By Melissa Donovan
Part 2 of 2
Floor graphics are an ideal option for marketers or brand owners looking for an add-on to an existing marketing plan or a standalone component in a one-off job. However, certain factors must be considered before a print service provider (PSP) can choose the correct media for the project at hand.
Veteran organizations, like 858 Graphics Inc. of San Diego, CA, ask specific, targeted questions to ensure customers are delivered the ultimate floor graphic.
Dual Locales
Started in 2007, 858 Graphics has offered floor graphics since its inception. Other services include oversized prints, banners, stickers, outdoor signs, vehicle graphics, trade show displays, small format, and promotional items. About five percent of its current business is floor graphics.
Housed in a 10,000 square foot production facility, the company works with a UV flatbed printer, equipped with a roll-to-roll option, in addition to a large eco-solvent printer. With clients nationwide, it offers same day service and delivery anywhere in the country.
About five years ago, 858 Graphics purchased it’s now sister company—Las Vegas Printing Company, based in Las Vegas, NV. This second location offers oversized prints, banner printing, sticker printing, and outdoor signage. It also prints floor graphics.
Determining the Media
According to Cole Canedy, regional sales associate, 858 Graphics, when deciding which type of media to create a floor graphic with, the team at both locations looks at the floor—whether smooth or concrete for example, intended duration the graphic will be in place, and the level of floor traffic. If a short-term graphic is requested, a low-tack media is used. If floor traffic is high, then a more aggressive finish is required.
858 Graphics and Las Vegas Printing have a healthy mix of repeat clients and new customers. Each are candidates for floor graphics. In both scenarios the same questions must be asked to determine whether a certain material is suited for the application.
“As long as the client discloses what application we are using it for, we generally can come up with the right option. If it is being placed outdoors we need to ask pointed questions. There are a lot more factors that come up there, like considering precipitation. If it is raining, you need a coarse, textured product so people won’t slip,” says Canedy.
Safety is a major concern and probably one of floor graphics customers’ biggest goals, he continues. Clients do not want to spend money on a graphic where people may get hurt and slip—it has to be durable.
The company works with media from 3M Commercial Solutions and AlumiGraphics by FloorSignage for most of its floor graphics. Common environments these are placed in include offices, usually indoors, and the graphics are either used for directional purposes or to reinforce a company’s image or brand, specifically a logo.
Success and Understanding
Understanding where a floor graphic will be placed is essential to how 858 Graphics and its sister company Las Vegas Printing effectively create a successful floor graphic. In doing so, it offers its client base top-notch service and quick turnarounds—features that define a reliable PSP.
Click here to read part one of this exclusive online series, High Traffic.
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Nov2015, Digital Output DOFL1511
