Tuesday, 19 Apr 2016 13:26 GMT

Flexible Material Innovation – Part 1

There is a new world of materials being developed all the time in both the sign-making and wide-format print markets. Jo Golding finds out how the sector is being driven forward into the future

Material renovation

“As new materials are engineered, the volume of new applications is expanding all the time.” This statement from Andrew Simmons, sales director at Soyang Europe, sums up the flexible material market well. In this case, he is talking about textiles, but there are many different materials that are growing in their versatility and allowing sign-makers to produce something new and exciting.


Andrew Simmons, sales director at Soyang Europe, says materials will get more lightweight in the future which will in turn improve ease of use



Delving deeper into this topic, I want to find out what trends are driving this sector forward and what flexible materials are out there for sign-makers to explore. Also important to think about is how these materials will progress in the future or whether they have hit their creative limit.

Marvellous materials

Simmons continues: “Digitally printable textile has a number of benefits; primarily that the finished effect achievable is visually stunning and is being adopted into high-end POS and retail areas as well as the exhibition industry, where lightbox applications are popular. Textile is lightweight, easy and cost-effective to transport and it is far less likely to be damaged in transit than rigid substrates. It also carries great green credentials, being recyclable and lightweight to transport, cutting down on carbon emissions.”

As Simmons notes, retail is one of the biggest sectors demanding more from materials, especially when it comes to environmentally-friendly substrates. With this in mind, Soyang Europe is manufacturing products that can be used in a variety of different applications.

“True to form, at Soyang we literally have Every Surface Covered,” explains Simmons, adding: “We have digitally printable, flexible materials that incorporate flooring, wallcovering, self-adhesive vinyl, backlit material, and more. We have recently launched two new material ranges; SoDecor is a collection of digitally printable wall-paper and we’ve also introduced the European manufactured Decal range of materials.

“We hold over 1.4 million sq m of the highest quality materials in our Lancashire warehouse, available on a next-day delivery, providing the print industry with a huge selection of both staple sign and graphics products, through to niche materials like G-Floor and AlumiGraphics.”

Soyang Europe’s G-Floor product was showcased at the recent FESPA Digital exhibition, where visitors could see the flexible PVC substrate for themselves. The company will also be making its usual appearance at Sign and Digital UK, where this year it will launch a new range of interior décor products as well as show-case its wide range of existing solutions.


Soyang Europe’s lightbox in their showroom displays the quality that can be achieved with their range of backlit textiles



Regarding the future of this sector, Simmons believes there is much more to come with flexible materials. He says: “We are only just scratching the surface with textile substrates. As new textiles are manufactured, we will see lighter weight materials, reducing transport costs, improving ease of use and also ticking the box as a green solution.”

Spandex has recently brought the next generation vehicle wrap product to the market, which claims to be ‘ultra-conformable’. Available in 14 colours, 3M Wrap Film Series 1380 is a vinyl film designed for vehicle wrapping, decoration, and full wraps. It can be re-positioned easily and has a bubble-free finish. Spandex also revealed a new range of wall films from Avery Dennison, the MPI 8000 Wall Film Series, which can be used to decorate areas in sectors such as hospitality, retail, and exhibitions.

ImagePerfectTM 2420 ETU Wallpaper from Spandex, with ETU standing for ‘easy to use’, is a new paper that is ideal for wall decorations in sectors such as retail and education. It has been designed with a water-activated paste that makes it easy to hang once activated and then dries in a solid bond. The paper can be applied after being dipped in water, which has been said to save time by around 50 percent.


ImagePerfect 2420 from Spandex is an ‘easy-to-use’ paper that is ideal for environments such as retail and education



ImagePerfect 2557 is another new product being launched by the company which can be used for special effects such as frosting and one-way vision. Both of the new products have been designed with digital printing on large-format inkjet printers in mind, and can be used with eco-solvent, solvent, UV cured, and latex inks.


ImagePerfect 2557 from Spandex is a transparent film that can liven up spaces with vibrant imagery



Balancing act

While serving the customers’ needs is of course important, there has to be a balance between that, using your own imagination, and improving existing product lines, explains Ian Simister, Metamark’s sales director. He says: “End-users, and our customers who supply them, are always finding new things to do with the advanced and improved materials we produce, and new application venues for them. One major opportunity in particular, is décor.

“Décor is a small word that we all know, but it encompasses a lot of application space that we’ve yet to discover and commercially exploit. If you think in terms of available surfaces in domestic dwellings, walls in restaurants and corridors in large buildings as being indicators of the sheer scale, it’s obvious that this is going to be a major market—quite possibly bigger than vehicle wrapping.”

Décor is a small word that we all know but it’s obvious that this is going to be a major market—quite possibly bigger than vehicle wrapping”


With Simister noting the growth of the décor market, it is no surprise that Metamark have recently introduced a range of films for décor applications—the DécorMark range.
 
Simister adds: “Imagine something you can apply to any sound surface but that prints like MD5 prints and you’ll get the idea. DécorMark is used to transform spaces and we think the adoption of digitally printable wall coverings is going to be such that it rapidly eclipses other means of decorating. It represents a major commercial opportunity, and the great thing is, it’s accessible with the hardware and skills our industry already possesses. I’d encourage everyone to get in touch with Metamark and find out more.”

Simister says Metamark will keep making materials that help customers with any application that they encounter. With this in mind, he explains that Metamark’s materials fall mainly into four categories: “There’s our portfolio of MD-Class Digital media, our cut and applied Coloured SignVinyl ranges, our Specialities portfolio which includes, for example, Window Films, and there’s our newly announced DécorMark range of decorative products.”

Simister says Metamark MD5, from the MD-Class digital media portfolio, produces “larger than life colours and fabulous results”. The wrapping film MD-X is said to be very durable and compliant during application, while Metamark’s coloured materials are high quality in both application and finish.

“In the specialist ranges we have some printable etch effect window films and dozens of other hard-to-find material types that are always on the shelves with us. Customers may use these materials infrequently or they may have them on regular call—either way, some stunning work results,” explains Simister.

The technology behind materials, Simister believes, “could lead us anywhere”, adding: “For our part, Metamark will continue to advance on a broad front behind signing and décor products and we’ll refine those products to make them the best they can possibly be. We’ve recently expanded our laboratory facilities in support of this effort. There’s ground to be won by making adhesives that exceed those currently available and we have a major initiative to ensure our materials can handle the needs of ever faster hardware.”

“In general, Metamark is a market led company in addition to one of the industry’s most prolific innovators. I’d say we’ll advance by growing the market for our customers through inventive application developments and by crafting materials behind sound science and a commitment to total quality.”

Environmental concerns

Mike Collins, product manager, sign and display at Antalis UK believes there is an increasing demand for new, affordable, and productive print technology, and has seen more focus on environmentally-friendly production methods.


Mike Collins, product manager, sign and display at Antalis UK, says environmentally-friendly technology and ink has opened the interior creative space



Collins comments: “Increased environmental concerns are leading many businesses to invest in products such as Priplak, a market leading range of environmentally-friendly polypropylene available in a huge array of finishes and colours. And in line with the ongoing trend for bespoke interior decorating we have also introduced the Coala and Graham & Brown range of wallcovering materials: a vibrant range of materials available in a variety of creative embossings and application types.

“Antalis prides itself on having nation-wide coverage and being a one stop shop for our customers sign and display needs and our industry experts have market leading brands in rigid and roll media.

“More and more print businesses are investing in flatbed UV printers and we have a fantastic range of products from 3A Composites, ideal for use on these machines, including the new Dispa all paper recyclable display board for hanging signage.”

O Factoid: Graphene is said to be one of the strongest but most flexible materials to exist. Reported to be tougher than diamonds but with a stretch like rubber, Graphene also conducts electricity and heat. O


When thinking about how materials will progress in the future, Collins is certain environmentally-friendly technology means more opportunities for sign-makers and printers: “Environmentally-friendly print technology and inks have opened the interior creative space with textiles and wallcoverings and this will continue to become more affordable and mainstream. For larger volume users, developments in faster, more productive print technology will provide challenges that need to be met with coating technology and finishing to avoid a production bottleneck.”


Antalis launched the Coala range of media in line with popularity around bespoke interior decorating



So, it seems that materials have not hit their creative limit quite yet with growth still strong in areas such as textiles, décor, and environmentally-friendly materials. This is resulting in more creative substrates such as wallpapers, floor graphics, and vinyl films. It is now up to the sign-maker to do their research into all the different materials and find the one that can help them add a new facet to a service they are already providing or maybe even diversify into a completely new area—if you flick through the news pages of SignLink, you can see that a little change can make all the difference.

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