By Digital Output Staff
Take advantage of everything the International Sign Association (ISA) has to offer by visiting its flagship event in Las Vegas, NV at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from April 12 to 14, 2023.
The ISA International Sign Expo encourages all members of the sign and graphics industry to attend and create lasting connections with fellow attendees, exhibitors, and presenters.
Above: Learn about the Lumina by FDC portfolio of digital media like its FDC 3400 Holographic Film in booth 1221.
Hit the Floor
The show floor is packed with new and established vendors. We include some of their plans here.
Advanced Greig Laminators (AGL), booth 3145, displays its Patriot and Encore SH laminators. Each are designed with several unique features that maximize efficiencies in a finishing department. The Patriot is a high-performance laminator for high-volume businesses with a variety of printing systems. Aqueous, solvent, latex, even UV printed materials are no problem for the Patriot. Available options such as air shafts, anti-static, trimming, and slitting systems makes the Patriot a productive and efficient laminator. One Patriot operator can perform the same application as four operators on a lesser laminator. The Encore SH is a top heat laminator with pneumatically controlled wind up stations to make roll-to-roll applications easy and trouble free. While this feature is ideal for wraps, the Encore SH is also versatile enough for fine art applications.
Advertising Ideas, booth 2675, prints and manufactures custom tents, custom advertising feather flags, table covers, step-and-repeat backdrop banners, vinyl banners, advertising inflatables, wind dancer air puppets, and trade show displays. It specializes in printing on fabric, banner material, canvas, and rigid substrates for trade professionals such as sign shops, print shops, graphic designers, advertising agencies, and promotional product brokers. Expect the best quality products, great service, fast turnaround, and very competitive pricing. It always keeps a good communication line with customers and believes that it’s important for both the customer and seller to have a great business relationship. All of its custom products are printed and manufactured in the company’s facility in Los Angeles, CA.
Budget Inks, booth 3110, is a wholesale supplier for Epson, HP, Mimaki, Mutoh, and Roland digital printing inks. Also in stock, direct to garment and direct to film inks, media, equipment, and supplies. The company offers quality you can trust with printability, durability, better adhesion, and higher scratch resistance. Users can plug and print, no flushing required. All products are OEM matched and 100 percent guaranteed.
Caldera, booth 2022, demonstrates Caldera PrimeCenter for high-performance nesting and job preparation. PrimeCenter helps print businesses streamline and automate print-and-cut workflows to reduce production costs, save time, and maximize machine uptime. Caldera’s new solution gives print service providers the power to create job preparation recipes for accurate and consistent results while optimizing media usage with advanced job nesting. Reduce time spent on repetitive tasks by up to 30 percent and speed up job preparation by up to three times with PrimeCenter.
Digital Graphic Systems, Inc., booth 3957, introduces its new product—BEEngo!, a rigid board design library offered online to wide format printers consisting of production-ready structural designs and all the support information to sell, manufacture, and assemble a range of structures using rigid substrates as the main raw material. With BEEngo! wide format printers are capable of making complex structures such as trade show booths, backdrops, photo booths, TV sets, furniture, and point of purchase displays. Materials recommended are lightweight rigid substrates such as honeycomb boards, foamboard, or any other half-inch rigid substrate that requires digital knife cutting to be processed. Each design package includes a universal format cut file, material count, 3D blank render, artwork, and assembly instructions. Print providers only need to add graphics, print, and cut. It is compatible with most table cutters on the market.
Digitech, booth 1824, shows the popular TruFire LTX2 printer as part of the world’s first print-and-cut system for rigid media. Introduced at ISA 2022 in Atlanta, GA a year ago, the TruFire LTX2 Print and Cut System is now installed all over North America. Providing simple automation, this high-capacity printer has been a real game changer in the market. Visit the booth to see intuitive workflow software, smart engineering, simple operation, and reliability that’s second to none.
Direct Color Systems, booth 4638, showcases its patented ADA/Braille printing process with the UV84 Gen2, the medium format UV53-DTS, and the small format 1800S15 and 1800S35. It provides demonstrations of ADA/Braille printing, textured 3D printing, and graphics printing.
FDC Graphic Films, Inc., booth 1221, is a master converter and distributor of sign vinyl films, digital media, overlaminates, banners, and heat transfer films since 1988. At the show, it features trusted, top-performing brands such as 3M, ASLAN, and Lumina by FDC. Highlighted products include 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes since FDC is the exclusive master distributor providing these products to 3M Authorized Distributors in the U.S. The Lumina by FDC portfolio of digital media, sign vinyl, and heat transfer vinyl product highlights include holographic film, ultra-metallic cast vinyl film, ultra-high gloss calendered film, etched glass film, and floor films. FDC featured services include striping, sheeting, punching, samples, and same day shipping programs with no minimum order requirements.
Frontline Metal, booth 1171, showcases state-of-the-art metal artwork and signage. Visitors can expect a variety of eye-catching pieces, each showcasing the company’s unique approach to metal art. Artwork is all CNC cut, hand ground, powder coated, and finished with a premium indoor top coat. This combination of precision and organic beauty will leave attendees in awe. Overall, the expo offers a great opportunity for visitors to see the quality of Frontline Metal’s work and experience the company’s full-service white-glove approach. Each piece on display is American-made to rigorous quality standards and backed by Frontline’s 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.
GCC America Inc., booth 4139, exhibits the latest positioning system, SmartEYES CCD, integrated with its S400 flagship laser engraver to allow users to see the working area in real time and accomplish quick and precise engraving and cutting jobs; the Spirit GLS Hybrid laser engraver that enhances productivity while engraving, cutting, and marking on organic and metal pieces; the Jaguar V vinyl cutter offers a section cutting connection with accuracy, no visible tracking mark remains, making it ideal for window tint and PPF cutting; and the Expert II vinyl cutter is known for its versatility and efficiency to meet any cutting process requirement.
Graphic Finishing Partners (Gfp), booth 1010, features the 663-TH Production Top Heat Laminator with Smart Finishing Technology. The laminator includes a digital microcontroller system, touchscreen user interface, swing-out supply film shafts, inline rotary slitters, rear take up for roll-to-roll operation, and a roll label printer to help manage supply inventory. Gfp also features the 563TH-4RS Top Heat Laminator with rear rewind and inline slitters, the 363-TH Top Heat Laminator with integrated rear rewind, 255-C Cold Laminator, and FT48 Finishing Table with transfer and cutting table sides. In addition, laminates and print media from the Gfp Film Products portfolio are processed through each machine.
Kern Laser Systems, booth 4057, shows its flagship large format CO2 laser, the OptiFlex; and the sheet metal cutter, the FiberCELL. It also displays an assortment of materials and samples that are cut by these machines.
Marabu North America, booth 1021, displays the StarLam 1600R laminator applying a smooth consistent coating of its water-based ClearShield liquid laminates. Handling a variety of substrates up to 64 inches wide, the StarLam makes liquid lamination consistent, quick, and easy to use. The innovative and proven system offers increased profitability by providing a cost effective, simple laminating solution. Water-based ClearShield liquid laminates protect prints against UV exposure, moisture, abrasion, chemical damage, and marring.
MUTOH, booth 1039, debuts its new dual-head printer, the XpertJet 1682SR Pro. Attendees can explore this printer’s unique capabilities and learn about the new technology the Pro Series of printers are equipped with. Built for professionals, the Pro Series is designed to produce top-quality print images, while maximizing your work day. MUTOH also has braille superstars, the XpertJet 461UF and XpertJet 661UF UV LED printers. The UV LED and eco-solvent technologies at MUTOH have plenty to offer your business.
Nekoosa, booth 3624, focuses on promoting its popular product brands like RTape, ClingZ, SYNAPS, Ztac, and Hi-Stat. It brings an abundance of printed samples so attendees can see, feel, and take materials with them. It also features a demonstration wall with different textures that unique materials can adhere to. Nekoosa’s booth promotes all of its product offerings including wide and grand format rolls, offset, screen, HP Indigo and dry toner sheets, cut films, application tapes and premasks, carbonless papers, and extruded films.
swissQprint America, booth 4939, presents its flagship flatbed printer, Nyala. The latest generation of Europe’s best-selling printer manages a maximum resolution of 1,350 dpi thanks to the latest printhead technology and precise droplet placement. The roll-to-roll option is an extension of its versatility. Visitors can also discover a range of creative application ideas. Especially neon inks, which are fluorescent in black light, are one focus of the show.
Vanguard Digital Printing Systems, a Durst Group Company, booth 4239, showcases an entire collection of innovative flatbeds, roll-to-roll, and hybrid printer solutions. The VK300D-HS UV LED flatbed printer offers increased throughput with print speeds of up to 3,400 square feet per hour (sf/h). The VR6D-HS UV LED flatbed printer is a great addition to any print shop with speeds of up to 1,280 sf/h. With print speeds of up to 3,000 sf/h and print quality that attracts new clients and brands, the VKR3200-HS is a 126-inch UV LED roll-to-roll printer. Vanguard also features the versatile hybrid printer, the VKH900-HS, which combines the VK300D-HS flatbed printer with the capabilities of the VKR3200-HS roll-to-roll printer. Durst Software & Solutions is also included in the booth. Durst Software provides smart and simple software solutions to streamline the process from pixel to output and to maximize the print buying experience.
Vision Engraving & Routing Systems, booth 2367, demonstrates print-to-cut and ADA Braille on its 2525 CNC Router/Engraver and 1624 Pro Engraver. The 2525 has many options including an Auto Raster Braille Inserter, DACS Print-To-Cut system, and Oscillating Knife. Vision’s 1624 Pro fits on most countertops and can produce a variety of custom signage. Both feature Vision’s Series 5 Controller and advance V-Touch Pendant with multi-functional touchscreen display. Vision also offers training with its VisionU program, learn new sign applications to generate revenue for your business. Vision offers small desktop sized engravers on up to 4×8-foot router/ engravers.
Beyond the Hall
In addition to the exhibition, the ISA International Sign Expo hosts a number of off-site events including ISA ROCKS, billed as the party “for the industry” and held at the Luxor pool; ISA INSTALL, a speed networking event that connects national sign companies to local sign and install companies across North America; and a meet up organized for young professionals.
This is the first part of our series on what to expect at the ISA International Sign Expo. Be sure to check out our April edition for more on what vendors plan on exhibiting at the show.
Mar2023, Digital Output
