Page 34 - Print21 Jan-Feb 2020

Wide Format Printing
Top20Tips
for wide format printing
(part 1)
It is easy to come a cropper with wide format printing, but not if you follow the Top 20 Tips from John Buitenkamp at industry supplier Starleaton. Watch out for part 2 with the second half of the Top 20 Tips in the next issue of Print21.
1Know the application
There is a media for every conceivable application, but none that covers them all. It is vital to know what the application is, where the print will be, and what it will
be used on – inside or outside? In front of glass or behind it? Are the floor graphics going on carpet, tiles or something else?
Is the wall graphic going on a textured
or smooth surface? Long or short term? High tack or low tack? There are so many variables – and just because your customer asks for a certain media does not mean it will be the most suitable for the job.
2Make site visits
Your client may tell you the job is for an exterior window, but they may not mention it is 40 floors up, or that the wall has just freshly been painted with Teflon paint. Site visits pre-quoting will help you assess what is involved – you will see the location and the surface the print is to be applied to, and it will help you avoid nasty surprises afterwards.
3Know your media
Make sure you fully understand the media you use before you introduce
it to your customers.
How does it behave on
my printer? Does it give consistent quality? Is
there consistent supply? What does my installer think of the product and how it behaves? It might
be cheaper, but if your installer takes longer because of the product, all the savings go to waste. Stick to the media you know and like to work with, so you can be assured of delivering good quality to your customer every time – and be prepared to say no.
4Think about the future
With climate change top of the agenda, clients are increasingly looking for sustainable solutions from their suppliers. Can you print onto recyclable media, and will that media
be recycled in Australia or shipped offshore? PVC-free media is available – you can offer it to your clients, and thus differentiate yourself from your competitors.
5
While a roll-to-roll printer takes up minimal floor space – less than half a
metre by two metres in many cases – do
not underestimate the amount of space you need. Invest in a finishing table, and one that is much bigger than you imagine will be necessary. I would say that means at least two metres by three metres.
6Invest in decent finishing equipment
Labour is a major part in the cost of running your business, so use it wisely. Investing in quality finishing equipment will save you time and money in the long run. You can pay $5000 for a laminator,
or between three and four times that for
a quality system. Lamination is often
the final part of the process, following design and printing – both of which have time and care invested in them, while lamination is often seen as something that just needs doing. But it should be seen as a value add, something that gives the client extra, whether that is protection or the matte or gloss look, and as such it is best
to invest the same attention into it as into printing. If you are two thirds of the way through laminating a five-metre print and something goes wrong because you are not confident in your laminator, you will suffer a lot of waste in time and money.
Make sure you have the
space you need
34 Print21 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020