Project Spotlight: Arbor Homes Awnings

These custom awnings illuminate
at night.

By day, these awnings give Arbor Homes a professional yet inviting look.
By night, they illuminate to add a sparkling touch.

This project takes advantage of 3M’s Panagraphics II, also known as
flexface. This translucent material allows light to shine through. A large
format digital print adds company branding to the awning.

Graphic Illuminated Awnings approached to us to assist with the project.
After printing, this custom print was passed on for final assembly and
installation.

Project Spotlight: Fleet of Dreams

Whether they are driving down the freeway or parked at a
job site, these wrapped trucks will make an impact on
potential customers. A crisp design and stylish photos
showcase the products and services that North Pacific
Supply Company offers.
Go here to read our full case study.

With the launch of 3M’s Controltac Plus with v2 adhesive, full-coverage vehicle wraps just got a little bit better. This material features a new “version two” adhesive that improves the already stellar durability of the material.
While this material performs similarly to the earlier version, it has a smoother look and it’s easier to remove once applied.
This material features an air release technology for quick bubble free installations. It works well on compound curves, and conforms to difficult surfaces. It will not shrink or crack and the edges will not lift. This means your fleet will reflect well on your company for a long time.

Controltac Plus is perfect for full-coverage
wraps like the digitial wrap shown here.

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If you don’t live in the world of printing, phrases like digital
printing versus screen printing might sound like gibberish. This following description is intended for a person who might need graphics but hasn’t delved into the industry.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is versatile, durable, and is used on thousands of items, including vinyl decals, plastic, banners, and even birthday cakes. We use UV-solvent ink that is well suited for printing decals and other durable projects. While our ink is great for our usage, you wouldn’t want us to use it on a birthday cake!

When we start a screen printing project, the first step is use high quality artwork. Once the artwork is ready, we create screens of the art. Each screen has a custom stencil designed for the print. We create a screen for each color used in the project.

In-line presses are used in
four-color or spot color processes.

At one point in time, screens were made of silk. Polyester and nylon are the common choices now.

We tend to use two different processes in our facility: spot color process or a four-color “CMYK” process.
C stands for cyan, M for magenta, Y for yellow, and K for black. These four base colors combine to make almost every color. The four color process is used when recreating colorful art, like photographs.
We use spot color for decals and signs that are not
CMYK. Spot colors are used for custom matches or
create images with solid vibrant colors.

Once the screens are completed, they are placed on the appropriate printing press. A squeegee pushes ink through the screen onto the waiting material (vinyl, styrene, etc) below. The press then runs the vinyl under UV lights to “cure” the ink. The print will be placed under a different screen for each color required for the project.

Once the project is printed, it is then passed onto our finishing department for the next step of the process.
Tune in to our June newsletter for more information on
what “finishing” actually means.


Digital Printing

Digital printers like this Vutek are
ideal for grand-format projects.

finished, we can add a laminate on the product to protect it from abrasions and outdoor light. We then send the product to our finishing department for the final touches.

Why Digital & Screen printing Work Well Together

Screen printing is a great way to make large run decals, POP displays, and similar products. It’s a cost-effective way to create hundreds or thousands of identical products.

Digital is ideal for short run—i.e. a limited number of decals or signs, say 1 to 100. It is perfect for large-format
projects like a truck wrap.

Between the two different processes, we can print virtually anything you will need for your fleet, retail, transit, and
OEM needs. Talk to your account representative if you have any questions about our different printing processes or
would like to take a tour.