By Melissa Donovan
Part 1 of 2
The financial sector is ripe for signage opportunities. Banks and credit unions require promotional messaging both inside and outside their brick-and-mortar locations. In addition, the recent boom in office décor—whether for branding, aesthetics, or privacy purposes—provides opportunities for digitally printed graphics. Print service providers (PSPs) should consider reaching out to local businesses to see if their signage needs are met.
Full-Service Facility
Founded in 1989 at Gigantic Color, a large portion of the company was sold in 2012 and rebranded as Dynamic Color Graphics. The name change came with an expansion of equipment in its portfolio, increased capabilities, and a move to a new location.
Today the PSP operates out of 17,700 square feet of space in North Richland Hills, TX with 18 employees. 13,000 square feet of that space is the press floor.
Referred to as a full-service, large format digital print facility, Dynamic serves the financial market, museums, hospitals, universities, retail locations, and restaurant chains locally and nationally. Products include window, wall, and floor graphics; specialty prints; banners and signage; trade show graphics; and custom vehicle wraps.
About 40 to 50 percent of the work completed by Dynamic involves financial accounts. Common jobs consist of welcome and directional signage, branded print materials, and office privacy vinyl. Environmental wall murals are also popular.
According to Joe Shankles, senior account executive, Dynamic, banks and financial institutions request these items for aesthetic purposes, branding, privacy, and promotional opportunities.
“Banks can request signage on numerous materials, in any shape imaginable. This usually includes branded signage—logos or three-dimensional lettering, plus informational large format prints and directional materials. It can also include decorative pieces for the branch walls, such as conference room graphics, privacy glass, and interchangeable backlit graphics for seasonal or credit promotions,” says Shankles.
This is all possible thanks to the print provider’s two EFI VUTEk GS3250 UV printers. Purchased in 2012, one device is roll-fed and the other is a hybrid with the capability to handle roll and rigid materials up to ten feet wide. Graphics are finished with a Colex Finishing Solutions router table, which provides the capability to cut substrates up to one-inch thick.
Signage in the financial sector is color critical. To address color expectations, Dynamic has its customers send physical samples or digital brand standards like RGB, CMYK, and Pantone information. A prepress production team analyzes and edits the art files ensure print readiness and consistent branding. After printing, a QA manager evaluates each product.
Keeping pace with the many orders that come into the shop is a challenge. One of the ways Dynamic fulfills its order requests quickly and well is by outsourcing its installations. It maintains a close relationship with D7 Art Services. The owner Aryn Dalton, according to Shankles, is flexible, easy to work with, and detail orientated.
Many of the financial institution jobs that Dynamic handles are local to TX, which makes it easy to outsource install to just D7 Art Services. The clients may come to the PSP directly or an agency representing them may request graphics.
In either scenario, requests usually involve some form of variable data and multiple SKUs. Dynamic built custom web portals for clients that allow each individual location to select and purchase variable printed products online. Quality control is managed by the print provider working with corporate on which elements of the artwork and messaging each location has access to.
Banking Trends
A bank may use signage for a lot of reasons. Recently, Shankles came across a few prevalent trends. “Banks today are often promoting their digital capabilities on their signage. They want consumers to use their online bank, so they utilize large format informative signs to educate customers on the process. They also use LTO rollouts decoratively, for instance, heart danglers during Valentine’s Day. Decorations like this make the bank feel more inviting to customers.”
Financial institutions like banks or credit unions are not immune to bigger signage trends. Take for example the increasing use of decorative vinyl in an office setting, or privacy vinyl between teller stations.
Dynamic recently completed a job for Community Resource Credit Union in Baytown, TX. It created privacy screens printed on dusted crystal vinyl for the institution’s meeting room. The PSP completed the printing, kiss cutting, weeding, and masking in house.
“The most challenging aspect of offsite installations are getting accurate measurements. It can be a challenge for communication and art file building. In this case, we sent a representative to the site to ensure accurate measurement for the privacy glass,” explains Shankles.
Potential Customers
PSPs already offering applications like wayfinding signage, seasonal décor, and wall or window graphics should look to financial institutions as potential customers. Many of the requests and dealings are similar to retail, restaurant, and hospitality clients.
The next article in this two-part series looks at another PSP serving clients from financial backgrounds.
Click here to read part two of this exclusive online series, High Demand in Banking.
Apr2020, Digital Output
