HOW TO PREPARE INKJET GRAPHICS FOR PRESENTATIONS & DISPLAYS

INTRODUCTION

Newer computer design programs allow fast creation of full color, easily changeable designs. Your possibilities for utilizing situation specific, one or short run output has exploded. Several systems have been developed to provide such output. The most cost effective is inkjet technology.

Inkjet plotters produce rich, vibrant colors for type, drawn artwork or photographs. From a normal display-viewing distance, the look is that of a color photo.

600 Dots Per(DPI) Inch Inkjet printing produced with the right quality inks, media, high resotution input, superior RIPs and expeienced operators produces photo quality results. This technology evolved from plotters used in the CAD world. Roll media is used, so length of output is ruled by the computer capacity and software driving the plotter. Sizes presently are up to 60 inches in width by approximately 100 feet maximum length.

Output from modern Inkjet Graphics Plotters is true four color and can be made to a variety of materials, then be laminated or mounted for display. Resolution is up to 600 DPI. From a few feet it normally will appear as continuous tone of photographic quality. Photos captured with high resolution drum scans appear with excellent detail and quality. Lower resolution flatbed scans, photo CD and even jpeg files produce very acceptable display quality results, particularly for larger sizes to be viewed from more than 5-10' distance. Colors are rich, fully saturated and vibrant. The overall quality of  600 DPI Inkjet generally exceeds Electrostatic by about 75%. From longer distances the resolution difference  between Inkjet and Electrostatic is less, but electrostatic colors are just not as rich & vibrant.

This is the highest quality/value for money choice until the number of pieces required reaches a level where screen printing becomes cost effective.

The standard inks used in Inkjet plotters will not resist direct sunlight (UV) for more than a few weeks. Newer UV resistant  dye-based inks can resist sun for six months up to one year or with pigmented inks more than two years, depending on how the output is finished and mounted.

Large billboard or mural size displays can be achieved by paneling 60" wide strips of inkjet output thereby creating giant wall size, near photographic quality backdrops.

Inkjet output can also be laminated  or mounted to a variety of other materials for application to trade show booths, store displays or other special purposes.

We can mount and cut out inkjet graphics to create dimensional display pieces or standees.

Interfaces with both Mac and PC platforms allow direct digital output with a minimum of make-ready costs. As the media is on rolls, increments in size don't play such a tremendous role in pricing. A 3'x 10' piece costs fractionally more than a 3'x 5' piece.

With inkjet you can use the full size of your display space at a price that is justified. Put up a four color 4'x 8' banner for a one day trade show. Make the message specific to that particular contact situation. The increase in response will be high. The more specific your message is, in any presentational opportunity, the better the results. With inkjet, that message can now be FULL SIZE & FULL COLOR.

WHERE TO BEGIN

Plan your display for one event or series of similar events. The first consideration is size and shape. Utilize the maximum available. If one event allows 2'x 6', the next 3'x 8' and a third 6'x 4', use three different layouts. Three different displays will present your message in a far more polished and professional manner than trying to use one design to roughly fit all three situations.

Remember, the cost of the display piece itself is minimal compared to the costs of developing your product and the time preparing, attending, staffing and other expenses generated by taking part in any presentation. It makes no sense to cut corners on your display! That's like spending a fortune upgrading the heating, plumbing and electric in your house and skimping on the landscaping before putting it on the market. You may never get to tell prospects about the great product you created because they only see the landscaping as they pass by. Your display is your landscaping. Eyewash sells.

THE HEADLINE

Once you've established the size and shape, look for the hook. Dream up some point or theme that fits the specific event and your message.

• It can be far fetched.
• It should be condensed to one sentence.
• It can be a bit long if it hits home to attendees.
• IT MUST BE GOOD.

This is your headline copy!

With your headline established, the rest of your layout will fall into place. Figure that your headline's letters should be about one inch high for each 10' to 15' of maximum viewing distance. If most people will come into view of your message not more than fifty feet away, use four to six inch letters.

Try to position the headline in the layout so that its bottom is about 75" above the floor level. This allows the headline to be read over the heads of people standing right in front of your display.

PHOTOS, ARTWORK & COPY

Now comes the fun! You need the props to complete your message. A colorful photo or drawing as a background is always attractive. Imposed over that goes the headline plus a few bulleted points or questions geared to get the attendees to open a dialogue with the people manning your booth. This simple setup is effective. You can expand with photos of products in use, artwork or more copy.

Everything in the layout should be geared to pulling the prospects to your display( the headline) and peaking their interest(the basic copy) to the point of their querying or striking up a conversation with the booth staff. Thereby you secure the all important prospect contact information.

THE PURPOSE

Walk around a trade show or exhibit and take stock of the displays. Some will cause you to pause. You may even be impressed by their beauty or slickness. Yet you wonder what the organization does or is trying to sell or inform you about. These displays have failed. They don't motivate you to make contact with the people manning the booth.

Always remember you're making a presentation to secure leads or to inform.

• You want to look professional.
• You want to be attractive.
• You do not want to be ambiguous.

When we, Prime Signs & Graphics, go to a small consumer boat show, we don't have elaborate photos of sunsets over the sea or schools of fish swimming around a coral reef. Instead we have a photo of some stunning boat lettering over which is imposed a catchy headline like, "Don't be Lost at Sea over a Name". When prospects push up to the booth they see the photo and two lines of type, "Bet you can't believe how little our professional lettering costs!" plus "....and you can install it yourself!" If they have any interest in boat lettering they'll probably ask.

We might add the sunset or coral reef as side panels in a larger format display to jazz up the look. We will always have as the centerpiece some copy to hook the prospect who is in need of our product.

After a long day you might enjoy talking to someone about sunsets or skin-diving in Hawaii, but that's not why you spent your money for a display. Nor did you spend it simply to create a work of art.

Up to this point you could have been assembling your display design with paper and pencil or on a computer. If you are working on a computer, set your drawing up to scale on a size you can print out on your printer. We will need a hard copy as well as the computer file to work from. It is best for us to scale the drawing up to final output size, so creating your design scaled to letter size is is not only perfectly acceptable - it is preferred.

Take your design to whatever level of completion with which you feel comfortable. Refer to our outline of acceptable file formats and costs for scanning, etc. If you haven't worked with us before, it's best to give us a call and thrash out the latest particulars on getting from your system and software to ours.

If you're working on paper, present us with your layout. You may also give us copies of photos or other items you wish to incorporate.

Wether you started by computer or hand, we will now finalize the design on our computer system and provide a proof. Further proofing steps, including color proofing are available. Again, please refer to the Price Lists. When the final proof is accepted, we output the full size inkjet print on the material selected.

THE MATERIALS

Inkjet may be output to a variety of materials.

For frontlit or backlit displays we recommend Polygloss film.

• It has the best surface to enhance the highly saturated inks and put life into the colors.
• Polygloss output approaches photographic quality.
• The newer rips allow boosting ink saturation for strong back lit colors.
• When used in lightboxes you have a good front lit display when the box is off.

Transparency film or clear film is priced the same and runs about 30% more than Polygloss film.

• The Transparency Film is similar to Duratrans and is used for backlit displays.
• Clear film is used for overlays, in situations where you want the background to show or for displays mounted on glass or clear plastic.

Matte Paper is a light-weight non gloss paper that is usually used for proofing or throw away displays in which cost is an overriding factor.

• The finish is more akin to a water color print.
• Larger sizes are normally too flimsy to laminate.

Canvas finished film for artwork reproduction is a newer speciality material.

• It gives the look of real canvas.
• Can be stretched on to a frame after inkjet printing.
• Cost is about 2.5 times that of gloss film

Satin Fabric is a synthetic that has the look and feel of cloth with a sheen to the surface.

• Use it to create short run custom fabrics for mounting.
• Makes rich looking banners for interior use(is not waterproof).
• Tends to be a bit stiff when printed, best to apply to a solid baking or hang with a frame.

Silk Fabric is a synthetic that has the look and feel of a soft cloth.

• Use it to create short run custom fabrics for any purpose
• Makes rich looking banners for any  use.
• It is waterproof and resists wrinkling even when bunched up and carried in a briefcase.
• Highly versatile, but at a fairly expensive price level.

Special adhesive backed vinyl films or paper can be printed directly by an inkjet printer.

• Great for interior surface displays.
• Far faster and less expensive than the electrostatic heat transfer method.
• With proper production and maintainence, can be used outdoors.
• This material still must be overlaminated.
• Has susceptibility to UV deterioration.

Water proof vinyl banner material

• Same vibrant colors
• Can be used for temporary outdoor display
• Smooth matte surface for elegant indoor use.

LAMINATION

The ink used in inkjet plotters is alcohol or waterbased. A sweaty palm will streak it completely(except for special waterproof media like banner vinyl). We normally heat encapsulate the output (hot-roll laminate both sides with a heat sealed edge) immediately to avoid moisture or fingerprint handling damage. We strongly recommend against handling unlaminated inkjet without wearing photo gloves. Sneeze on it and it's gone!

Once laminated, the output is very robust and can even stand up to rain. However, three to six months of direct sunlight will severely bleach most inkjet colors.

UV resistant laminates and pigmented inks are now available that substantially lengthen useful injket life. They require more testing before realistic guarantees can be made. However, we think as much as two years with minimal fading is possible even in adverse positions recieving day long direct sunlight.

Our regular laminate is either gloss or luster (matte) finished.

• Gloss laminate really makes the colors pop and enhances the photographic effect.
• Gloss laminate does produce reflections and may not be suitable in a highly spot lit booth.
• Luster laminate somewhat tones down the color and does not produce as much reflection.
• We normally do not laminate Matte Paper as it is too thin for the high pressure and heat of the laminating process.

In addition we offer a dry erase surface laminate for posters or adhesive backed film that may be then mounted to any substrate.

USING FINISHED INKJET

Laminated or unlaminated, the inkjet output may be rolled for shipping or storage. Velcro or two sided tape can be applied to the back for fastening to a display. It may also be laminated to a variety of substrates as required. These include Coroplast, Sintra, Plexi, Foamcore, Posterboard and Lexan.

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