By Cassandra Balentine
Media is an essential component to any print job. Depending on job requirements and the customer’s prefer-ences, print service providers benefit from stocking a wide range of media options.
Canvas is a popular media choice for many applications due to its durability, affordability, and versatility. This two-part series profiles two different print shops that stock and regularly print to canvas materials.
Marketing Focused
Established in 2017, SignumSix is a one-stop-shop digital and print marketing agency for small businesses. It is located in Carol Stream, IL and occupies 1,500 square feet of space in a large office building.
The business started out as a digital marketing agency and within three months invested in bringing wide format print capabilities in house because it saw a solid need for large format printing services.
The company’s goal is to provide a place where a small business owner could come to get all of their marketing needs met—from logo and website design to in store, point of purchase displays. “We wanted to be the folks to help small business owners promote their brand. Think of us as a partner for your business, we have over 30 years of collective experience in the marketing and print industry and we want to put that to good use,” say Na-da Djuric and Emmanuel Maraz, owners, SignumSix.
This is achieved through a range of traditional marketing tools and print services including signage, vinyl, win-dow displays, flyers and brochures, banners, decals, and vehicle wraps.
About 85 percent of the company’s business services are centered on print, and of that approximately 15 per-cent is completed on canvas.
“We are fortunate to service many businesses in our immediate surroundings as well as the greater Chicago area. We have also successfully worked with out-of-state businesses on our printed deliverables. We com-municate with our clients through any means convenient for them—calls, text messages, emails, Google Hangout calls, or in person—and thus we are not limited to the area we can serve,” share Djuric and Maraz.
Canvas Appeal
According to Djuric and Maraz, canvas is relatively inexpensive and very versatile. A large portion of its canvas prints are done in house for in-business advertising or custom interior design. “The prints are not costly to the client, but they appear very high quality and are easily customizable,” they add.
Djuric and Maraz say the company has produced custom prints for businesses in the health industry, such as chiropractic offices and spas, office spaces for small to mid-sized businesses, private doctors’ offices, and law offices. “Often the measurements are custom because they are filling a specific space. Additionally, canvas is popular for team photos and event photos.”
The company primarily uses a Roland DGA Corporation TrueVIS VG-640 to print on canvas, a variety of finish-ing tools, including canvas pliers, standard gallery stretcher bars, and a staple gun. “We often get bars that are longer and have to be cut to size so we can offer custom dimensions,” explain Djuric and Maraz.
For media, Sihl Inc. Picasso canvas is typically used.
Recent Work
Recently, SignumSix completed a custom print job for Viride Wellness Spa, a local business in Carol Stream. “The spa and services expanded to include bamboo massage certification training and we created a print that was designed, printed, and finished in house,” explain Djuric and Maraz.
Working closely with the business owner, Von Dirr, to convey the message she envisioned for the print, Sig-numSix discussed the placement of the print in the space before completion. It included a bit of a different fin-ish, featuring bars at the top and bottom but not the sides of the canvas. The final print is hanging in the busi-ness’ training space.
Upgrade in Sight
By the end of the year, SignumSix is planning to acquire another Roland printer. “We are happy with the quality of the finished product—whether it be vinyl decals, canvas, or car wraps. Our production can certainly use an-other printer as business has been increasing due to word of mouth,” say Djuric and Maraz.
Additionally, the company plans to partner up with a local startup for apparel printing, and hopes to expand in that area as well. “We remain committed to our clients and being a one-stop shop for all of their print needs. We continue to offer print products for our clients at very competitive prices because we want to see them grow and contribute to our success,” they conclude.
Small Business Focused
Print service providers like SignumSix are focused on being a print partner. As a one-stop shop, the company relies on canvas as a versatile, high quality, and cost-effective solution.
Click here to read part two of this exclusive online series, Confident with Canvas.
Click on the link above to get more information on the vendors mentioned in this article.
Aug2018, Digital Output
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