Invent

Consider the Cost and Convenience of Removing Vehicle Wraps.

Let’s consider the prospect of having to remove this vehicle wrap.

Starbucks Goof on van with vehicle wrap

In this example there is a good case for removal and redesign.  Goofs like this are not the only reason to consider the cost of removing vehicle wraps. Eventually they will all be removed and replaced.  In some cases the graphic is changed frequently where the changeover time can substantially impact total campaign costs.

A lot of thought goes into the decisions made when designing an advertising program for your fleet. However the selection of the materials and ink systems can have a substantial effect on the total cost of the project.

Planning before you proceed with the project should involve the installers early in the process. Installers know better than most what materials will be best for your project. Prices vary greatly considering the variety of materials offered by print providers. The environment where the install will take place has an impact on how well the materials will conform to the surface.

3M the recognized pioneers in adhesives have distinct advantages in vehicle wrap applications.  Labor costs of removal and installation of new graphics can often be the largest component of a vehicle wrap.

Consider the outfield wall surfaces in a ball field where the graphics adhere to a vinyl surface where they are subjected to intense environmental and physical abuse.  These graphics are a real test for the materials, adhesives and an installer’s talent.  Removal of the old graphics where the adhesive residue is tough to remove may contribute to the failure of the new graphics. Sponsors become reluctant to spend their advertising budget on peeling and failing graphics in view of thousands of fans.

If you’re wondering how much your material choice can really impact removal times, consider this: A recent study comparing 3M™ Controltac™ Graphic Film with Comply™ v3 Adhesive IJ180Cv3 with 3M™ Scotchcal™ Gloss Overlaminate 8518 to Avery’s vehicle wrap solution found that graphics printed on the 3M film removed 3.5 times faster.

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Discovery Science Center honored at White House

Discovery Science Center honored at White House

This is a familiar scene to Southern Californians traveling the freeways of Orange County. One of many projects PrintB3 has collaborated with the Discovery Science Center and their talented staff, as evidenced by their recognition  receiving the  National Medal for Museum and Library Service — the nation’s highest honor for community service in those two fields.

Kate Upton, left, with Joe Adams, president of the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Calif., accept a 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from first lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.

Kate Upton, left, with Joe Adams, president of the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, Calif., accept a 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from first lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.

By Deborah VankinMay 3, 2013, 8:00 a.m.

Two Southern California cultural institutions will be honored at the White House on Wednesday.

The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana and the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library are among the 10 institutions selected from among 33 finalists around the country to receive a 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service — the nation’s highest honor for community service in those two fields.

First Lady Michelle Obama – along with representatives of the The Institute of Museum and Library Services – will present the awards.

Members of the public from each recognized community will speak about how the institution being honored has affected them personally.

Other museums and libraries being honored are the Boston Children’s Museum; the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio; the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss.; the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the Marshalltown Public Library in Marshalltown, Iowa; the Pierce County Library System in Tacoma, Wash.; the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in Cincinnati; and the Waukegan Public Library in Waukegan, Ill.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services supports some 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums nationwide through grant-making, policy development and research.

The Discovery Science Center displays over 100 interactive, hands-on exhibits with the mission of “educating young minds, assisting teachers and increasing public understanding of science, math and technology through interactive exhibits and programs.”

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Commencement Pomp and Circumstance

Commencement Pomp and Circumstance Set the stage for a memorable Commencement this spring. Graphics will present a photo backdrop captioning the event for your student’s facility and their families.

Set the stage for a memorable Commencement ceremony this spring.  Graphics will present a photo backdrop captioning the event for your student’s facility and their families.

Few events are more important than the achievement that a commencement ceremony celebrates. The students, families, alumnus, and faculty will be captured in photography and memories that rivals any prestigious event.  Dressing up the venue whether on campus or not will caption the lasting images recorded and shared.   Stages are one of the most important places where a backdrop featuring your important messaging branded with your unique school identity.

There are a variety of graphic forms and display methods to meet the requirements of any venue.  Movable roll up banners are free standing, easy to assemble, and may be used together to create backdrops and entryway isles.  Portable graphic stands may be reused for a variety of events and static displays on campus. Where floral displays are temporal, your graphic investment may well serve you for many occasions.

Where there is local or national news coverage of your commencement the value of recognizable graphic backdrops is even more important.   The materials, print formats and presentations from PrintB3 are well known among event producers for their quality and striking impressions.

A special offering is available for a limited time on our newest banner stands with graphics included. The production artwork is also available for an attractive additional charge.

Commencement Pomp and Circumstance Set the stage for a memorable Commencement this spring. Graphics will present a photo backdrop captioning the event for your student’s facility and their families.

Complete stage backdrops like those found at film festivals and awards ceremonies work nicely to improve the ceremonial stage and the atmosphere of your commencement ceremony. These are also available with portable stands or installed by our expert s on an existing structure. Consultation with one of our customer service representatives on materials and print formats will help you produce an attractive and memorable atmosphere for your commencement events. Don’t wait any longer, let’s see what we can do to make this year’s class your contributing alumni of the future.

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Designers in SoCal meet the challenge, no snow, no problem

Designers in SoCal meet the challenge, no snow, no problem 

Graphic Designer wins design contest with an Illustrator project

The busy holiday season is over with our attention now focused on expanding our product offerings and services. Rich “JR” Nichols, long time veteran of the print and graphics world has joined us to help cover Orange County Ca. Our Customer Service Department has come up to speed with a new QuickQuote system to be even more responsive to our friends and clients.

It’s not been all work here at PrintB3. We took time to run an entertaining winter contest for the best photo of a client with a snowman. The submissions were surprising.  Expecting views of bundled up designers alongside cleverer erected and decorated snowmen our winner found a good match for our melted version.

Toni Knight the Marketing Director for the Sunrise Church just down the road in Southern California demonstrated her ingenuity and imagination. No snow at her disposal in the warm weather climate she resorted to the tools at hand. Toni went to work in Illustrator and conjured up this rendition of Frosty.  Our panel just had to give her the prize, given graphic design is what drives our business.  Congrats Toni.

Our Marketing Department is busy with the final touches on some special offerings in banner displays, banner stands and trade show hanging banner structures.  Visit our website to keep up with the new offerings PrintB3.com and our FB page for news on happenings in the B3 world.

The film festival and event season came into full swing with the end of the year. Our growing festival family is keeping us on our toes. With added venues from airport service terminals to museum and theater stages were finding ourselves becoming part of the show.  Minuteman press has nothing on PrintB3 when it comes to last minute requirements.

That’s our focus for 2013…….. more offerings with the most responsive service on the planet.

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 Holiday season for some but its Film Festival season at PrintB3

It’s not only Santa who is checking his list twice.

Palm Springs International Film Festival Step and Repeat photo back drop

While some are winding down the approaching the holidays not so here at PrintB3. The season is in full swing beginning the first week of January with the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  This is a challenging time for both the producers of the events as well as the print providers.  Those glamorous photo shoots and video interviews all feature backgrounds featuring the festival sponsors.

These images are viewed millions of times all around the world featured in the film promotions and press releases. Not to mention the millions of shares through social media.  Sponsors performance is critical to an events success and the grand format print providers are challenged to make them look great. Many of the venues and scheduled events are not cast in stone until the last minutes.  Supporting sponsored events demands a lot attention to details with the flexibility to accommodate late changes and additions to the print work. The expectation for perfection is never mitigated by the lack of lead times.

Many of the festivals rely on a plethora of contract designers and producers leaving the coordination of art to print, material selection, color matches, etc. Designers may not be familiar with all the players in the process, with new talent changes from year to year.  Often the continuity is provided by the printer while being taken for granted by those who are not immersed in the process. This proves an opportunity for those who are willing to spend their holiday shopping season checking and double checking the print list.

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City Council Candidates Run On Signage Issues Window Graphics

Window Graphics for more Signage

There were no burning issues in an election where being business friendly was a big plus in a city that is heavily dependent on sales tax revenue.  Signage is always a big issue to attracting customers in a forest of businesses. The candidate who garnered the most votes ran on a platform of increasing signage opportunities for businesses where the existing restrictions are severe.

The election may have turned on the Signage issue in this community where outside banners and architectural signs are severely limited. It is also unlikely that there will be much relaxation of the strict standards.  The solution to promoting a business may lie with “Window Graphics”.  Make the front of any business a pictorial presentation of your business.  There are few if any restrictions on signage inside a business property including the frontage windows.  Who knows, there may be a resurgence of window display awards and reviews?

Our victorious candidate made a point of how futile it may be having promoted your business on Google Maps only to frustrate your prospective customer when they cannot find your business once directed to the area. Most businesses have a sign indicating the name of the business however, how many clearly represent the nature of the business.  Window Graphics can convey a story of your product offerings, promotions, and sale events.  The traffic generated in your location may well show an interest in your business with a rich informative window display.

Department store fronts have always been renowned for their window displays spending fortunes on design and installs.  Today with affordable graphic films and readily available design talent you can realize the benefit only the big guys could afford.  A variety of products are available including some where installation can be completed with your own store staff.

The specialists at PrintB3 can help you with “Window Graphics” options. Give them a call they would love to help.

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Colonies Crossroads Construction Fence Screen From End To End

Colonies Crossroads shopping center is expanding with several more stores into their existing site plan.

 Construction Fence Screen Colonies Crossroads Green Screen

Colonies Crossroads Upland Phase 3 Site Plan

Digitally printed fence screens offer the opportunity to beautify the construction site while promoting the store brands added to the project. With over a year of construction at the site the promotional value of this extensive signage is considerable.  Its placement along heavily trafficked thoroughfares is highly visible to the site specific potential customers.  The existing adjacent well developed phases generate heavy traffic volume in and around the new phase.

At another site in the same city PrintB3 had printed and installed a fence screen at the construction site for the San Antonio Hospital expansion.  The city management and the hospital administration were impressed with impression of the custom screen.

The San Antonio Hospital example  prompted the management company Pacific Development Group to consider a similar construction fence screen for the Colonies Crossroads new phase.  The perimeter of the site at street level on highly trafficked thoroughfares is nearly one half of a mile.  Where this project phase is expected to complete in the following year there will be tens of millions of exposures to the signage at street level.

Colonies Crossroads Upland Construction Screen Completed

The first step in the project was a detailed survey of the site by the PrintB3 project leader.  It was determined early on that the construction fence erected at the site would not present well when the graphics were installed.  A new fence of the proper height and placement was installed.  Temporary fence screens were then removed from the site. It is imperative that the measurements for each segment at the site be measured.  Site plans will not provide accurate dimensions for a successful layout.

Close cooperation between the designer and PrintB3 prepress operation was required to fit each component of the artwork to the fence segments. Access gates and gaps in the in the fencing were considered when preparing the final layout for print and fabrication. Finally a site plan is approved with any delivered realignment of the panel layout.

Construction Fence Screen Layout

Fence screen panels will be viewed from several perspectives where the art and its placement are designed for the most impact.  Moving vehicles approaching the intersection slowing to a stop light then approaches from the freeway exit were all taken into consideration.  Pedestrian traffic along the sidewalk will walk through what amounts to a storyboard of the completed project.

Colonies Crossroads Construction Fence Screen Sidewalk View

Wind loads were also taken into consideration where this location may experience 60 mile per hour gusts.  Our mesh material allows for 30% air flow eliminating the need for unsightly wind slits or windowing.  PrintB3 mesh screen material is made to meet this demanding application with 1000 x 1000 denier 12 x 12 scrim.  Primarily used for building wraps and billboards our material is constructed to meet the NFPA 701 fire retardant test method.  Fabrication includes double stitched web reinforced hems with grommets placed at regular intervals for attachment with steel hogs rings.

PrintB3 vinyl mesh is printed with solvent inks insuring maximum durability on outdoor fences. The inks and fabric are chosen for their superior longevity in outdoor applications. All inks used in the printing are UV-stabilized to ensure bright colorful graphics for the life of your project.

Other applications for custom printed fence screens include:

Many universities and sports organizations are adding Digitally Printed Fence Screens to beautify their facilities. Sponsors of athletic programs are delighted with the performance of custom printed fence screens.

Also known as Mesh Banner, Mesh Banners, Windscreen, Windscreens, Fence Mesh, Vinyl Mesh, Mesh Graphics, Mesh Graphic, Stadium Graphic, Stadium Graphics, Vinyl Graphic, Vinyl Graphics, Vinyl Mesh Graphic, Vinyl Mesh Graphics, Digital Windscreen, Digital Mesh Banner, Digital Mesh Banners, Large Format Printing Screens

 

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Retail Spaces Are More Than Containers For Your Business.

Retail wall spaces offer a canvas to message the gazillion visitors and customers you are working to serve. There is no end to the variety of graphic applications we have offered and delivered to our clients. So here we share some specific ideas from one of our graphic print material suppliers 3M™

“If Walls Could Talk …

They can talk, with wall graphics that can boost your customers’ sales.

Most brick and mortar businesses have at least four walls. And if they are covered with only paint or wallpaper, they’re being underutilized. Adding some purposeful wall graphics can boost sales. According to research conducted by Nielsen, 86 percent of people report being influenced to make purchases with store signage, compared to 37 percent who were influenced with social media.

Wall graphics used in a retail store

Wall graphics can give your customers a focal point to promote their brand. With wall graphics, you can help them customize the look and feel of their space and distinguish themselves from the competition.

For example, a bank could utilize wall graphics to feature short-term promotions. Wall graphics featuring the bank’s logo not only look great but also help build brand identity. Graphics above the teller area might feature information about home equity loans promotions or CD interest rates.

Or consider a fast-food restaurant. Featuring a new menu item or special pricing on other food items may even increase sales. According to a study from the University of California – Berkeley, people are six times more likely to buy a product if a point-of-purchase (POP) display highlights it.

Retailers can take advantage of wall space by teaming up with a vendor to promote a new item. For example, a sporting goods store might sell wall space to the vendor of a new line of hockey skates. Or the retailer might use large wall graphics so consumers can easily locate merchandise in the store.”  See more wall graphic examples here:   Window Graphics complement any in-store promotion

Choosing the right products for you retail space is easy.   Consult an expert at PrintB3. 888.774.6823 or info@printb3.com

The original article from 3M™ If Walls Could Talk…

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Tradeshow Graphics Printer Ideal For All Your Exibit Needs

 

PrintB3 Tradeshow Graphics Ideal For All Your Exhibit Needs

Tradeshow graphics printing in the largest formats available

With the addition of one of the largest flatbed printers OCE 550XT PrintB3 is ideally positioned to be the Trade Show print provider in Southern California.  The OCE 550XT is ideal for producing those close up high resolution photo quality graphics where eye level viewing is the norm.

Outperform the Laser imaged photo emulsion processes 

Translite_UV™ is an improved process that directly prints the photo quality image on a polyester film supplied by Kodak. The OCE 550 XT UV prints the high resolution image directly using an UV ink system. There is no need for darkroom film processing; the resulting image can be seen as it’s printed. UV ink systems produce matte finishes eliminating the need for a coating. This print format offers additional freedom in image manipulation with a “white layer” offering alternative day night presentations. Print Speed offers a throughput many times faster than the wet process methods. Red spectrum heat signatures from high intensity lamps used to back light the scene were not transmitted when compared to Duratrans examples.

Photo Quality images on a variety of substrates

This year PrintB3 had a very special ancillary project to help promote Susan Bernard’s “Marilyn: Intimate Exposures” featuring her father’s photography of Marilyn Monroe and Norma Jean.  The large format prints were produced on our  OCE 550-XT flatbed printer on foamcore. The striking prints were exhibited throughout Palm Spring’s uptown design district.

Full range of materials and print modes are available with PrintB3 

Wide format Vutek printers employing only the highest quality inks from 3M and Fuji are used to print our vinyl and polyester materials with widths up to 16 feet.  Fabrics printed with either Dye Sublimation of solvent inks assure that your imagination is the only limitation on the design of trade show exhibits.

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Don’t Get The Boot From Your Convention Center Fire Marshal

Don’t get the boot from your convention center fire marshal make sure you comply with the         NFPA 701 standard.

Reported in the trade journal Fabric Graphics the following could impact your display.

On arrival of the local fire marshal to a trade show convention hall in the middle of booth setup flammability tests were performed. A sample of the materials used in the display were set alight and failed to meet the flame-retardant-buttonminimum standards required at this venue. Time and expense of this event were put in jeopardy by the use of inferior materials for the sake of a few dollars saved.

Many venues have different flame resistance performance requirements so check that the materials you use meet these requirements.  Check to see if the certifications from your print provider will satisfy the local venue avoiding onsite testing.

The lesson here is to be sure that your print provider is providing materials that meet the NFPA 701 standard.  Ask your print provider to provide the certifications before you find yourself making friends with your local fire marshal.

Having invested considerable time and resources in your new trade show booth don’t lose it all by compromising on the materials your large format printer provides. Not all materials are made to the same standard, and some materials will not meet the National Fire Protection Codes for fire safety found in the NFPA 701 standard.

decabromodiphenylether (deca-BDE)

It’s just as important to know that the fire retardant compounds in the material have not been banned for use in your state. There are many compounds used to make materials fire retardant with decabromodiphenylether (deca-BDE) common until recently banned in 28 US states. Most US manufacturers have voluntarily replaced this compound with effective substitutes.

At PrintB3 we certify all our roll stock materials are FR and 1000DNx1000DN. Safest and strongest product in the market. This goes hand in hand with our commitment to 3M Certification 5 year MCS Warranty, B3 is committed to providing the best materials and inks for the finest output products for all our customers.

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