Digital Output’s Application of the Year awards are designed to showcase digitally printed projects representative of the current state of the graphic arts. This year’s winner, an expansive job for Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre’s visitor center in Denver, CO by FASTSIGNS of DTC of Centennial, CO, perfectly illustrates themes discussed in our state of the industry report on page 19. Most specifically, versatility. FASTSIGNS of DTC did a remarkable job creating a variety of applications—wallcoverings, directional signage, posters—that modernized the space while honoring its prestige in outdoor music history.
Hectic Construction
FASTSIGNS of DTC celebrates over 30 years in business, with 15 employees working in 7,000 square feet of space. If offers signs and graphics to the entire state of CO, with a specialization in architectural signage. Buddy Williams, president, FASTSIGNS of DTC adds that three to five other projects are contracted every year that end up in states besides CO.
For the recent project at Red Rocks’ visitor center, FASTSIGNS of DTC found itself immersed in 15 different types of signage from commemorative plaques and wall graphics to outdoor pylons and rotating artist posters. Installers were on site for almost six months installing finished graphics in phases. This occurred with the concert venue open, so staff had to work around visitors.
An additional challenge, active construction. The project was not a simple graphics refresh. The visitor center hadn’t been updated in over 20 years, so demolition and building occurred simultaneously. It was the contractor—Haselden Construction—that chose FASTSIGNS of DTC for this particular job.
“We worked with Haselden prior and have done work at Red Rocks on a previous construction phase with a different general contractor, so we were familiar with the location. Haselden chose us because it believed we could deliver value in engineering while not reducing quality or taking away from design intent. Also, it knew we could install in a tight time frame while part of a hectic construction site,” explains Williams.
Signage Variety
One of the 15 types of signage to appear in the visitor center are wallcoverings. Over 850 square feet of DreamScape material was printed on an Epson SureColor S80600 64-inch printer with Epson UltraChrome GS3 nine color solvent ink to create dynamic imagery depicting CO and the park. “The designer chose DreamScape as she wanted a true texture-like wallcovering, and we had good experience with the product printing beautifully on the Epson SureColor S80600,” shares Williams.
The Epson SureColor S80600 was also used to print posters of past concerts held at Red Rocks. These were printed on Sihl Inc. 3686 TriSolv PrimeArt poster paper.
To produce other signage like commemorative plaques, FASTSIGNS of DTC purchased new hardware—an Epson SureColor F6470H 44-inch dye-sublimation (dye-sub) printer and heat presses. Dye-sub was chosen for its color vibrancy and gamut, which is achieved with Epson UltraChrome DS ink. The FASTSIGNS of DTC team had to learn how to produce metal signage via dye-sub on ChromaLuxe metal sublimation blanks.
As this was the first project with this equipment setup, Williams notes it “took some effort to troubleshoot and dial in.”
Between 700 to 900 square feet of ChromaLuxe metal is part of the many directional and informational signs placed around the visitor center. “ChromaLuxe was integral to the project as vibrancy, texture, and long image life were critical. Dye-sub metal prints are resistant to wear and cleaning compared to other types of first surface printing as this is a high-traffic area. Additionally the textured surface of ChromaLuxe is perfect to help defuse the down lighting in the space and looks brilliant,” says Williams.
Meeting Standards
Reflecting on the finished project, Williams notes some of challenges unique to this job. For one, since construction was occurring in real time, installation methods for certain graphics often couldn’t be determined until the structure was finished. Additionally, FASTSIGNS of DTC chose to re-use and repurpose various materials, which meant de-installing and re-installing items that were over 20 years old.
Finally, Williams says the quality standards were high. “Because we were working on such a world famous and cherished venue, everyone was very intense and insistent on extreme quality standards.”
Fortunately, the goal of creating a modern immersive experience was met and FASTSIGNS of DTC’s talents are fully on display. In fact, the city of Denver contracted the franchise to continue updating and maintaining the graphics.
Winning Job
FASTSIGNS of DTC remains versatile in its service offerings thanks to a willingness to upgrade its equipment list and work with a variety of media. This is why the print provider was able to complete a range of signage from dye-sub on metal to textured wallcovering media for the Red Rocks project. This job is an excellent representation of the type of work driving the graphic arts forward, which is why it was chosen as 2026’s top Application of the Year.
To read about the second, third, and honorable mention winners of Digital Output’s Application of the Year contest visit the website digitaloutput.net.
