Some customers demand as per technical
specifications and some customers demand
as per brand requirements,” reveals Mr Rishi
Jain, Director, Plasto India Pvt. Ltd.
PROBABLE ISSUES FACED
Soldering problem control
According to a statistics, when the LEDs on
the LED display do not work well, in almost 50
percent cases the problem occurs because of
the soldering problem. Usually, manufacturers
call this kind of problems, “pseudo Soldering”,
“cold joint”, or “spurious joint”.
This problem is faced by many LED display
manufacturers, and many clients complain
about this. The soldering problem happens
on the LED leadframe, IC leadframe, PINs etc.
If there is only one component that requires
soldering, it would not be a big deal because
re-soldering that component would solve the
problem. However, in many cases, by punching
the LED display panel, the screen may possibly
work normally again. Some manufacturers
believe that the soldering problem can be
eliminated with the vibration test performed
during QC test. It is a helpful method to check
if there is any soldering problem.
“Machine soldering should be used. Though
some people use manual soldering as well,”
says Mr Vikas Bali, Country Head, Osram
Opto Semiconductors. Osram’s Intelligent
Display products utilize LED as the pixel
element in a dot matrix and have built-
in drive circuits. This allows the display
product to sustain alphanumeric messages
downloaded from a host microcomputer
without the need for additional external
electronic control circuitry. It is available
in various LED colours, digit sizes and
brightness levels suitable for many
applications.
LED mixing issues
The difference between LEDs selected for the
LED display production cannot be figured
out by merely looking at the LEDs. But
there do exist some differences, though the
differences are very tiny. So it is certainly
very important to select the LEDs with close
wave length and brightness. LED mixing
should be done with utmost care.
When the manufacturers receive a bulk of
LEDs, they need to mix the LEDs with a special
machine to disperse all of the LEDs. If the
LED mixing process is not accomplished well,
the LED display screen will not have even
brightness and color, some part of the LED
screen would be darker while some would be
brighter. The visual performance of the LED
display will get affected.
Perpendicularity control
The perpendicularity control in the LED
display manufacturing process pertains
to only the DIP type LED, which has two
leadframes. As the LED is longer in shape,
so while assembling the LED onto the
PCB board, the LED must be held exactly
perpendicular to the PCB. And all the LEDs
should be parallel to each other. If it is not
achieved, the colour and brightness of the
LED display will get affected.
The viewing angle of LED display
The key factor of the LED display quality is
the viewing angle. When an LED display is
watched from a different viewing angle, its
brightness and color differ. It is determined
by the LEDs. So when the RGB LEDs are put
together to form one pixel, the viewing
angle of all the LEDs in one pixel should
be the same. When all the pixels compose
one LED display, the viewing angle of all the
pixels should be in sync. The viewing angle
of all LEDs in sync will determine the white
balance of the LED screens, when watched
from different viewing angles. To achieve the
perfect white balance, the LED encapsulation
lens and other materials should be designed
strictly. Only the good LED encapsulation
companies could achieve that, with the high
technology level, advanced production and
test equipments.
Waterproof measures
Though waterproofing is a must for outdoor
LED display but these days even indoor LED
displays are waterproofed. Waterproofing is
done both at the LED module level and at
the LED cabinet level.
For the LED modules, all LED pins which
contact the PCB, are sealed with silicon
glue, so that the rain water can’t seep into
Mr Abhijit Bose, Partner
Satyam Techno
Mr Rishi Jain, Director
Plasto India Pvt. Ltd.
Mr Ajay Sharma, Owner
Classic Sign Display
Mr Amanmeet Singh,
Proprietor, Wililux India
Mr Zakir Vora, Proprietor, Sign India
Corporation
COVERSTORY
17. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 13
the module. The silicon glue will protect
the circuit from damage. The presence of
module mask makes it further waterproof.
When the LED modules are installed on the
cabinet, between the modules and cabinet
there must not be any gap; both should be
tightly coupled. The waterproof rubber ring
is the best solution for this, as the rubber
rings have strong bounce and are durable. If
it’s pressed tightly between the LED module
and the cabinet, there is no room left for
water to seep in. “The sides of the cabinet
are sealed with epoxy and waterproofed,”
says Mr Ajay Sharma, Owner, Classic Sign
Display, who uses many of these displays
for providing promotional campaigning
solutions to various brands.
“Our waterproof SMD LED Modules series
offer low power consumption, have a
long life and are available at low cost. The
products have the advantages of high
luminous intensity, wide viewing angle, are
environment friendly, shock and vibration
resistant,” says Mr Zakir Vora, Proprietor, Sign
India Corporation.
LED SIGNS
LED signs can be of single color, two basic
color or full color. There are five basic single
color LED signs that are widely used. Single
red is the most used signage. Single green,
single blue, single yellow and single white
are the other colors. Dual color signs, usually
combine red and green or red and blue
but can show three total colors. 256 gray
Pic courtesy: Satyam Techno
COVERSTORY
level of dual basic color can produce 65,536
types of unreal colors. LED full-color signage
is the smallest display unit composed of
trichromatic colors: red, green and blue. 256
gray level of trichromatic colors can produce
16,777,216 types of colors.
While manufacturing LED signage different
control card is used for different types of
signs; Text LED signs and Image-Text LED
signs. A text signage usually has a strip to
show text only. This is the most common
form of signage used in India. The image-
text signage shows characters, diagrams,
graphs, pictures etc. “The 3-LED modules
for signage sells the most in India,” says
Amanmeet Singh, Proprietor, Wililux India.
Mr Singh who is the authorized distributor of
LED modules in India also exports the same
to other countries. He says while Indian
market is price conscious, in other markets
emphasis is on quality.
“It is hard to say which module sells the
most. However, our GOQ 3 SMD 5630
Cool White and SINOLITE 3 SMD sell
comparatively more than other modules,”
says Mr Jain.
“Our LED Signages are in compliance with
the industry standards and are durable with
neat and sophisticated look. These can be
customized as per the client’s specifications,”
says Mr. Vora.
18. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1514
COVERSTORY
PRICING STRUCTURE
The price of the LED module ranges from
Rs 5 to Rs 600 per piece depending on the
quality. “LED modules available for Rs 5 is
the cheapest in the market and uses paper
PCB. Modules using branded chips offer
quality and have higher price range. GE
LED module is priced at Rs 280 per piece.
The price of Samsung LED module roughly
ranges from Rs 35 to Rs 140. We sell LED
modules in quantum. One LED display
screen uses somewhere around 500 to 1000
LED modules,” reveals Mr Bose.
“Our LED modules are available for minimum
Rs 8 per piece and can go upto Rs 55-60 per
piece,” says Mr Vora.
“Our modules start from Rs. 12 per piece and
go upto Rs. 50 per piece depending upon the
output, specification, viewing angle, lumens,
body type, lens type and chip used etc.
Generally, we do not sell single units, we sell
larger quantities at one time. However, we sell
small units to regular customers to meet their
short term demands,” shares Mr. Jain.
Technology is something which is changing
almost every day, and by change we mean
it is getting better and better. “Price is very
sensitive in Indian market, as it depends
upon demand of the modules. If the prices
are lower, demand gets higher and vice
versa,” reveals Mr. Jain.
AFTER-SALES SERVICE
LED module test is conducted after the LED
or the IC of the modules that are repaired
has been fixed. It is necessary to ensure that
the LED module is working well. To test the
led module, manufacturers usually use the
receiving card. It is the most convenient way
to press the test button on the receiving
card. So do the manufacturers/suppliers
give after-sales support to their clients?
“Yes we do provide after sales services to
customers. We provide services like timely
inspection after completion of work, repair
and replacement of modules covered in our
warranty structure,” adds Mr Jain.
“Yes we do the repair and replacement work.
In fact, even when the LED display units are
sold and the campaigns are running on the
LED screens our involvement as a supplier is
very much there. In fact, recently there was a
Sony campaign running and I was very much
a part of the installation and other activities,”
says Mr Bose.
However, not all manufacturers/suppliers get
involved once the LED display is installed
and promotional campaigns are run. “No we
have no involvement in the property when
the campaigns are run,” avers Mr Jain.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
With the government’s promotion of
Make-in India, the policies and norms
have become more strict. Every product
should be registered and certified by BIS.
It is learnt that this move is a concern for
some manufacturers and suppliers. “Yes this
government policy is a concern. Suppliers
who source the parts from China at cheap
or affordable prices would not be able to do
so as BIS certification is a must. Why will a
manufacturer of components in China with
small inventory get registered in India. Only
19. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 15
COVERSTORY
bigger brands and businesses are following
this move. But yes, this policy will definitely
keep the quality in check,” says Mr Bose.
“We expect that government should provide
more subsidies. Moreover, government
should make it mandatory to use LED
modules in sign boards in order to save
electricity and increase efficiency thus
reducing cost,” says Mr. Jain.
“I expect government’s support with respect
to taxation and customs. Something should
be done about the anti dumping duty. We
do not export as of now but wish to do so in
the future,” says Mr Vora.
ROADBLOCKS
LED signage/ displays are a small part of
the overall LED industry in India. The LED
manufacturers/suppliers feel that since LED
signage/display is a minuscule part of the
LED industry not much has been done by
the government in this regard. “Government
focuses more on LED lighting. They put
forth a number of subsidies and policies
that help LED light manufacturers and not
signage dealers. People like us who are into
LED displays are waiting for government to
support us as well. Imagine in a roughly put
1000 crore LED business in India, there are
only a few LED module manufacturers! Why
will somebody get into this when there is
not much support in terms of policies? Only
those who are not aware may get into this
business,” shares Mr Bose.
So what is the LED signage/display industry/
association doing to address this issue?
“Firstly there is no industry as such. Things
are not organized. There is no union or
association that can take the problem to
the government. Though we have tried
interacting with the government bodies at
LED Expos hosted by MEX Exhibitions but
nothing substantial has come out of that.
What some LED signage/display suppliers
are doing is getting into LED lights business
along with displays to take the advantages
of subsidies given in that domain. Otherwise
there is no one remedy or support from
anywhere,” says Mr Bose.
“This is the reason why 70 percent of
the manufacturing need is fulfilled
through export. With BIS norm coming
into implementation things might get
worse in the LED signage/display market.
However, promotion of ‘make-in India’
by the government may get people into
manufacturing of LED modules or other
parts that are not currently made in India.
We just hope for the best,” adds Mr Bose.
“I think it is very difficult to estimate the
total worth of manufacturing LED modules,
as the industry is growing rapidly in an
organised as well as unorganised fashion,”
says Mr Jain.
“There are many restrictions imposed by
the authority with respect to using LED
signage and displays. I believe those should
be waved off so that more of LED signs,
videos and screens can be used,” requests
Mr Sharma.
20. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1516
FEATuRE
Game Changers of
the Indian Sign Industry
The Indian Sign Industry has undergone a revolutionary change in the past decade and signage companies have skillfully adapted their businesses
to the altering technological changes by successfully venturing into different verticals. From traditional banners and paper collaterals like posters,
stickers, bunting and danglers to vinyl cut paste signage and acrylic sign board faces and finally to specialty LED signage and epoxy & resin letters,
the era from screen printing to digital printed signage has been quite a formidable journey.
We chart the journey of several major signage companies who have not only withstood the test of time but continue to strongly contribute to the
Indian Sign Industry in terms of new innovations and products.
PART III
JMD DIGITAL ART XCHANGE
JMD DAX is among India’s leading digital
print companies. When the company was
established in 1987, there was a clear
vacuum for providing large format prints
at a very fast speed. It was still a time
when billboards were hand painted and
wall paintings were an essential to any
communication plan. The concept of in shop
branding had not taken the shape. The entry
point was expensive and quality was the
deciding factor. It began its business with
the installation of its large format unit with
a vision for “Presenting solutions”.. Today it
JMD DAX has grown from its initial photo
type setting roots to become a full-fledged
solutions house that provides integrated
services for its clients. These range from
the initial conceptualization to graphic
design, processing and printing on various
substrates- rigid as well as flexible.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Its sprawling 20,000 sq. ft. facility houses
state-of-the-art UV digital printers, solvent
digital printers, digital inkjet printers and
screen printers to accommodate a range of
applications including floor graphics, display
graphics, billboard and bus Q shelters,
POP and POS, stage graphics & events and
exhibition graphics and trade shows.
Mr. Anupam Gupta
Speaking of technologies in the forefront
today, Mr. Sandeep Jain from JMD says,
“In the international context, UV is in the
forefront as it is environment friendly, has a
long life and is value for money. In India it is
yet to become as popular as it is world over.
Latex ink technology is also gaining grounds
in India.”
Email: anupam@jmddax.com
Website: www.jmddax.com
Contact Details
21. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 17
Crayon Retail Pvt. Ltd. is a complete
Brand Image and Solution Provider of a
wide variety of signage, POP, merchandising
and displays. It is focused on providing its
customers with products that fulfill their
needs to display, exhibit, promote & visually
communicate.
According to Mr. Vineet Arora, Crayon Retail
was founded in 1990 at a time when the
industry was dominated by acrylic sign
board faces with acrylic letters cut and
pasted on a base acrylic sheet. “Very few
companies invested in signage as it was
an expensive proposition to give to their
retailer. Mostly POP consisted of paper
collaterals like posters, stickers, bunting and
danglers. Progressively companies have seen
a shift in budget towards BTL activities with
marketing and retail seeing a significant
budget now. Brands can’t see themselves
without being visible at the retail outlets and
thus the business has experienced a growth
by leaps and bounds.”
PRODUCTS
Signage: The company partners with
top brands for their signage programs
and enhances the brand image through
consistent and high-impact fascia signage
using diverse material like 3M Flex and vinyl,
acrylic, ACP, neon & LEDs.
Digital Printing: Utilizes the best materials
and printing technology for both in-shop and
on-shop scenarios through its eco-solvent &
inkjet solutions on flex, vinyl, one-way vision,
translates and clear & etching films.
POP: The POP needs of the customer
are met through a range of promotional
elements like acrylic dispensers, canopies,
scrollers, promotional tables, rota cubes,
standies, cutouts, tabletops etc.
Displays: Plans, designs, executes & installs
permanent display fixtures for the retail
environment using wood, MDF, acrylic, glass
and metal.
On technologies that are in the forefront
today Mr. Arora opines, “In the signage area
LED signage is the latest trend. Channel
letters made in stainless steel and channel
letters made from automatic channel
letter bending machines are the preferred
choice. The illumination is done through
LED which has a very long life, is very low
on power consumption and has virtually no
maintenance costs. Also letters using Exopy
and resins are getting popular with the
brands as they are new technologies.”
INFRASTRUCTURE
Its in-house capabilities can handle
the communication needs of the client
right from conceptualization, design to
implementation.
Crayon Retail Pvt. Ltd. operates out of two
factories in Noida totaling to 15,500 sq. ft.
of covered area. The facilities cater to the
manufacturing of signage, graphics, displays,
kiosks, shop-in- shop, Point of Purchase,
merchandising, FSU, CDU etc. The materials
used are wood, boards, MDF, laminate, MS,
steel, glass, acrylic etc.
The equipment installed at the facility
includes a CNC Router (AXYZ, Canada),
panel saw (Felder, Austria), spindle moulder
(Felder, Austria), laser cutter- GCC mercury
CRAYON RETAIL PVT. LTD.
Mr. Vineet Arora
for fabrication of the displays.
The facility also has a dedicated paint
room for Duco, PU and enamel painting of
displays. The graphic needs of its clients are
taken care by a studio capable of working on
2D and 3D software’s. The hardware includes
a Graphtec cutting plotter, Roland inkjet
printer and three eco-solvent printers which
can generate high resolution prints on flex
and vinyl used for branding and graphic on
the displays.
Some of Crayon Retail’s clientele include:
American Express Bank, HDFC Bank, RBS
Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank,
Indus Ind Bank, Aviva Life Insurance, Adidas,
Reebok, Benetton, Maruti, Vodafone, Nokia,
Seagram, Dabur and Casio. The Company
encourages all its clients to shift to T-LED
instead of the conventional tube lights.
T-LED tube lights are made out of LED. This
makes the life of the sign much longer with
no maintenance cost for at least 3 years thus
saving cost and efforts of the clients.
Email: vineet@crayonadv.com
Website: www.crayonadv.com
Contact Details
FEATuRE
22. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1518
FEATuRE
HANNU ENTERPRISES
A name synonymous with pioneering
achievement in the field of advertising,
Hannu Enterprises was established in 1993
with a mission of pursuing excellence. Today
Hannu is known as a complete signage
solution company providing excellent quality
and service in sign, POP and image graphic
segments.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Company’s manufacturing unit covering
more than 50,000 sq. ft. uses the latest
state-of-the-art technology for designing,
processing and fabrication. The latest
development has been the Company’s
introduction of Epoxy Technology for the
first time in India. It has already installed a
super channel bender along with epoxy resin
channel letter machine at its facility which
is capable of producing different kinds of
innovative signage, logos, reception signage,
building malls signage and brand shop main
signage through this technology.
PRODUCTS
Signage: ACP Sign, illuminated sign, backlit
Mr. Vinod Gupta
Email: hannudelhi@gmail.com
Website: www.hannumarketing.com
Contact Details
YUPO printing- JCD bus shutter
Specialized services: Showroom, Counter
tops/3D designs, in-store branding and
backlit translate
Specialized products: SIS units, racks,
reception signage and hoarding innovation
Speaking of Hannu’s success, Mr. Vinod
Gupta, Director, Hannu Enterprises says, ‘We
deal directly with corporate clients and sell
a complete concept to our customers that
ensure value-addition to the job. And that
has been our success mantra besides our
commitment for quality and affordability.
We have built our name through our values
like time commitment, quality job, service
and use of latest state-of-the-art technology
coupled with a nationwide network
to implement the tasks efficiently and
effectively across India.”
VISHAL ARTS SIGN & GRAPHICS PVT. LTD.
sign, rooftop sign, stainless steel letters,
pylon sign, thermoforming logos and
direction signage.
Displays: Pylon, backlit flange, rollup and
cutup standby and wire mesh
Large format UV printing: Printing- 5m and
Mr. Vishal Parmar
Vishal Arts Sign & Graphics Pvt. Ltd. is a
leading signage manufacturing company in
India. It first started its business in traditional
banners & film posters way back in 1965
but with the changing times and technology
it eventually ventured into screen printed
banners. In 1996 it forayed into vinyl cut
paste signage. To match up with the latest
trend it also started doing a lot of four color
screen printed decals and signage in the
year of 1999. By the end of 1999 the digital
printing industry was catching up in India
which brought about yet another shift from
screen printing to digital printed signage.
To create a niche for itself in the highly
competitive Digital Print Signage Industry,
the Company shifted its focus to specialty
LED signage like thermoformed signage,
channel letter sign, pylons, sky sign & high
rise signs in the year of 2006.
SERVICES
Vishal Arts offers a wide range of products
and services all under one roof making
it a “one stop professional sign solution
provider” for different brands. Its centralized
30,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in
Mumbai is equipped with state-of-the-art
machines like an automatic channel bender
system, CNC router, laser cutting machine
24. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1520
and thermoforming & vacuum forming
machinery.
Vishal Arts product offering incudes: indoor
signs (Fabio signs, wall graphics navigational
signs and menu board), outdoor signs (Sky
signs, pylons, store fascia signs, high rise
signs and pole signs) and specialty signs
(Thermoformed signs, halo-lit signs, open
LED signs lumilux letters, channelium letters
and machine made aluminium profile signs)
which remains its key focus.
Vishal Arts has had the pleasure to work with
McDonald’s, Starbucks Coffee, Vodafone,
Pizza Express, Mahindra & Mahindra Motors,
Burger King, Punjab Grill, Tata Motors
(International market), Citibank, Godrej
Interio, Titan Group, Vero Moda, Only, Jack &
Jones, Samsung Mobile, Sony India, Reliance
and Raymond.
Email: vishalp@vishalarts.com
Website: www.vishalarts.com
Contact Details
BIGPRINTS
Bigprints was established in 1995 with
the aim to make it a prominent name in
the digital printing services domain. It
was the first in Delhi to install a 36” Laser-
Master (USA) large format digital printer
that marked the arrival of digital era in
large format printing. Today the Company
is renowned in the field of large format
digital and solvent printing as well as allied
services. It has been adding and upgrading
digital printing systems, synchronizing
its printing processes with new and latest
technologies from time to time in order to
serve its prestigious list of clients in one of
Mr. Vijay Dhingra
the fastest growing advertising industry.
Bigprints has served companies like Reebok,
Delhi Tourism, Samsung, Red Tape, Adidas,
Titan, Swatch, Hewlett-Packard, Wiz Craft,
Paras Art Studio, Madame and many more.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Within 20 years the company has a lot to
show for its accomplishments including a
14,000 sq. ft. facility. The facility houses the
latest HP Latex, HP 5500, Digitex, Konica, and
Scitex printers as well as a router to meet
customers demand for outdoor and indoor
advertising print media.
SERVICES
Bigprints offers a variety of regular printed
media such as posters, backlit, flex graphics,
vinyl graphics, mall graphics, clear films,
translites, flex scheme banners, standee
graphics and stage backdrops as well as
specialty media such as canvas, one-way
vision, fabrics, vehicle graphics, window
blinds, awning media, reflective vinyl and
flags.
Email: vkdhingra@gmail.com
Website: www.bigprints.com
Contact Details
FEATuRE
26. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1522
SATIN NEO DIMENSIONS PVT. LTD.
The Satin Group ventured into the media
solutions space with the launch of scrollers
in 2003. Thereafter it quickly expanded
into visual merchandising and turnkey
designing of retail environments. Today,
Satin Neo Dimensions is committed to
delivering cutting-edge multi-disciplinary
Environmental Design Solutions for India’s
high to mid-end retail, entertainment,
financial, hospitality and educational
sectors. It offers world-class expertise in
the areas of Experiential Retail Designing,
branding, fixtures, display aesthetics and
interior services.
DIRECTIONS RETAIL PROJECTS
Mr. Amit Jain
Directions Retail Projects was incepted in
the year 2005. It has a staff of 65 experienced
professionals who are dedicated to the
planning, design, fabrication and installation
of sign and signage systems. In the last
four years, the company has incorporated
new technologies and techniques to better
service its customers.
INFRASTRUCTURE
It has a digital printing unit, an offset
printing unit, a processing unit and a post
press. It has installed several world-class
offset printers and digital printers and can
handle a printing capacity of 15000 sq. ft.
per day.
SERVICES
Some of its services include: Designing &
offset printing, digital printing, flex vinyl &
one-way vision printing, glow sign boards,
steel & acrylic letters, acrylic & sunboard
dispensers, LED boards, banners and other
publicity material, fabrication, scrollers,
trolleys, translite box, demo tents, promo
table, promotional umbrellas, canopies,
catalogue stand, banner stand, bridge
banner stand, and X-type banner stand and
PVC & foam banners. The company also
assists in conceptualizing and designing.
Some of its clients include: Spice, Coca-
Cola, Cream Bell, Reebok, Blackberry, Nokia,
Whirlpool, Philips, Nikon, Ambuja Cement,
Kellogg’s, Hindware, IndusInd Bank and
Muthoot Group.
Email: directionsrs@gmail.com
Contact Details
INFRASTRUCTURE
The company owns 30,000 sq. ft. of in-house
fabrication, digital printing and production
units spread across Delhi, Mumbai and
Bengaluru. It has a team of over 45 highly
experienced professionals backed by a
dedicated team of over 100 skilled workers.
Email: contact@satinneodimensions.com
Website: www.satinneodimensions.com
Contact Details
PRINTEC
Established in the year 2008, Printec was
founded with an aim to fulfill Bengaluru’s
growing demand for variable data printing,
scanning, copying and print-on-demand
services with the minimum down time. Over
the years, Printec has built on its ability to
provide excellence in services and has grown
to become a recognized one-stop solution
provider for printing, scanning, copying,
lamination and graphic designing needs.
SERVICES
It offers services under three categories:
glow sign boards, ACP sign boards, neon
sign boards, PVC & stainless steel sign
boards, safety signs, pylon signs, hoardings
and more.
Email: info@printec.co.in
Website: www.printec.co.in
Contact Details
Mr. Satvinder Singh
digital prints, promotional displays and
Sign Board & Signs. Its digital printing
services include business cards, letterheads,
brochures, manuals, conference kits,
corporate stationery, promotional products
and large format printing & lamination.
In promotional displays it offers portable
exhibition stands & trade show displays,
banner stands, pop up / pop up wall
displays, brochure stands, promotional
counters, Pull-up/Roll-up/retractable
banners, media backdrop banner walls,
folding display boards & promotions
displays. It offers a variety of signs such as
FEATuRE
28. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1524
FEATuRE
SINEX
Email: badri@sinexsystems.com
Website: www.sinexsystems.com
Contact Details
HG GRAPHICS PVT. LTD.
Established in 1996, HG Graphics Pvt. Ltd.
is a leading Retail Solution provider. With
over 14 years of experience, the Company
is committed to providing customized
services the field of printing, 3D lenticular,
signs & signage, VM shop window, POP &
POS, retail display, fibre glass moulding and
events & exhibitions. It is equipped with the
necessary infrastructure to undertake jobs as
per the customer’s requirements along with
complete installations. Email: info@hggpl.com
Website: www.hggpl.com
Contact Details
INFRASTRUCTURE
The company has a 12,000 sq. ft. work
set up which houses digital/eco-solvent/
solvent and sublimation printers, a heat
press machine, cutting plotters, router,
laser machine, automated thermoforming
machine and a heavy duty panel sow machine
& edge branding machine besides other
miscellaneous machines like buffing, welding,
cutters etc.
Its team of more than 200+ people who have
the expertise to take up an entire project
from Reece to Installation at site.
SERVICES
Serving as a one-stop shop for its clients,
Mr. Badri Narayanan
Sinex was established in 1995 to cater
to the growing demands of a retail driven
business scenario to maximize branding
impact. Sinex has come a long way since
then building on years of expertise in
digital technology and innovative display
engineering to become a one stop solution
provider all for retail and branding needs.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Apart from its main manufacturing unit,
Sinex has a separate digital printing unit for
quicker delivery. It has a current strength
of 250 employees spread over several of its
branches all over India.
SERVICES
Sinex manufactures and markets a wide
range of high quality portable, compact and
easy to assemble and dismantle exhibition
displays; undertakes signage fabrications in
flex, metal and aluminium composite panels
for turnkey solutions; designs & prints large
format graphics for both indoor & outdoor
applications; manufactures large format
outdoor displays like scrollers, trivisions and
PentaPosters; and provides in-store graphics,
displays and fixtures for retail stores,
multiplexes and shopping malls.
Its corporate clientele include Citibank,
Ford, Toyota, Club Mahindra, Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation to name a few. Some of its
projects include the installation of signage at
DMRC as well as the installation of internal
& external signage of Vedanta City at
Jharsugudu, Orissa.
HG Graphics provides a gamut of services
which include: Large format printing for
indoors and outdoors, indoor/outdoor
signage, special 3D graphics on lenticular
(Backlit & Front lit), customized VM shop
windows, manufacturing props & other
items required for windows, manufacturing
props & other items required for windows,
customized Point of Purchase and sales in
acrylic/wood/ACP/MDF etc., retails displays,
events & exhibition materials like pop ups,
standees, tables, backdrops etc., introducing
eco-friendly fabric printing machine and
other miscellaneous works like laser cutting
and etching, CNC cutting, etc. Execution &
installations are carried out PAN India.
It has successfully carried out signage jobs
in the Public/Private/Corporate sectors for
companies such as Louis Vuitton, Hackett
London, Missoni, Dior, Salvatore Ferragamo,
Roberto Cavalli, The Collective, Adidas,
Burger King, Amante, Twinings, Samsung,
Avery Dennison, Croma, Honda, Celio,
Radisson, Mercedes Benz and more.
HG Graphics is an authorized convertor for
3M and Avery Dennison.
NEXTSTEP ENGINEERING PVT. LTD
Next Step is a one-stop solution for retail
design right from strategy development and
design to production and implementation. Its
in-house manufacturing unit is a sprawling
70,000 sq. ft. area at Kundli, Delhi. With a work
force of more than 200 people and 14 years of
work experience in the field of retail, Next Step’s
solutions have a perfect blend of creativity and
engineering and a clientele list that boasts of
some major blue chip companies.
Email: info@nextstepdesigndisplay.com
Website: www.nextstepdesigndisplay.com
Contact Details
Mr. Harjee Gandhi
29. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 25
RETAILS
Retails is a multi-faceted Retail Design-
Build agency, an expert ‘store solution
provider’, delivering compelling “in-store
experience” for over 10 years for the best
brands across the globe.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Retails has a total team force of about 250
people in-house that includes more than 40
designers, technical & skilled professionals.
Its work facility with about 30000 sq. ft. in
area operates with the latest on technology
and Machinery with an additional 15000 sq.
ft. dedicated to warehousing and logistics.
SERVICES
They offer services in store layout & interior
design fulfillment, Furniture-Fixture &
POSM design & development and Express
prototyping & in-store communications.
Retails is proud to share that its team
operates on ERP productions, delivers 300+
Installation at-a-go sites PAN India, caters
Post Sale Services to multiple regions - and
the list goes on. It specializes in the creation
of complete branded stores (EBOs & MBOs),
renovation & enhancement of stores through
retail furniture & fixtures (Gandolas & racks),
Shop-in-Shops/In-line shops, POSM (FSU’s &
CDU’s), window displays, manned/unmanned
kiosks (RMUs), outdoor/indoor specialized
signage, large format prints, wraps and
accessories. Its in-house advantageous
facilities include: 3D visualization, Express
prototyping, fixtures design, plan & layout
design and onsite installation. So far the
company has completed over 3,000 projects,
spanning all parts of India along with
footprints in 6 countries.
Email: contact@retails.co.in
Website: www.retails.co.in
Contact Details
ROOP SIGN & GRAPHICS (P) LTD.
Roop Sign & Graphics is the biggest
printer of digital signage in Northern India.
In business since 1987, it is one of the most
experienced players in this industry. Apart
from printing all work is done by its sister
concern SIGNVISTA.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The company has a whole array of
sophisticated equipment to ensure delivery
of world class signage products. Its plant
features equipment & systems from names
like Vutek, Scitex, Agfa, Epson and AXYZ
which incorporate the most advanced
technology in their products. Its extensive
Email: sunilarora.roop@gmail.com
Website: www.roopgraphics.com
Contact Details
PRINCE POLY PAINTS/ PRINCE DIGI GRAPHICS
Email: princedigigraphics@gmail.com
Website: www.princedigigraphics.com
Contact Details
Prince Digi Graphics was established with
an aim of providing the best of services in
the new and upcoming field of digital flat
bed printing. In its 12,000 sq. ft. facility it
has employed the latest and versatile UV flat
bed printing machines which directly print
on a variety of surfaces such as glass, wood,
MDF, acrylic (all types including clear, white,
opaque, frosted), sun board, various metals,
corrugated metallic sheets, canvas, ceramic
tiles, marble, poly carbonate, particle boards,
sunpack etc. for use in applications such as
interior designing, signage, in-shop display,
POS/ POP displays and gifts & mementos. Its
other in-house facilities include storage of
raw material designing, printing specialized
painting and much more.
infrastructure ensures printing of up to
50,000 sq. ft. of diverse materials in a
single day. In addition, it has complete in-
house facilities for fabrication, lamination,
and more -- besides the infrastructure
to undertake installation at any location
countrywide.
SERVICES
The company can handle turnkey jobs for
backlit & front-lit signage, for both outdoor
& indoor applications, covering everything
from designing to installation.
Roop Sign & Graphics has been working
regularly for the most prestigious corporate
clients in India. These include giants like
Bharti Cellular, Reliance, Vodafone, Tata
Teleservices, Idea, Honda and Pepsi.
It has also executed complete multi-
stadia signage projects during the 2010
Commonwealth Games in New Delhi for
which it received some well deserved
appreciation.
FEATuRE
30. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1526
Feature
Novel Advertising Media:
Opportunities Unexplored
in India!
W
hen India is putting two and
two together to understand the
means to organize the outdoor
advertising and signage industry, the world
is busy thinking of innovative ways and
media to reach the right TG. Recently, a
Thai company called World Moto created
a system that enables bike’s front wheel to
be converted into a full color video screen
suitable for advertising. This made us
wonder how many such media opportunities
can be created in India! Sign & POP came
up with the following novel outdoor and
indoor media that can provide brands and
companies the desired visibility.
BIKE WHEEL ADVERTISING
Bike Wheel advertising is something unheard
of in India. This kind of advertising also gives
an opportunity to the biker/rider to convert
the front wheel into a mobile billboard or
have the capacity to screen video while the
bike is in motion. This innovation will surely
attract eyeball and guaranty visibility to the
advertiser/brand.
This concept is based on the principle of
persistent vision wherein static images are
combined to give the illusion of movement
to the human eye. This involves 424 LED
lights being mounted on an eight spoke
wheel with a computer tracking the wheel’s
speed and where the spokes are at any given
time. Then the lights have to be lit in a series
of sequences to create the image you want.
The price is tied to the size of a given bike’s
wheel. With the bike sales soaring high in
India, both brands and bikers should give it a
consideration.
SUBWAY ADVERTISING
Subways offer a variety of advertising
opportunities. Urban panels or posters can
be located at subway entrances or even on
the inside walls. All ad campaigns can be
printed and dry-mounted in frames. Though,
of late, many subways have come up in India
especially in Delhi but due to poor lighting
and maintenance it becomes difficult for the
female commuters to use some subways at
night. Advertising inside and at the entrance
of the subway will not only lit the area but
beautify it as well.
PILLAR MURALS
With the metro trains coming up in a big
way in every metropolitan city in India,
metro-pillar murals can be a good option
for attracting eyeballs. It is nothing but
another version of wall murals and can
be used to advertise on the space on the
pillars and exterior of metro stations. Pillar
murals can have advertisements painted
directly on building surfaces or printed on
pressure-sensitive vinyl and attached to
pillars. Not all pillars accommodate vinyl.
Pillar murals accommodate a wide variety
of unusual creative sizes and shapes and
have high visibility and exposure to vehicular
and pedestrian traffic. Pillar/wall murals are
custom-designed for long-term exposure.
With selected coverage of commuter traffic,
pillar murals or even murals on the pillars of
flyovers can become landmarks in a city. An
adhesive-backed direct application can also
be used for wrapping these metro pillars.
The substrate used often is vinyl though
there is an alternate substrate that can be
used for concrete, brick, or primed sheet
rock. “Any innovative medium is good for
visibility. Because innovation attracts 100
times more response than the traditional
ways of advertising,” says Mr Jaideep Dhagat,
Founder-CEO, Jams Jaguar.
BILLBOARD HOUSE
After utility billboards now the world has
moved on to billboard houses. A Thai
design firm based in Bangkok has come up
with the concept of Billboard house. It is a
combination of 3 billboards made by slicing
a billboard to have 3 faces wherein each face
can be rotated to create a new image.
The main component of the standard
billboard house is a trailer base that works
as a moveable base for a 3-story house
within the billboard structure. Regarding
the exterior, first side of its façade is
composed of trivision billboard. It is a
kinetic façade that can change the image
on both sides. The other side is composed
of Thai style blending iron which is normally
found in urban houses in a big city. This
blending iron can be moved to create a
different pattern. The top is covered with
a solar cell roof which is the main energy
source for the house.
The interiors can be done as per the
requirement. For instance in the billboard
house created by the aforementioned
company the first floor is designed as a
living room with a set of home theater,
pantry, bathroom and terrace. The second
floor is more private, designed as a
bedroom which has the storage under
the bed platform and working area on the
mezzanine. Both floors are linked with a stair
which utilizes underneath space for storage.
The interiors can be done up in a similar
fashion for other uses.
The owner can either rent the house or
the government can have some similar
billboard houses that can be used by the
underprivileged as their homes during
winter nights or summer noons. Well, the
internal space can also be used to run free
schools and a polytechnic while the external
space displays some advertisement.
31. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 27
Feature
ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR &
STAIRWAY WRAPS
Stairways, elevators and escalators are
an important part of any mall, building,
foot-over bridge and metro stations etc.
These receive both footfall and eyeball.
Adding graphics to stairways, escalators
and elevators creates additional space for
branding and advertising. This form of
advertising can be used to target group
in a unique environment with an attentive
audience. “These touch-points are distinctive
in the sense that the customers remain
almost unoccupied/unattended while at
these places. So any distraction or attraction
during these periods will leave an impression
on their mind. And the better the approach
is the easier it would be to have an impact,”
shares Mr Dhagat.
STREET FURNITURE ADVERTISING
Though popular in western countries, this
medium of advertising is yet to take off
in India. We do not have that many street
furniture, in the first place. To beautify
the cities and develop new medium of
advertising, the industry and the authorities
must focus on developing street furniture in
cities. Street furniture advertising provides a
way for brands to get their message in front
of pedestrians, transit system passengers
and motorists. An ad can appear on park
benches or those at bus shelters, at kiosks
where newspapers are sold or at public
information booths. The key is to first
research the target audience so that the
ads appear on the furniture used by that
audience and gets noticed.
Depending on the budget and the space
available, the size of the street furniture
ad may range from a poster to a complete
wraparound advertisement that can cover
a bus shelter bench. “For these innovative
media to do well in India, we expect less
obstacles from the authorities in terms of
policies and other things like red tapism,”
says Mr Dhagat.
HEADLIGHT DISPLAYS
Another marvelous outdoor media could
be the headlight displays. These displays
are external units which are fixed on the
front of a bus usually below the windshield.
The creative is inserted into an aluminum
frame attached to the front of a bus. The
overall size of the display is not bigger than
21”X 44”. The printing technique used for
this display could be lithography, screen
or digital. It is basically the Styrene (0.040),
70 lb wet strength paper mounted on
corrugated plastic board, or Meadbord. An
outstanding medium for FMCG brands to
reach their TG.
ADVERTISING ON BICYCLES AND
BICYCLE RACKS
With everyone going green, saving fuel and
saving the earth, this concept wins over the
rest. Shared bikes are put forth as a means
of public transportation. Using the bicycle
network fast and easy transportation access
is made available for individuals. Under this
system the stations are placed at regular
intervals throughout a city, usually located
close to public transport terminals and hubs
such as train, rail, and bus stations and at
central locations such as commercial arena
or shopping complex apart from places of
tourist attractions. Advertising is placed on
bicycles and at stations to reach riders and
passing vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
Though a couple of media agencies who
plan and buy media for major brands in the
country think that such innovative media
requires big budget and when big budget
is involved very few brands want to take
risk. That said, personally they feel that
innovations get good response in terms of
visibility.
NEWSSTAND AND NEWSRACKS
ADVERTISING
Newsstands or newsracks are commonly
considered to be a component of street
furniture. Displays are affixed to permanent
newsstand and newsrack structures. This
media can be used to reach pedestrians and
vehicular traffic in densely populated center
city or campus areas. The best part of this
system is that the reach and frequency can
be calculated using several accepted media
software programs. Printing technology for
this media can vary from lithography, screen
printing, or digital printing on translucent
material. “Though a good concept but in a
country like India these things would work
only in urban areas where awareness and
innovation are already very high. In remote
areas where the brands actually need to
experiment and innovate these concepts
may not work. However, someone must take
the onus of bringing these innovations to
India,” says a Head-Media Planner from a
renowned media agency on the pretext of
staying anonymous.
Well, there is a plethora of advertising
opportunities available, all that the industry
needs to do is identify them and exploit the
same for maximum gains!
32. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1528
SIGNAGE
‘Sign’ Off Your Event Well!
G
ood signage not only attracts visitors
but also plays an important role in
the smooth functioning of an event.
Strategically placed, distinguishable signs
can avert chaos at an event with a wide array
of offerings. Thus planning on an effective
signage for an event becomes mandatory
and requires prudence.
ENSURE THE BASICS:
Do not completely rely on the in-house
signs!
A common grievance for event planners is
the lack of suitable signage provided by the
conference centers or hotels. The easiest way
to keep this issue at bay is to take charge of
all your signage needs yourself. This helps
because you might end up sharing the same
venue with the concurrent events hosted by
other parties. And you may have to share the
resources with them
Let the signage standout and be creative!
People tend to overlook the regular in-house
signage and walk past it. So make sure your
signage carrying your brand’s logo and
other information is creative and stands
out. Distinguishable signs stand apart from
the subtle venue signage and help avoid
confusion.
WELCOME SIGN
Welcoming your attendees, guests, visitors
etc sets the ball rolling in a very warm and
healthy manner. The feeling that a person
gets on being welcomed by a sign or a
mascot leaves a lasting impression. Some
people click pictures and create keepsakes
that stay with them forever.
MUST-HAVE ENTRANCE AND
PARKING SIGNS
Ideally, signs should also be placed right
outside the property to direct the attendees/
guests. Entrance and parking signs are
crucial. First the attendee must park and
then enter the building at the right spot.
Imagine greeting a registrant who has just
walked a half-mile because they parked
on the wrong side of the building! A good
signage strategy begins outside the property
so that a guest lands on the right property
grounds.
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONARY
SIGNS
Make sure that you do not block the
necessary safety signs at the property. Also,
if you think there should be a precautionary
or a safety sign to be included in some area,
do not hesitate to put up one. Especially
when putting up direction signs, and when
stairway, rampway or escalator is involved.
SIGNS FOR REGISTRATION BOOTHS
AND PUBLIC UTILITY AREAS
Sometimes we assume that just because the
registration booth carries the look of the
registration booth so it’s obvious that people
will understand and we do not put up a sign
for the same. However, signs for registration
booth, enquiry booth, grievances or
feedback booth and public utility areas like
pantry or cafeteria and restrooms etc. are as
important as other sections of the event.
SIGNS FOR ALIGNING ASSIGNED-
ROOM NAMES WITH THE
PROPERTY NAMES
There should be a clear signage for each
room or section of the event. However, while
doing so, ensure that you do not override
the venue’s room names. This is important
because you might have mentioned the
venue room name on your invite and people
may search for the same. So it’s important
to have both the signage carrying the
room’s name session-wise and its original
name. This will avoid confusion and will help
everyone, from managers to janitors and lost
attendees reach the correct location.
SIGNAGE FOR CATEGORIES OR
VERTICALS
If it’s an exhibition or other event covering
vast business fields and if you have
categorized the areas or booths as per their
specialty, it’s best to let the visitors/guests
know about it through signage. There must
be a signage for each category placed much
before the first booth of the category and
should be strategically placed for clear
visibility.
34. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1530
SIGNAGE
SIGNS AT THE BOOTH
There must be promotional signs at the
booth too. Signs placed by an exhibitor at
his booth serve the purpose of spreading the
brand message, thus these must carry the
logo and other branding elements, colours
or shapes. It must be creative and specific to
the brand and its product/services.
BULLETIN BOARDS OR ELECTRONIC
DISPLAYS
It’s good to have electronic displays used
as bulletin boards, wherein you can run the
important announcements. Ensure that you
put up not just one but more and place
them strategically so that all areas of the
venue are covered.
VELCRO FLEXIBLE SIGNS
Adding Velcro to the signage will save you
a lot of hassle on the event day in case
you want to change the direction of the
sign. Create a few general direction signs
with velcro arrows. Some traffic patterns
cannot be predicted but having the flexible
directional signage can save you from
a catastrophe. Moreover, you can also
36. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1532
capitalize on Velcro’s specialty to repurpose
signage for other future events. The same
parking and restroom signs can practically
be used for every event.
MUST-HAVE EVENT BANNERS
If it’s an exhibition that you are planning for,
then all exhibition banners are must-haves.
Pull-up banners or roll-up banners, display
boards, drop down banners from the ceiling
to create a visually stunning backdrop, flags
or something as simple as an advertising
banner that can be fixed to an outside fence
for a small sub-event in an open space.
Make sure you put them at the right
locations, for instance for bigger events
flags are put up right from the gate up to
the entrance of the building. This not only
helps the visitors and guests in finding
directions but also creates the ambience
and lifts the spirit.
Try to include the promotional signages
that are specially designed to withstand the
external elements when placed outdoors.
For example, some sidewalk signs feature
spring-loaded bases that displace wind gusts
so that they don’t tip over. There are some
event flags that feature weighted bases
that may be filled with either water or sand.
This added weight ensures stability on foul
weather days with heavy wind and rain.
RESERVATION SIGNS
If there are tables involved that are
reserved or areas that are reserved or
restricted, include signs for them too. Name
signs, placard for conferences and panel
discussions and other petty yet important
signs must be taken care of in order to avoid
last minute hassles.
THANK YOU SIGNS
It’s impossible to thank each of your guests
and clients individually and in person. But
heartfelt thanks can be expressed through
a sign placed at the exit gate. It will not just
relieve them of the day’s stress but will also
create a good image of yours which they will
carry with them home. The warmth will bring
them back the next time!
SIGN BOARD PRODUCTS
It’s important that you create signs from
different materials as per the specific needs.
Say, an outdoor signage should be made
out of a different material than an indoor
signage. Indoor singage must add to the
aesthetics of the interiors while outdoor one
must stand out in the sunlight and endure
wind, water and dust. Choose from the
plethora of sign products:
• Glow signs
• Vinyl signs
• Display boards
• Acrylic signage
• Neon signs
• Brass and other metal boards
• Flex printing sign boards
• Corporate sign boards
• ACP signs
• Modular flag signs
• Suspended type signage
• Modular wall frames
• Floor graphics
• Digital signage
SIGNAGE
38. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1534
D
igital printing has been around for
quite some time now but the cost
of printing as compared to screen
printing and other traditional printing
methods has deterred large interest in the
method. All this has now changed with
digital printing becoming more accessible
and affordable and interior decorative
applications are becoming an accessible
market niche for PSPs.
ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL
PRINTING
Digital printing is steadily becoming
popular in many markets, especially at the
consumer and business level, as a result of
its substantially lower production costs.
An advantage for PSPs is that digital printing
allows for on-demand printing, short
turnaround time and is inexpensive.
For consumers, the biggest advantage
it offers is personalization where the
customer can use any print or image of
their own to design any space or item in
their house. Besides that they can also view
an actual example of what their piece is
going to look like. Digital printing is also an
environmentally friendly option.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The Graphics Arts Market is known to
be extremely dynamic and innovative. In
particular, inkjet technology is creating new
opportunities for companies, traditionally
active in the printing business, to widen their
scope, explore new applications and offer
their expertise to new markets. Home decor
is definitely one of these new segments.
Enhancing your home décor with unique
pieces is no longer limited to what’s
available at the store thanks to digital
printing. Home decor is a huge market,
which spans from wallpaper, flooring,
furniture, art reproductions and more.
UV inks and latex are providing immense
possibilities in indoor and outdoor home
décor solutions, helping you to personalize
any space with your own designs like never
done before. Whether you want redecorate
your living room walls with images of your
favourite landscape, print your children’s
favorite cartoon characters on their bed
sheets or cupboards, add a cool design on
your glass coffee table, print images of your
Decorating Freedom At
Home With Digital Printing
Digital printing has become so accessible and affordable that
it’s transforming the home décor landscape into personalized
environments that exude the occupant’s individual character
and tastes.
loved ones on wooden coasters, add a beach
image on your shower door or have wood
look-a-like tiles on you kitchen floor, your
limitless imagination of images, designs
and textures on any surface can be made
possible with digital printing all while being
environmentally friendly.
Printers such as the Agfa Graphics Jeti Titan
UV inkjet printer, Fujifilm Acuity Advance
Select, Ftex JS Series from InkTec, Roland’s
Hi-Fi Express FP-740 sublimation printer,
Konica Minolta’s Nassenger Pro 120, Durst’s
Rho Vetrocer 250, Verve UV Printer from
Colorjet, Negi Jet Econo 65B, Dilli UV
flatbed printer and HP’s Latex, Designjet
and Scitex printers are all capable of
producing stunning results on individual or
collective substrates such as wood, ceramic,
glass, fabric, stone, etc. for applications
such as wall décor and coverings; home
furnishings; wood prints for wall panels,
bathroom & bedroom doors and kitchen
cabinets, decorative textiles; fabric fine art
reproductions, murals and more.
APPLICATIONS
Wall Décor + Coverings
Digital large-format printing technology has
enabled the production of custom wall décor
to expand interior design in ways never
possible before. Digital wall décor makes on-
demand custom wallcoverings possible on
a wide range of material and finishes which
are all eco friendly. Wallpapers can be used
on the walls and ceilings of living rooms,
dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, corridors/
passages and even bathrooms. Specialty
finishes like silk, jute, bamboo, glass pearls,
paper weaves, and metallic are great for
highlighting specific areas in the house
like the wall behind the sofa or bed, ceiling
panels, TV panel walls etc.
Speaking on the wallpaper market in India,
Arjun Nanda, Director of Print a Wallpaper-
India’s largest specialty online wallpaper
store quips, “The market for customized wall
paper is not that big but it is slowly lifting
off with people gradually getting used to the
idea that they can now customize designs
according to their liking. Although there is
a greater demand from offices and schools,
almost 40% of our clients have contacted
us for home décor needs.” The Company is
offering 23 wallpaper categories and 7000+
designs, with customized wallpapers for
home and office wall decor. Speaking of the
process, Arjun says, “Our online service is
very user friendly. All one has to do is log in
to our website, zero down on a design and
decide on the dimensions. We then process
the order and ship the product free of cost.”
Technology
39. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 35
Print a Wallpaper employs advanced, eco-
friendly digital latex printing technology
and uses non-PVC material resulting in
vivid colors, high-definition detail, and ultra
smooth finish. The wallpaper is also non-
toxic, flame resistant, and easy to install and
remove.
Offering a similar experience is Mumbai-
based custom wallpaper printing service
provider D-Walls. They create bespoke
wallpapers printed on HP PVC Free
Wallpaper media using HP Latex inks.
Marshalls Wallcoverings, a pioneer in the
wallpaper market, has created a fashion
revolution for decorating walls since its
inception in 1975. YOUnique Bespoke Walls
under its range of digital wallcoverings offers
designs ranging from pictures of nature to
breathtaking monuments, 3D graphics to
corporate mantras and religious learning
to kid’s favorite characters. Apart from this,
it’ll weave your favorite photograph in to a
wallcovering exclusively for you. To enhance
the customer experience, Marshalls Preview
App helps customers to visualize the room
view with their chosen wallcoverings.
Mumbai-based company Alkemi Décor
Designs Pvt. Ltd. offers a wide range of
digital wall decorations which includes
personalized or custom designed wallpapers,
wall murals, wall decals and wall transfers.
The latest addition to its range is Door Skins,
a specialized product meant for doors,
wardrobes and shutters. A great option when
looking to refurbish an existing wardrobe,
the company offers door skins in both glossy
and matt formats and is quick and easy to
install.
Alternative to wallpaper
Atul Paper Pvt. Ltd. is offering a unique
alternative media to wallpaper with the
Oddy Wall Covering Base Media. The soft
non-woven fabric is neither paper nor
textile fabric and offers a host of benefits
over wallpaper: The actual wall paper base
is prepared as digitally printable by eco
solvent, latex and UV Inks, it is washable,
comes with strip ability i.e. it can be removed
easily from a wall and repasted on some
other wall, it can be easily pasted on any
surface by using regular CMC adhesive
available in market and by pastors of regular
wall cover, it is dimensionally stable i.e. the
joints are almost seamless, and it is also eco
friendly & biodegradable.
Tiles
Tiles are now playing an increasingly
important role in defining the look of homes.
Tiled art adds personality to any kitchen,
bathroom, bedroom or outdoor space. One
can convert the whole flooring with a certain
design or wall with one photograph.
With unlimited designs possibilities, sharper
finishes and high resolution printing, digital
tiles are now becoming ceramic art for the
walls. They can be created with natural
finishes of marble and wood, as well as
metallic textures and patterns embossed in
gold, silver, bronze, copper or steel for an
opulent look. 3D effects are also possible
through etching and printing on top of that
with the help of a UV printer creating an
embossed look and feel to the design.
Textile
Digital technology is the fastest growing Technology
40. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1536
method of printing textiles and is being
extensively used in home furnishings. From
bed linen, towels and blankets to carpets,
curtains, sofas, cushions, blinds and even
lamp shades and paintings, anything can be
custom designed.
Smarth Bansal, Brand Manager of ColorJet
opines that a lot of big home textile
furnishing companies such as Dreamworld
and D’Decor have adapted to this
technology. However they are yet to make
a breakthrough in bigger applications in
India since the technology is a bit on the
expensive side. He cites cushion covers, bed
sheets, curtains and paintings as the four
major segments where digital printing is
being extensively used.
According to Rohit Kumar from Apsara
Silks, “The market is huge for digital prints
especially pertaining to curtains and cushion
covers.” The leading silk mill manufacturer
produces digitally printed material for
home furnishings with a focus on curtains
and cushion covers but also undertakes
customization of fabric for any application
such as sofa coverings.
Glass Art
Printed glass creates a beautiful and
inspiring environment for kitchens,
bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms.
Various applications for printed glass
include: Kitchen/bathroom splashbacks,
shower doors, shower screens, dining room
tables, coffee tables, kitchen glass counter
tops, pool fencing, partitions, railings
etc. not to mention photos, portraits and
landscape image displays.
A popular application is the printing
of religious pictures on glass partitions
especially in 3D. The possibility of 3D
printing on glass completely elevates the
look of digital printed designs on glass and
has increased its demand in home décor.
Wood
Digital printing on wood offers enormous
possibilities in interior décor from furniture
to artwork which is both durable and
sustainable.
Tables, doors, walls, cupboards and furniture
can all be given a decorative twist with
personally designed images and color
combinations. According to Hitesh Parmar
of Ecowood Décor India Pvt. Ltd., “Digital
wood printing is mostly being seen in
interiors applications such as wall paneling
and back components.” UV digital printing is
also widely being used in dry wall paneling,
wooden doors and modular kitchen
shuttering.
Printing artwork on wood gives you new
options for transforming and enhancing the
original piece in ways that are impossible on
traditional canvas such as adding a natural
gloss or vintage matt finish to the fine art or
photo art print. Other applications for digital
printing on wood include wooden coasters,
clocks, tissue boxes and business cards.
Metal
Digital metal printing allows you to print
personal photos, commercial photos,
photographed artwork or scanned
artwork directly onto MS, GI sheet, steel or
aluminium.
CONCLUSION
Digital printing has undoubtedly opened up
new possibilities. Digital makes it possible
to convert an idea into reality within a short
span of time. It also offers the possibility to
add more colors such as water colors or oil
pastel colors unlike other methods. Most
importantly, the popular trend of reflecting
one’s own personality in one’s interior spaces
through personal artwork and customized
designs ensures that the market for digital
printing in India will only grow in the years
to come.
Technology
42. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1538
CASESTUDY
Gadgets on Billboards:
To Mind Your Business!
R
ecently, digital billboards scanned
passers-by for a study in Tokyo, Japan.
These billboards were fitted with
cameras that gauged the gender and age
group of people looking at them to collate
the demographic data. By using the face
recognition software to glean the gender
and age group of passers-by, data for
different locations was analyzed. This study
was done in order to provide interactive
advertisements which met the interest of
people who used the station at a certain
time. An innovative and an alternative use
of cameras and the software made us to
wonder, how billboards have gone one
notch up by installing electronic devices and
gadgets to break the clutter.
Similarly, a conceptual billboard created
by the designer Sarah Weigold cheered if
someone happened to walk by instead of
driving in a car. The faster they walked or
ran, the louder the crowd on the billboard
screamed. The designer probably planned to
install a speed censor and an audio player
on the billboard during execution.
These pieces of news led us to bring forth
the best practices from across the globe
which made a good use of gadgets to
make the billboard more significant and
communicative.
CASE I
FACIAL RECOGNITION
TECHNOLOGY BUILT INTO THE
BILLBOARD
When commuters were making their way
through London’s Canary Wharf one fine
morning, they were presented with a choice,
to face the effects of domestic violence head
on or to turn a blind eye.
As people made their way to work three
days before International Women’s Day this
year, they were greeted by a large billboard
featuring an image of a woman with a
bruised face and the simple imperative,
‘Look at me’.
When people looked at the billboard
a dramatic transformation happened
before their very eyes, the bruises on the
woman’s face started to fade and heal.
Facial recognition technology built into the
billboard recognised when people turned to
look at the image of a bruised woman.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Women’s Aid
reportedly said, “Often people don’t want
to see domestic violence or do something
about it because it feels too difficult or
they’re worried what they do, won’t have any
impact. They turn a blind eye because of this,
leaving women isolated and making it even
harder for them to get help.”
As more and more people paid attention to
the image, the woman’s bruises slowly faded
- poignantly illustrating how we can all make
a tangible difference in the fight against
domestic violence.
Where: London, UK
Campaign: Fighting domestic violence on
International Women’s Day
Execution: Charity Women’s Aid and
photographer Rankin
Gadget: Face-recognition software
Did what: Made people stare at the
billboard
Response: Attracted huge crowd
44. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1540
CASESTUDY
CASE II
A SOLENOID MOVED FORWARD
TO DROP A T-SHIRT FROM A
BILLBOARD
Allen Solly, a menswear designer label,
launched what is claimed to be India’s first
CASE III
A BESPOKE HI-TECH DEVICE AND
CAMERAS FITTED ON A SUPER-SIZE
BILLBOARD
The specifically engineered smart billboards
were operated at key high traffic locations
in Australia. The billboards identified the
brand, model and color of passing vehicles
to trigger a personal and playful message to
drivers via the digital display, such as “Hey
white Audi driver, it’s time to Crossover. This
is the New Lexus NX.”
Interestingly, the format also tailored tactical
messages based on other variables such as
time of day, weather and traffic conditions to
generate messages such as: “Hey black Merc
driver, the heavens have opened. This is the
new Lexus NX.” The activation featured more
Twitter powered billboard that gave away
shirts to the tweeting audience. It began
when the brand had to launch new autumn-
winter collection and the brand’s agency
Ogilvy India came up with the concept.
In a massive billboard 52 shirts were placed.
Behind each shirt panels were fixed with a
solenoid.
With every tweet with a relevant #tag,
a random solenoid would inch forward,
eventually dropping each shirt from the
billboard, right into the hands of the lucky
tweeters who were waiting under the
billboard to collect their prize. And the
magic worked!
Where: Bangalore, India
Campaign: Allen Solly launching autumn-
winter collection
Execution: Ogilvy India
Gadget: Solenoid
Did what: The solenoid moved forward
and dropped a shirt
Response: Good
45. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 41
than 80 different configurations of dynamic messaging in each
of the five sites.
Each billboard had a series of cameras on high rotation that
captured all passing traffic. The images were sent to the APN
Outdoor Classifier, a bespoke, hi-tech device that matched
them to its large database of vehicles makes, models and
colors in addition to the other variables.
Adrian Weimers, corporate manager, sales and operations,
Lexus Australia reportedly said, “Smart out-of-home aligns
perfectly to our new messaging. Our job doesn’t simply start
with telling everyone ‘This is the New Lexus’, it’s also about
how we say it. Using innovative technology such as this
activation helps us to further reinforce that there is a change
at Lexus.”
Richard Herring, CEO, APN Outdoor reportedly said, “As
the leaders in digital outdoor, we are very proud to be
collaborating on such a creative execution. This campaign is an
excellent example of the opportunities available to advertisers
via our Elite Screen network and the market can continue to
expect more cutting-edge executions like this from us in 2015.”
M&C Saatchi executive creative director Ben Welsh called the
smart billboards “direct messaging on steroids”.
What really attracted people was that it was quite awesome
to have a 42 sq m billboard chatting up with the driver who
drove past it. The campaign was perfectly conceptualized and
executed.
Where: Sydney, Melbourne etc. in Australia
Campaign: Lexus
Execution: M&C Saatchi along with APN Outdoor and TMS
Gadget: Hi-tech device and cameras
Did what: Identified cars other than Lexus and displayed a
message
Response: Overwhelming
Another similar advertising campaign was launched by
Porsche prior to this. The smart Porsche billboards served ads
to Porsche drivers.
Bringing hi-tech targeted advertising into the outdoor space
took things to a whole new level, and it may be a sign of more
personalized and audience-friendly billboards/signage to
emerge in future. For a consumer it’s amazing to talk to the
brand directly while witnessing something personalized pop
up while he/she is on a go. Thanks to these gadgets both fun
and business go hand-in-hand!
CASESTUDY
46. SIGN & P.O.P JUN-JUL ‘1542
INTERVIEW
New Developments In Digital
Ink Technology
T
he wide-format market has changed
substantially over the past decade. New
developments in ink technology are
allowing print service providers to expand
their output applications and produce
stunning results on different substrates.
The current market scenario reflects the
continuing demand for eco-solvent and UV
inks. Specialty inks, such as white, red and
metallic ink are providing extended options
for advertisers. Manufacturing expert Trinity
Inks recently launched a set of fragrance inks
in the Indian market, a welcome alternative
to existing foul-smelling solvent-based
inks. With less VOC they are highly eco-
friendly. On a global level many of the ink
manufacturers are moving towards lead free
inks, with a renewed focus on water based
ink technology. And as ink manufacturers
have started to recognize the huge potential
beyond the graphic arts into more industrial
uses for their ink products, such as furniture
and car manufacturing, the future looks
exciting for the wide-format marketplace.
S&P: What are the major trends in digital
ink technology this year?
Nufar Kiryati: There is an increase in
demand for UV inks as well as a growing
interest in dye sublimation inks. This demand
does not come on the expense of the eco
solvent inks. Eco is still strong and we don’t
see this ink diminishing in the next few
years. On the contrary, improved printers
are released frequently and subsequently
the inks are more advanced and the demand
for them continues to rise. Across all wide
format technologies we witness the shift
to printer specific solutions. When an ink
is formulated specifically for a printer,
which also incorporates the full package
solution (OEM equivalent packaging, chip,
bulk system etc.), the printing results are
significantly better resulting from the perfect
synergy between the ink and the printer.
Raghav Rao: I would say the development
of eco friendly inks is one of the major
trends this year.
Sanjay Mishra: Eco-solvent ink and UV ink.
S&P: What are some of the biggest product
developments in digital ink technology?
Nufar Kiryati: Printer manufacturers are
constantly developing higher speed with
new industrial printheads which are capable
of printing faster. In order to achieve this, ink
which is fully compatible with the printer is
required. In terms of global growth of inkjet,
it is driven by the continuous improvement
of the printer technology and the inks. Print
NEW DEVElOPmENTS IN INk TEChNOlOGY ARE AllOWING PRINT SERVICE
PROVIDERS TO ExPAND ThEIR OuTPuT APPlICATIONS AND PRODuCE STuNNING
RESulTS ON DIFFERENT SubSTRATES.
speed and quality versus cost are the main
factors accelerating the industry forward, when
speed/quality still remains the main issue.
As print speed progresses the print quality
drops and it’s a matter of balancing the two
which is the key for producing the best ink
characteristics. However, the wider choice
of applications opened for inkjet printing
including textile, packaging and even fashion
and electronics set the new challenges for
printer and ink manufactures alike.
Sam Leong: The biggest product
development in ink is commoditization
resulting in mergers and acquisitions; and
the consolidation of the number of real ink
manufacturers globally.
Raghav Rao: The development of solvent
inks for new print heads and printers coming
in the market.
S&P: How have improvements in ink
chemistry allowed PSPs more flexibility
in offering a wider variety of output
applications?
Nufar Kiryati: The improvement in printer
speed and consequently the reduced costs
per printing job established digital printing’s
domination of the printing market. Its
versatility to a variety of applications was made
possible with the new types of inks and printer
technologies. The progression from solvent
ink to eco solvent and later to UV printing has
opened new printing applications for digital
printing at affordable costs.
The emerging of digital printing on textile
for soft signage, home décor and even
sports apparel and shoes and the trickling
of digital printing into the fashion industry
will set new standards for the digital textile
industry. These advancement still depend
on new printer capabilities and especially
on new inks for textile such as water-based
pigmented ink other types of inks currently
in research which would enable printing on
TO GET A bETTER
uNDERSTANDING OF
ThE CuRRENT mARkET
TRENDS, WE’VE
GAThERED INPuTS
FROm ExPERTS
FROm SEVERAl INk
mANuFACTuRING
COmPANIES FROm
AROuND ThE GlObE.
PARTICIPANTS
INCluDE: NuFAR
kIRYATI, mARCOm
mANAGER AT
bORDEAux DIGITAl
PRINTINk, SAm
lEONG, mANAGING
DIRECTOR AT
SAm INk; RAGhAV
RAO, mANAGING
DIRECTOR AT FuJIFIlm
SERICOl AND SANJAY
mIShRA, mARkETING
mANAGER- SOlVENT
INkS AT JAYSYNTh
DYESTuFF (INDIA)
lImITED.
47. JUN-JUL ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 43
INTERVIEW
Sanjay Mishra, Jaysynth DyestuffRaghav Rao, Fujifilm SericolNufar Kiryati, Bordeaux
a variety of fabrics with few or even a single
ink type.
Sam Leong: Improvements in ink
chemistry cost has made previously
expensive and inaccessible applications
much more affordable and pervasive today.
You will witness a democratization of fleet
graphics where every car and bus owners
will be able to afford to color their world.
Sanjay Mishra: Over the years chemical
formulations have advanced to generate
the newest introductions, whether they are
technology based or applications trending
high on the popularity meter. Change is
good; expanded gamut, improved adhesion,
and wider substrate choices continue to
evolve to support inkjet’s growing market.
Annually, Digital Output takes a look at
the state of ink in the graphic arts. Some
years there is a heavy focus on “green” ink,
others look at purchasing patterns. The
conversation constantly changes. This year,
we focus on usage—what ink type is being
used where, the biggest trends driving ink
production—flexibility and specialty colors
and the newest applications creating buzz.
S&P: UV curing inks have been the latest to
hit the market. What are its benefits?
Nufar Kiryati: The revolution of UV
printers is the ability to print on almost any
type of material with very little compliance
concerns. Since UV cures instantly and
does not penetrate the surface or requires
drying or evaporation, both porous and
non-porous materials can be used. Solvent
based inks in contrast are more suited for
uncoated substrates since the solvent is
later evaporated and leaves the colorant
on the surface, water based ink are usually
used for coated materials since they tend to
penetrate into the media. These constraints
are not found with UV inks.
Furthermore, the development of UV flatbed
printers enabled printing on rigid surfaces
too. Instead of the media rolling and the
printhead moving from right to left, flatbeds
introduced printheads that move on both
axes, including up and down, while the
media is stagnant.
Environmentally safer is a major advantage
of UV ink. Once the ink is cured UV inks
emit no hazardous air pollutants (HAP)
or toxic fumes as solvent based inks,
also making them safe for use in home
applications. UV printers not only provide
an alternative to solvent and water-based
printers but have also opened new industrial
applications which were never done in digital
printing and are now open for applications
where printing with solvent-based ink is
regulated for health and safety issues.
Sam Leong: Like hard-solvents’
cyclohexane, toluene, and ketones, UV curing
inks contain monomers and oligomers
which causes cancer in human beings.
The European Union now has policies and
penalties to ban UV production. HP’s new
product lines in the US had abandoned
UV for latex. It looked like a hit because
many existing big and old traditional screen
printers were familiar with the term and were
therefore easily sold on it.
Raghav Rao: Faster productivity and
environmentally friendly with low pollution.
Sanjay Mishra: Solvent UV inks combine
the best elements of solvent and UV
technology to overcome the weaknesses in
each type of ink. We think of solvent inks
as being relatively inexpensive and best
used for flexible materials, while UV inks will
adhere well to a wide range of substrates
and are mainly used with rigid media. But
ink developers are constantly looking at new
formulations so it shouldn’t be a surprise
that there is now a hybrid that combines
solvent and UV inks, promising the best
features of both. Effectively, the solvent
is replacing the monomer component
of a standard UV ink, and keying the UV
elements into the media, much as with a
solvent ink. The solvent itself is water-based,
so there are no harmful VOCs and no need
for ventilation.
S&P: What is your take on specialty inks?
What benefits do they offer?
Nufar Kiryati: For wide format printing
both UV and water based pigmented inks
offer the highest potential growth rate. Eco
solvent inks are still growing but prices
are eroding. The market is inclined toward
more eco-friendly solutions, which do not
forfeit the printing quality or the application
possibilities. These limitations have brought
about the popularity of UV and Latex. Latex,
a water-based pigmented ink is gaining
momentum since it enables printing with
solvent quality but with reduced emission
of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP). In terms
of performance, UV can print on almost
unlimited surfaces for an extensive range of
applications. UV & UV LED inks are offered
by OEM printer manufacturers and by
3rd party ink manufacturers. Choosing to
purchase inks from a non OEM manufacturer
can save print shops between 20-40% on ink
costs. However, it is recommended to select
inks from reliable manufacturers. Bordeaux,
an independent American ink manufacturer
for all wide format ink types offers high
quality UV ink and solutions that match the
printer specifications, save on ink costs and
support the installation process to ensure
customer satisfaction.
Sam Leong: Just look at how many
specialty conductive ink makers went
bankrupt. Specialty inks will stay special
and small. They run the risk of high prices,
constrained supply, and the danger of being
outdated when new technologies undercut
their cost structures and relevance.
S&P: Eco-friendly inks are the new buzz.
What initiatives are you taking towards this
concept?
Nufar Kiryati: The decline of the
traditional solvent digital printing market
led to the introduction of high productivity
Eco-Solvent printers to the market and with
it the need for eco-solvent inks. Bordeaux
was the first ink manufacturer to offer fully
Mix & Match inks for all eco-solvent printers
which are not only fully compatible but
also exhibits better performance even when
compared to original OEM inks.
A major benefit of Bordeaux’s Eco-Solvent
ink is the extended printhead life and
limited need to regulate the surrounding
airflow. Hazardous materials shipment is also
avoided. Eco-Solvent inks can be used for
everything from high-resolution indoor signs
to outdoor durable billboards, using high
printing speeds that adhere to coated and
uncoated substrates.
Bordeaux’s Fuze Eco is fully compatible
with Roland’s ECO-SOL MAX, Mutoh’s ECO
ULTRA and Mimaki ES-3 ECO Solvent inks.
Our Mix&Match technology allows a plug
& print solution for a seamless conversion.
Our inks allow no need to flush or creating
new ICC profiling.
Sam Leong, Sam Ink