Digital Print Media

Large Format Printer Maintenance

June 14, 2018 By Digital Print Media Editor

Maintaining your large format printer ensures that jobs are completed on-time and prints are of the highest quality.

Updated: 6/14/2018 – Your wide format printer will only work well if it is properly maintained. When you rely on your printer for your business, regular maintenance is vital. It is the kind of thing best done preventatively and regularly, instead of waiting for something to go wrong.

To keep your wide format printer functioning well for a long time to come, follow these tips for print head cleaning and more. You will also find a well-maintained printer makes better prints!

Supplies for Printer Maintenance

Have these supplies in stock for maintenance and repair. Each one plays an important role.

Gloves: Wear latex or nitrile gloves when performing printer maintenance. It is important to avoid direct contact with chemicals such as ink and cleaning solvents.
Eye Protection: Similarly, safety goggles protect your eyes. Just in case printer ink or other solvents splash, you will be glad you have the coverage!
Shop Wipes / Industrial Wipes: Paper towels are a must-have for quick clean up of any spills or messes.
Print Swabs: Print head swabs are one of the most important supplies to have on hand. These are used to clean the hard to reach areas of your wide format printer. When you use print swabs you can extend the life of your print heads and improve print quality.
Print Head Wipes: Use a polyester, lint-free wipe, with attributes similar to those of cleanroom wipes. Use these to clean print heads and other sensitive materials and areas of the printer.
Spray Bottle: Use this for careful, accurate spraying of your cleaning solvent. You should always refer to your specific printer manual for acceptable cleaning solvents.

Referring to Your Manual

The manual for your printer will give you specific instructions for maintenance. This includes how often you should clean and maintain your printer. It will also let you know which supplies and cleaners suit your specific machine. While some of these products are universal, like safety goggles and gloves, others will change with your printer make and model.

Other Maintenance Considerations

Factors like the environment in which your printer lives impact maintenance and cleaning. Think about the operating temperature and humidity — higher or lower levels can change your printer’s efficiency. The cleanliness of the area also matters.

Have questions regarding this topic? Leave a comment below to start the discussion.

Advantages of Bringing Wide Format Printing In-House

May 8, 2018 By Digital Print Media Editor

We ask our customers why they outsource rather than print in-house. The top 3 reasons are:

We lack the necessary space for all of the equipment.
It is more cost-effective to outsource.
It is a large project.

Below are 3 main points to take into consideration:

Cost

Typically, Short Run refers to projects of around 5,000 pages. These projects include the initial ones to think about bringing in-house so you can save costs.

Many printers are operating short run projects on a likewise digital printing press you’d be if you took the task in-house.

If you’re operating a 500,000-page project, however, outsourced printers may leverage printing technology, which can drive the cost/page down lower than you may print in-house on digital presses. Often, businesses order a larger amount to drive down the price just to find that they have to make changes to the paperwork six months down the road and still have a multitude of copies which now are obsolete.

The capability of printing on demand while operating jobs in-house permits you only to print the amount required, work under tight deadlines, make updates to a document, and generate new versions without the expensive premiums of proofs, setup, larger run sizes, and waste.

Color

Starbucks green, McDonald’s yellow, Coca-Cola red. These colors immediately bring these brands to mind because they have been so successful and consistent with their marketing.

Many companies have certain Pantone colors within their branding and logo shades, and the capability of replicating those exact colors while printing in-house usually is met with skepticism. In working with Fiery, colors may be repeatedly and accurately matched, irrespective of which program or application the projects are being printed from.

Workflow

Did you ever outsource an annual report or training packet? What about a task which involved putting together various printed tabs and sections, or which requires booklet finishing or GBC punch for a polished, professional appearance?

Although the task may appear complicated and not a job which would be cost-effective to take on in-house, technology today permits for in-line finishing like GBC punching, booklet-making, and trims which create the appearance of full-bleed booklets, all with one push of a button.

Workflow abilities permit you to program the task before printing, so that as you compile various printing and sections on tabs, all things come out without you needing to piece all of the sections together.

How to Choose the Right Wall Graphics for the Job

May 2, 2018 By Digital Print Media Editor

If you’re planning to do a makeover for your house or want to give a boring wall some life, consider a wall graphic. Apart from adding wonder and beauty to the interior, wall graphics also can be helpful in covering holes or patches on a wall. It may conceal some spaces in the wall while also making it gorgeous. If you’re considering wall graphics and want more information, take a look at these tips.

Use your interior style as a basis

If you choose to have a modern interior, make sure that the wall graphic also will appear modern. You also can consult the professionals as to what would appear right in your kind of interior. We offer full customization, so we can provide whatever you need to match or contrast with the intended space.

Bedroom wall graphics

If you have children in your home and want to place wall graphics in their bedrooms, we recommend allowing them to choose their own. Some parents have avoided wall graphics which have a lot of details and appear too realistic in favor of letting their kids choose graphics that would assist in widening their imagination.

Wall graphics for children’s bedrooms are typically lively and colorful. Your children’s favorite character may feature in an excellent wall graphic.

An adult’s bedroom, on the other hand, may have graphics depicting scenery and additional designs that interest the bedroom’s owner. White and black graphics are a current trend. However, there is plenty of opportunity to go wild with color. Wall graphics with pale colors tend to be better for bedrooms as they are less stimulating, but we will be guided by your needs and desires.

Living room graphics

For the living room, large wall graphics would work best if there’s a large and empty wall. Use colors present in your living room, so the colors complement and coordinate with one another. This will help ensure that large wall graphics inside your living room look great as backdrops for furniture and additional items.

Bathroom and kitchen graphics

When picking kitchen and dining area wall graphics, many people steer toward images of fruits, utensils, and other items related to food. For your bathroom, you might pick wall graphics of rivers, waterfalls, marine animals, and anything which may be connected to water. This makes sense, but we encourage you to be individual. If you have a unique idea, we’d love to hear it and we can make it happen.

3-D printed Floor Graphic Inspiration – Here are several 3-D floor graphics that were produced using photography:

Dolphins in the water hanging out in the laundry / bathroom

Star fish and corals ocean bottom floor graphic paired with a tropical-themed wall mural

Beach sand and water floor graphic with matching wall mural transform this room

Ideas for Eye-Catching Floor Graphics

April 26, 2018 By Digital Print Media Editor

Efficient advertising may be one of the best purchases to get folks to notice your company and branding. If you really want to get their attention, floor graphics can be ideal. Check out these helpful ideas to design eye-catching floor graphics.

Choose a high traffic area where the floor graphic can’t be missed.

Choose High Traffic Spaces for Placement

Select an area depending upon the purpose of your campaign or ad (hashtag promotion, location of a product, sale, opening announcement). Floor advertisements do not necessarily need to be placed close to a store or only work for brick-and-mortar businesses.

If you have a desire to promote a website or cause that targets locations in which your targeted audience spends time, floor graphics may be very effective. Keep in mind that they can work particularly well in places where folks stroll around with their heads down, listening to music or browsing their phones.

Stand Out Creatively

Innovative floor graphics will differentiate your business from the rest. Go for customized shapes, bold colors and short, clever copy to maximize the impact of every “impression.”

Keep it Brief

This black and white floor decal is simple, bold and stands out. Printed on **AlumiGraphics GRIP**

Keep your message direct and simple, depending upon the purpose of the floor decal. Think of the graphic’s size, the location, and purpose before deciding on the copy. Questions or general imperatives requiring instant action work best.

Use Contrasting Colors

Contrasting colors in design help to emphasize the portion of the message requiring the most attention. Also think about how to contrast colors in the design with the ones found inside the environment in which the floor design is going to be placed. Consider the type of floor and color ahead of time.

Get creative with “illusion art” such as this beach floor graphic. Photo Credit: https://www.mactac.eu

Make Quality Your Best Ally

Choose a floor graphic made from quality materials. The best selection is going to be one which offers a slip-resistant layer. High-quality may be measured through durability, so pick an option that is going to stand the test of time for the remainder of your campaign.

Design two-dimensional or three-dimensional floor graphics

Concentrate on visually-appealing graphics, as well as strong supporting elements. Two-dimensional and 3D floor graphics will attract more attention because consumers are surprised and appreciate a special product presentation. Two-dimensional and 3D floor graphics are usually more appealing and attractive than flat, traditional floor graphics, yet the design ought to really fit your marketing goal.