The Rhode Island Manufacturers Association recognizes one of its 300 member businesses each year for demonstrated growth and significant contributions to the community. Cooley Group of Pawtucket, R.I., won 2011’s John Hazen White Sr. Commitment to Manufacturing Award.

Cooley Group, manufacturer of high-performance commercial fabrics based on sustainable chemistry, has been in business for 85 years. The award was accepted by Cooley Group chairman P. Robert Siener Jr., who has worked for the company since 1947.

According to InfoTrends recent forecast projections, revenues for global wide-format aqueous inkjet hardware and supplies are expected to grow 4.2 percent annually through 2015. InfoTrends expects the primary growth drivers to come from market expansion in emerging markets, the continued rapid growth in the durable aqueous segment, and the increasing use of color technical printers.

“The mature economies of North America and Western Europe are not providing the growth that many vendors looked for in 2010 and 2011,” says Tim Greene, a director at InfoTrends. “However, the fast-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific and South and Latin America regions are representing a greater portion of the shipments of wide-format printing equipment than ever before.”

The most important growth driver is the durable aqueous ink segment, which has become one of the highest growth segments within the wide-format sector. The technology has grown quickly because of high image quality on a wide range of substrates, low operating cost and low VOC emissions, enabling it to be billed as a green printing solution. InfoTrends expects several major vendors to enter this segment of the market in the coming years.

The InfoTrends 2011 Wide Format Aqueous Inkjet Hardware & Supplies Forecast discusses growth drivers affecting this complex market. The report provides forecast figures for the aqueous inkjet market for the period from 2010 to 2015.

Pantone LLC announced Tangerine Tango (PANTONE 17-1463) is its color of the year for 2012.

“Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

To arrive at the selection, Pantone combs the world looking for color influences, including technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. has been named a member of the HP Registered Latex Developer Program (RLDP).

In this program, HP partners with media vendors in order to optimize the compatibility between HP printers, HP Latex ink and third-party media to ensure image quality across different types of media.

Nine products from Aurora’s Northern Lights™ Printable Textiles collection have been tested and certified for use. Aurora has submitted additional Northern Lights™ fabrics for testing with HP.

Settings and profiles can be obtained from the HP Media Solutions Locator found on HP’s website.

Aurora’s Northern Lights™ Printable Textiles collection offers a diverse range of fabrics for digital, latex, solvent, UV-cure, dye-sublimation transfer and direct, screen print and litho-print technologies. The Northern Lights™ collection includes fabrics up to 126 inches in width.

According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), out-of-home advertising revenues rose 4.2 percent in the third quarter of 2011 compared to the same period a year ago. Total revenue increased from $1.44 billion in the third quarter of 2010 to $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2011. In the first nine months of last year, total growth was up 4.3 percent to $4.8 billion. This marks the seventh consecutive quarter of revenue growth for the out-of-home medium.

Revenue estimates include billboard, street furniture, transit and alternative media, as well as digital platforms for advertising spending.

Several categories, including local services, media, schools and restaurants, consistently performed well all year.

Growth has been due in large part to innovation that includes integration of digital technology and the adoption of the Traffic Audit Bureau’s Eyes On ratings.

By Jeff Leagon

It was just over two years ago when I wrote the first in this series of articles for the magazine. In that first article I mentioned that the typical output speed of digital fabric printing systems was “a few hundred square feet per hour.” I’ve just returned from the International Exhibition of Textile Machinery where Stork, MS and others showcased new, high-output digital print systems for fabric. The speed of these systems is now being given in terms of thousands of square feet per hour.

I also mentioned in that first article that fabric printing technology was originally developed for traditional textile markets, like apparel and home furnishings. But, because of the relatively slow speeds, it was the sign, banner and custom graphics markets that ended up benefiting the most. Now, those traditional markets will finally start to benefit from the technology, and those of us who supply printers, inks and fabrics have a much broader base of prospective customers to sell to.

As print technology has improved, so has the selection of fabrics. In that same two-year period, Aurora’s “Northern Lights” collection of printable fabrics has more than doubled to include more than 60 styles. The development of new fabrics is more focused to match up with either a specific print technology (latex or direct dye sub, for example) or a specific application (outdoor shelters or backlit signage). It’s not as likely now that printers will have to settle for an ill-fitting fabric solution or force something to work just because it’s what they have on the shelf.

Creativity on the part of print service providers and their clients will drive growth and development in the fabric graphics market. Innovative applications for printed fabrics will determine what the next generation of fabrics will be and who will use them.

It wasn’t that long ago when retail signage, flags and trade show graphics accounted for most of the digitally printed fabric production. Now, custom interiors, clothing, tents, car and boat covers, and special event accessories are among the in-demand products. It seems like there’s something new every day.

The late Steve Jobs was asked whether the key to his company’s success was giving people what they wanted. His reply was essentially, “No. They don’t know what they want until someone creates it and shows it to them. Then they can’t live without it.”

Jeff Leagon is vice president of business development at Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc., Aurora, Ill.

By Jos Notermans

It’s been 25 years since Stork started developments on digital printing systems for textiles. By the end of 1986, a small project team was formed to study the technology. It confirmed that inkjet was the most probable to replace rotary. Meanwhile, independent market studies projected that by the year 2000, the majority of textile printing would be digital.

Stork started a development project, which was supported by the European government subsidy “Eureka!” The company patented its own printing nozzle for continuous flow inkjet and then launched the first digital textile inkjet printer at International Exhibition of Textile Machinery in 1991. The printer had a speed of 1 m²/hr and printed four color designs on a coupon of textile taped to a drum.

This launch was followed by another European subsidized project (BriteEuram), leading to a technology demonstration of a 6 m²/hr digital textile coupon printer, which was revealed at ITMA 1995. This printer, which was still on Stork’s proprietary continuous flow inkjet, led to the launch of the Stork Amethyst, a 20 m²/hr roll-to-roll textile printer in 1999.

Meanwhile, drop-on-demand wide-format printers for the graphics market, produced by companies like Encad and Mimaki, entered the textile market. In the early 2000s, these printers were transformed by integrators (mainly out of Italy) into textile printers.

Stork moved the inkjet technology developments to the graphic side of its business, which led to the first single-pass digital label printer in 2009. The technology showed that it is feasible to print inkjet at speeds over 30 meters/minute (similar to typical textile rotary speeds). Stork then focused on developing and producing digital textile inks. Quality and price of inks had to change dramatically in order to support an economical and technically feasible digital textile production system.

In 2011, printers at ITMA showed that the technology is here. Several ran speeds over 6 linear meters/minute. There was even a demonstration video of a single-pass inkjet system by MS that runs up to 70 linear meters per minute

The economics of these systems make digital textile printing an attractive alternative to flatbed and rotary printing, especially for the designs that run in lengths of a few thousand meters.

Twenty-five years ago, the projections were too optimistic—it took twice the time to get to where we’re at today. But there is no doubt that digital textile printing has arrived as a significant production technology in the textile world.

Jos Notermans is the business unit manager for digital textile printing at Stork Prints, the world market leader in rotary screen printing, digital printing equipment and consumables for the textiles and graphics industry. He has more than 20 years experience in digital printing in graphics and textiles.

By Fran Gardino

Digital textile printing is increasing in popularity. New trends and recent advances in fabrics, inks and printing technology accelerate growth in the market and are more than encouraging. Because of these advances, digital textile printing offers a variety of advantages, such as on-demand short-run production, one-offs, sampling and proofs, higher productivity and shortened lead times, over more traditional methods of textile printing.

No longer is there a scarcity of digital print-compatible fabrics. As technology evolves, customers are asking for new fabrics that work for specific applications. A notable example is the ever-widening appeal for polyester fabrics for use indoors and out. The popularity of polyesters can be contributed to advances in the quality of digital fabric printers and inks specifically engineered for this fabric.

Inks have evolved along with fabrics. Newly formulated Mimaki inks produce consistent, reliable and vibrant colors for stunning results on a variety of fabrics. The advances offer print shops the opportunity to expand their markets with a wide range of applications, from flags, banners, exhibition graphics, mobile displays, theatrical backdrops, POS and POP displays, home furnishings, fashion fabrics, soft signage and so much more.

The direct-to-fabric digital inkjet printer is one of the most recent innovations in textile printing. Usually, digital printers sublimate onto a transfer paper that is then passed through a heat press to transfer the image to the fabric. With the Tx400-1800D, Mimaki gives you the best of both worlds. This versatile inkjet gives you the option of on-demand digital direct-to-fabric printing, as well as standard transfer sublimation printing.

By printing direct to fabric, designers and fabricators can transform concepts immediately into reality—truly a one-of-a-kind alternative to screen-printing and mass-market fabrics. Another innovative Tx400-1800D feature allows the user to adjust the ink drop volume. This helps to achieve differing color depths while using less ink. Mimaki has also released its Tx400-1800B digital textile printer featuring a newly developed belt system, designed to help stabilize flexible fabrics that tend to stretch during printing and allowing the printer to run at higher speeds, thereby using less ink.

With the ongoing advancements in fabrics, inks and printers, the wide-format textile printing market is one of the most exciting and fastest growing segments in digital printing today.

Fran Gardino is business development manager at Mimaki USA, Suwanee, Ga.

Fabric Graphics | January 2012

By the Fabric Graphics Association

The special event industry is currently in the process of change. It had once been an industry of only themed décor, but it is now rapidly changing to include design and art.

Many special-event designers are looking toward modern architecture, interior design and graphic art studios to bring their events to life. Instead of requesting hard props, they are sourcing more textures, lighting effects, soft goods and customization. No longer are guests at these special events surrounded with black carpet, white draped tables and plain chair backs. Because the printing world is evolving at a rapid rate, special-event applications are also evolving.

When a request is made for something unique or something unusual, custom printing is a viable option. Enter the talents and services provided with a custom printing vendor. Their services now include creating a textured backdrop, sofa pillows to match custom carpet, and new shades for old light fixtures.

When planning a special event, event coordinators have a checklist of desired options that will help to enhance the event. If the event is in a tent, designs can be printed on sidewalls, liners and flooring. The accessories of the event also offer printing opportunities. As a vendor to the special event industry, the number-one goal in enhancing any event is informing the planner of the graphic options available.

“Today’s client is demanding a choice in event décor, and what is exciting is suppliers can now provide choices,” says Fred Tracy of Fred’s Tents, Stillwater, N.Y. “Imagination and creativity are only limited by the current printing resources available to the supplier and the budget of the event being planned. Our company can print the inside of a tent to match any event planner’s design. Wedding couples have provided a favorite family photo for reproduction on the tent as a wedding ceremony backdrop.”

Companies want to brand their events with a logo, tag line or specific colors, which opens the door for vendors to become creative and inspirational in the designs they offer to their clients. Event planners are searching for the new and the unusual to present to their clients. The door is open for new products and services from niche markets to enter the special event décor world.

“You never stop offering new products and services to your clients,” says Billy McKee of American Turf and Carpet, New York, who has been involved with the special event industry for more than 35 years and has provided services for major award ceremonies, sporting events and Fashion Week in New York. “Take carpet as an example,” he says. “Events must have flooring. When responding to an RFP, we offer a standard package, but have options available for up-selling.

“We presented options for Fashion Week in New York. Each fashion house wants to brand their own runway show and source unique methods of branding their event. This becomes a niche marketing opportunity for suppliers of custom products to enter a new market.”

Companies that are planning to enter the special-event market have an option of partnering with an existing company to take their ideas to market. “The basic black carpet used in runway-show flooring is a great opportunity for branding with custom logos and carpet designs,” McKee says. “Vendors provide options with graphic applications, such as laser cutting and digital printing.”

Why stop with a printed logo on the entry carpet to an event? Print providers can offer so much more. Consider a client who wants a custom graphic in the entry carpet at a hotel for a wedding reception. Take the initial job, and then upsell a custom-printed aisle runner, monogramming on chair backs, banners and flags.

If fabric-printing providers are interested in reaching out to the event industry, they should research local event planners and explore avenues to promote product offerings. Forming a partnership with a vendor already in the business is a good approach to test the market. Special event coordinators build relationships with their vendors, and it is often challenging for a company with a “niche market” product to gain exposure.

McKee suggests developing a business relationship with a current vendor who has the potential to expand the business with the addition of customizing and branding products provided by a new vendor.

Take advantage of the rapidly evolving print world, and use your business’s specialties to gain access into the growing special-event market.

the Fabric Graphics Association

Fabric Graphics | January 2012

By the Fabric Graphics Association

Fabric is all around us. It’s useful, versatile and can help expand your business’s product portfolio. Fabric offers traditional graphic suppliers a high-end, environmentally friendly alternative to rigid substrates and, to fabricators of specialty textile projects, printing on fabric expands their current product lines.

Fabric is a flexible substrate made up of a network of natural or synthetic fibers formed by weaving, knitting, coating or laminating. In the specialty fabrics industry, it goes by names like polyester, rayon, nylon, vinyl and acrylic.

Fabric is the business foundation of textile companies that cut, sew, print and finish fabric into products. Fabric offers the sign industry a wonderful new world of opportunities to explore as a complement to current vinyl offerings, and it’s becoming the preferred choice for printing applications.

Fabric benefits

“Fabric is the premiere solution,” says Jana McQuilkin, marketing manager at Moss Inc., Belfast, Maine. “Using fabric in a project, such as a hanging retail sign, makes the banner look like a high-end product. An important characteristic of the fabric used at Moss Inc. is flame resistance, as it is often requested by clients.”

Using fabric as a substrate on a display or banner typically reduces the overall weight of the graphic, which lowers shipping costs and improves ease of handling. In addition, using fabric increases the reusability of the graphic and generally enhances the appearance of the finished graphic. Even if the initial cost of a fabric banner is more than other products, the return on investment is greater because of the longevity and elegance of the fabric project.

Fabric is available in many textures and finishes, which introduces the sense of touch into an environment. This is a definite advantage over a rigid substrate. Fabric and frame constructions also break down into a more compact package for shipping.

Paul Glynn, vice president of production, Portland Color, Portland, Maine, likes fabric’s classic look and the fact that it offers a high-end solution to customer needs. “Fabric is lightweight, comes in wide widths up to 10 feet for printing and the relative cost for the size of the material provides a reasonable value,” he says.

Jim Knoche of Lawrence Fabric & Metal Structures, St. Louis, Mo., adds: “Fabric adds a softer feel to the finished product, and it comes in a variety of textures. It’s washable, printable and offers an array of standard colors.”

“Fabric projects are quicker to produce in a world that wants it all yesterday,” says Maureen Kelly, owner of The Design Loft Inc., St. Louis, Mo. She enjoys working with fabric because of its versatility and increased venue opportunity.

Working with fabrics

Adding fabric to end-product offerings provides a company with additional solutions.

“Eighty percent of our business is working with fabric and 55 percent of those fabric projects involve printing,” Kelly says. “Indoor banners, flags and custom fabric projects are part of our company mix. Our customers demand quality banners, and our fabric banners meet their expectations.”

Knoche experiences repeat business from display exhibit products sold and then updated periodically with new graphics. “Last year, our company fabricated 70 percent fabric projects and 30 percent metal projects due to the increase in re-covers of exhibit projects,” Knoche says. “This is up from previous years when our projects were 60 percent fabric and 40 percent metal.”

Fabric display exhibits are easy to strip from a current frame, update the print and reposition the new graphic on the frame. Shipping new graphics to the customer becomes a simple, cost-effective process. According to Knoche, the use of fabric has generated more satisfied customers for the company and has helped to grow its customer base.

“I wouldn’t have a business without fabric,” says Judy Dioszegi of Dioszegi Designs, Libertyville, Ill., a small, family-owned business specializing in indoor artistic fabric displays. Dioszegi’s free-flowing fabric creations have been placed in business lobbies, hospitals and churches throughout the world.

Dioszegi doesn’t have to sell fabric to her clients because they are aware of her past projects. However, she is still quick to recommend fabric whenever there is an opportunity. “Fabric creates energy and life in projects,” she says. “I enjoy working with fabric for the brilliance of colors and the ability to achieve different feelings and attitudes with color matching.

Fabric Images Inc. of Elgin, Ill., does a majority of its business working with fabric and aluminum frame constructions. “We have noticed that more designers are requested to closely watch the budget on a project and look to us to provide direction on alternative fabrics that will still have impact,” says Valerie Cuchna, material resources liaison. “There is still a strong demand for dye sublimation printing on polyester materials."

Resources

Due to the variety of substrates available for fabric and graphics projects, finding the perfect one can be a challenge. “A flame-retardant, green, strong fabric that reliably prints each and every time is on every fabricator’s list,” says John Evans, vice president of sales, graphics media at Herculite Products Inc., Emigsville, Pa. “And manufacturers strive to deliver.”

Many times, all the preferred fabric specifications can be found, but just not in the fabric selected. This often forces companies to rank the desirable level of fabric specifications. Price is often the deciding factor.

When selecting a fabric for printing, companies must first consider printing equipment, finishing equipment and type of ink. Manufacturers of printing equipment and ink suppliers are able to assist fabricators with specific fabric requirements, such as coated or woven polyester as the desired substrate currently being used.

Fabricators will then source fabric suppliers for fabrics having the desired weight, finish and width. The “Guide to Fabric Substrates for Digital Printing,” published in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue of Fabric Graphics magazine is one resource for locating new fabrics.

Attending industry trade shows, networking with fellow printers at conferences and talking to fabric sales representatives can result in new fabric selections, the development of a support team for color profiling the fabrics, and project finishing options. Through trial and error and customer requests, companies soon develop a preferred list of fabrics and develop a product line.

Growth areas

According to McQuilkin, business has been good, with 2011 seeing a slight increase over 2010. Growth areas included the retail market and in promotional marketing of special events, such as sporting events.

Knoche agrees. “The biggest growth areas in our industry are in retail signage, hospitality and hospitals,” he says.

“I believe that the biggest opportunity for growth in the fabric and printing world is in architectural signage,” Kelly says. “If someone can get it together, recycling all that old vinyl out there could be a huge growth area for our business.”

As for fabrics, Evans notes that sustainable green fabrics should continue to see growth as the economy improves. Flame retardant fabrics could also see growth as specifications begin to tighten.

“The requests for wider, seamless prints have been increasing, and I see this continuing to grow,” Cuchna says. “The key is doing them well. There are a lot of companies that have entered the dye-sublimation market over the past few years and the key is to choose a partner that knows their product and is not afraid to push the envelope.”

Printing challenges

“Picking the right fabric always is a challenge,” Evans says. “Choosing a low-price option for a fabric will backfire if you have to print the graphic twice—or more—to get it right. The job winds up being late, causing excess shipping charges and loss of customer goodwill.” The best advice is to know the required characteristics for the job at hand if you want to receive the best results during the first printing.

For Glynn, dye sublimation is the primary challenge because of the reliance on the use of polyesters for the printing process. Additionally, the use of different fabrics often requires additional equipment. “If you wanted to print on rayon, you would have a different approach with different printing equipment,” he says. “Printing on nylon requires an investment in additional equipment. The method for printing on cottons would be direct print using latex inks. Figuring all of this out is the challenge.”

“Our biggest challenge when applying graphics to fabric is hitting the exact color,” Kelly says. “This is especially true when printing nylon flags.”

Knoche agrees that matching color is a big issue when adding graphics to fabric. “Our biggest challenge when printing on fabric is color matching to clients’ expectations of coated PMS color (like a paper print) to uncoated PMS color like a fabric,” he says.

Suppliers to the industry spend much time trying to stay ahead of the competition. The biggest challenge for them is that while a supplier may excel at offering good, quality products, the printing and fabric industry—at this point—is a market focused on price rather than quality.

Fabricators of printing and fabric products continue to experiment with endless selections of textiles, inks and new printing techniques. They strive for the new custom request and the knowledge that will be gained from that project and then used on future projects. It is a big world out there and fabric printing is becoming a bigger part of it every day.

The Fabric Graphics Association, a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International, conducted interviews with its leading fabric and printing member companies in the United States to explore the benefits of fabric, techniques of fabrication and the future of fabric in the printing world.

Fabric Graphics | January 2012

By Bruce N. Wright

Chicago’s Thomas Roszak Architects recently designed and installed a new welcome gallery space to the Adler Planetarium along the Lake Michigan waterfront, constructing it of fabric and highlighting it with dazzling projected imagery of interplanetary travel and digitally printed graphic elements. Assisting in the design and fabrication of the Clark Family Welcome Gallery was Fabric Images Inc., also from the Chicago area, which engineered the multifunctional space that provides visitors to the planetarium a gathering venue and presents an exciting pre-show experience before the main event, the Sky Theater.

Fabric Images used dye-sublimation printing on seamless wide-format polyester fabric and 120-inch wide digital printers. Roszak’s team used parametric modeling techniques to design the complex shapes and surfaces of the welcome gallery, a cathedral-like translucent space with arched fabric vaults and space-bending (and mind-bending) connecting tunnels. Fabric Images helped the designers find the right fabric with the right amount of transparency used in both single and double layers that were precisely fitted to bent aluminum tube frames. According to Roszak Architects, “the fabric had to have the ability to reflect the space’s LED lighting system, but also absorb light where mixed-media video is projected on the fabric walls.” Although many of the surfaces are pure white, some transitional sections have digital graphic elements, designed by Fabric Images, printed on them to encourage the illusion of motion and the warping of space.

To evoke the impression in visitors’ minds that they are “traveling through slices of time,” fabric surfaces and enclosing walls were warped and shaped to suggest moving through time in space. Roszak layered the fabric in alternating areas to create darker and lighter “slices” along the visitor’s pathway with each section representing a “time slice” in outer space.

“The organic nature of fabric architecture was a perfect marriage to enhance the ‘wow’ aspect of the planetarium’s new projection system that is one of the highlights of the Deep Space Adventure,” says Fabric Images president and CEO Marco Alvarez.

Bruce Wright is editor of Fabric Architecture and Fabric Graphics publications of the Industrial Fabrics Association International.

Mimaki USA Inc.’s TX400-1800D offers a grid roller transport system; the TX400-1800B has a belt carrier system. Choose among four-, six- or eight-color printing with sublimation dye, reactive dye or acid dye inks with smooth gradations.

Continuous printing is possible without operator intervention. Only the required ink quantity is used for production with no excess water usage for an eco-friendly operation. Well suited for sports apparel, soft signage and interior decorations.

SOURCE Mimaki USA

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. added ACT II SP and Twill SP to its Northern Lights™ Printable Textiles collection.

The two fabrics are pretreated to yield color pop and line definition, while maintaining the fabric’s soft hand. Both fabrics are compatible with latex and UV-cure print technologies.

ACT II SP is part of Aurora’s Weaves of Green Collection™ of products made of 100 percent recycled polyester. Both styles are appropriate for retail soft signage, indoor and short-term outdoor banners, window graphics and exhibits. ACT II SP and Twill SP are available in widths from 60 inches to 122 inches.

SOURCE Aurora Specialty Textiles

Supply55 Inc.’s MediaGRIP™ is a work-holding device for use in fabricating labels, heat transfer materials and vinyl in the sign, screen and graphic arts markets. Economical and easy to use, the solid, all-steel device assists with cutting media on bi-directional axes, saving on production time. Intuitive design facilitates quick and easy use, installation and removal.

SOURCE Supply55 Inc.

Fisher Textiles GF 7176 Supreme Knit is a 150d, 100 percent polyester warp knit 2 bar fabric. It is 192 inches wide and 8.2 ounces per square yard. It passes NFPA 701, has been tested for ASTM E 84 and meets Class A, Flame Spread Index 25 or less and Smoke Developed Index 450 or less. Compatible with UV and dye-sublimation printing, applications include photographic back drops, geometric displays and trade show exhibits.

480 Blockout has three layers consisting of Fisher’s 480 Poplin on the top laminated to 195 Film in the middle with 480 Poplin laminated on the back. The fabric is able to be printed on both sides and is compatible with UV printing. It is 13.1 ounces per square yard and 60 inches wide.

GF 8682 Twilite is Fisher’s newest backlit fabric for dye-sublimation and UV printing. It is 7.8 ounces per square yard at 122 inches wide and passes NFPA 701.

Free sample books and sample rolls are available for testing.

SOURCE Fisher Textiles

High frequency (HF) welding of PVC and PU fabrics with metal can now be done with the ForFlexx method from Forsstrom High Frequency. The patented innovation can save time and money when producing a variety of products, such as truck and boat covers, tarpaulins, tents, fabric structures, pool liners, sunshades, billboards, inflatable products, liquid tanks and oil booms. Air-, gas- and liquid-tight seals can be created between metal and fabric, or metal and metal.

SOURCE Forsstrom

Top Value Fabrics offers new direct-for-print banner fabrics. The Premium Textile line has been engineered with a high-quality ink-receptive layer and scratch resistance for color consistency and image sharpness in high-end applications. HP Latex ink is compatible with a wide color gamut. Blockout Silver Back fabric with light-blocking has a satin finish for high-end retail POP, banner stands, roll-up displays and interior décor, and 4-ounce PVC-Free is lightweight and versatile with translucent properties for backlit applications.

SOURCE Top Value Fabrics

By Mara Whitten

The project. Lunchables wanted to create a buzz around its new fruit combinations with multimedia storefront displays in locations across Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.

The companies. Kraft One turned to the creative agency Razorfish to develop the campaign’s concept. Monster Media , a multimedia company from Orlando, Fla., brought the vision into reality by programming and installing the interactive content, as well as printing and installing the large format vinyl graphics.

The task. The graphics had to draw consumers in from the street and give them a “taste” of the new fruit offerings, all while promoting the Lunchables brand.

The challenge. As the campaign launched in multiple locations and under tight deadlines, clear communication was critical. The printed elements had to accurately represent what consumers would see on the interactive screens.

The solution. Monster Media printed and installed nearly 2,500 square feet of boldly colored vinyl. Since the campaign ran throughout three major markets, a mix of HP and Vutek solvent-based printers were used. Installation took a day at each location and went off without a hitch. The intelligent installations featured augmented reality technology that placed various pieces of fruit over consumers’ faces—matching the graphics—and snapped their photos. Saved photos were then transferred to an oversized LCD wall of fruit faces.

The result. More than 85,000 consumers stopped at the five storefronts to take their photos and 19,218 submitted photos for the wall. For every submission, 10 pounds of fruit were automatically donated to the consumer’s state of choice with the help of Feeding America .

Mara Whitten is a freelance writer from Eagan, Minn.

Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. added iMidia Digital Technologies Inc. to its distribution network. iMidia has been distributing digital print media for display graphics, point of purchase advertising and photo and CAD reproduction since 2002. The company is located in Florida and distributes its products primarily in Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. The company has developed a new site to serve U.S.-based customers.

Headquartered in Aurora, Ill., Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. is a full-service textile finisher specializing in fabric preparation, coating, dyeing and technical finishing for the woven and non-woven fabrics industries. Its Northern Lights™ Printable Textiles collection, manufactured by Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc., is used for digital, latex, solvent, UV-cure, dye-sublimation transfer and direct, screen print and litho-print technologies.

Source: Export.gov

Drytac has introduced the EZex™, an interchangeable graphic banner display at the price point of an L-frame banner stand. Users simply attach and re-attach an EZex graphic cartridge to the stand’s base foot to change out the graphic. Once the cartridge is clicked into the base, the graphic can then be pulled up and hooked into the supporting pole, which means users can have multiple cartridges ready to use with one stand. Available in 33-1/2 inch, 39-1/2 inch and 47-1/4 inch widths, the EZex works well with banner fabrics like Drytac® PhotoFab HD.

Drytac® is a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of mounting, laminating, framing and finishing materials and equipment. Its display division offers an extensive range of banner stands and portable displays.

Source: Drytac

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced in a Dec. 1 press release the postponement of its second IFAI Expo Asia in Singapore.

The release said that due to the uncertainty of the completion of construction at the Suntec Center, and the continuing softness of the global economy, it will postpone its Expo Asia 2012 trade event originally scheduled for June 26-28 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

According to IFAI’s conference management vice president, Todd Lindemann, “This decision will allow us to evaluate the date and venue for the event. We expect the second edition of IFAI Expo Asia to be bigger and draw larger attendance, and we are carefully planning for that success.”

IFAI Expo Asia 2011 had a strong premiere March 22-25, 2011, in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, according to the release. The 2011 event included 90 exhibitors and more than 1,400 registered participants from 45 countries.

About IFAI

The Industrial Fabrics Association International is the largest and longest-running textile trade organization in the world, celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2012. IFAI publishes seven market-specific magazines in print and online, organizes global industry events such as IFAI Expo Americas 2012 in Boston and Geosynthetics 2013 in Long Beach. IFAI supports the growth of nearly 1,900 member companies located in 54 countries.

Source: IFAI

When musing about form and content for an exhibit, event or display, nothing helps more than seeing photo galleries of creative marketing solutions. Moss Inc., a Chicago-based provider of tensioned fabric structures, display hardware and printed graphics, recently launched its new and improved website with bold and bright color, comprehensive information about all of Moss’s products and photo galleries organized by end use to allow idea browsers to see what can be achieved with the company’s rental and custom-designed display and exhibit expertise.

Source: Moss Inc.

DaVinci Technologies PanoRama Innova 40 is a window-perforated vinyl, with a Universal Print Liner designed to be compatible with Latex, UV curable, solvent and eco-solvent inks. Innova 40 is made of polymeric vinyl, equipped with clear, semi-permanent adhesive. Available in 54-inch by 164-foot rolls, it offers 40 percent open area, printable bright white front side with black reverse side for maximum contrast.

SOURCE DaVinci Technologies

Mutoh America Inc.’s ValueJet 1204GA Eco-solvent printer is designed to print on Mutoh’s Ready2Print 24-inch, 36-inch, and 48-inch by 72-foot pre-grommeted and pre-welded banner material at speeds up to 140 square feet per hour. The 1204GA also prints other roll-to-roll media types.

SOURCE Mutoh America Inc.

Fisher Textiles expands into Canada with a new distribution center that will stock many of its most popular styles. Canadian customers will receive faster delivery time, decreased shipping costs, same-day shipping and the ability to request styles to be stocked.

Accord Transportation will provide distribution and logistics expertise, and Fisher Textiles partnered with TG Graphics, which sells a variety of products to the printing market and covers nearly all areas of Canada.