At our Wide Format Solutions Summits, we work with printers and answer questions that they may have about moving into this growing segment (here’s xpedx’s Ron Browske helping a guest at our Cincinnati summit). The presentation from InfoTrends and the live product demonstrations often grab the attention, but there is another element to these events that shouldn’t be overlooked and is just as exciting – the substrates.
I know what some of you are thinking…“Really, you are trying to tell me that picking the right substrate can be as exciting as Market Intel and Print Technology?” The answer is YES…Seeing, touching, feeling and discussing the latest in printable wide format substrates can be as stimulating as the other parts of the summit.
Selecting the right substrate for your job often requires working from the back to the front. Ideally, knowing the print application and what print technology is available to produce it will lead to the right choice of substrates. However, many substrates can produce a similar look, so there may still be some decisions to make along the way. There is much more to understand and that’s what makes this part of the summit so informative.
As an example, let’s assume the print application is an indoor point-of-purchase display to be printed on a hybrid (flexible or rigid) UV Curable Printer. Flexible substrates include paper, vinyl and some flexible plastics, but would require additional cutting, peeling and mounting onto a rigid surface for the desired result. A more efficient option may be to use a printable rigid substrate, which enables printing directly to material such as PVC, corrugated plastic, paper or foam boards (amongst many others).
How do the total costs to produce compare? How does printing direct to the rigid substrate affect the overall appearance, color or durability of the final product? The answers can be found with the help of our suppliers of these substrates represented at our Wide Format Solution Summits. Don’t overlook them!
If you have additional questions in choosing the right substrate, xpedx can help. Please contact us