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USE FABRIC TO CREATE SIGNS THAT INFORM AND INSPIRE
Photo courtesy: Serge Ferrai/Soltis 86
Signs are essential in branding retail locations so people can find their favorite coffee shop, lunch spot or grocery store. Signs should also complement the surrounding architecture and help tell the business’s brand story. Fabric—with its diverse array of colors, weaves and finishes—gives sign makers the ultimate versatility to achieve these goals for their customers. With eradicable vinyl fabrics, fabrics that take pressure-sensitive film and printable fabrics available today, there’s no limit on creativity. SIGNS THAT MARK THE SPOT Backlit signs are the ultimate location finder for passing motorists and pedestrians. Whether it’s a backlit sign raised high or an awning with a business name and logo, these signs work hard both day and night. Using a backlit fabric such as Eradi-Lite®, available in 13 colors, is the most economical way to create a branded sign. It has an eradicable surface for simple lettering and logos and a special blend of plasticizers and elastomers that maintain flexibility while resisting plasticizer migration, staining or abrasion. Or select Cooley Brite®, available in 20 colors, with an eradicable ink top surface; the White/White Cooley Brite is solvent, UV and latex printable. “Eradicable fabrics make it simple to create eye-catching designs and add logos to backlit signs and awnings,” said Steve Daegling, Awning Products Manager for Trivantage. “It’s durable, easy to handle and makes economic sense for many signage needs.” SIGNS THAT INFORM AND PROTECT Printable fabrics make awnings, canopies and shade structures into signage for hospitals, hotels, restaurants and nursing homes, where entrances may require weather protection and identification. Herculite® Natura™, a vinyl composite supported by a polyester substrate, has the look and feel of a woven cloth on both sides for a classy appearance, and it can be digitally printed. It features Rain-Kleen® II protective finish
that resists stains and mildew and with an eight-year warranty is a good choice where the application calls for durability. Cooley Weathertyte®, a polyester fabric with a vinyl/acrylic finish, also has the appearance of a textured decorative fabric and is digitally printable. It has an eight-year warranty and when used on awnings and canopies, provides weatherproof protection. CREATE A SOPHISTICATED LOOK Function drove the invention of the awning, but while today’s shade structures still offer practical benefits, they do so with sophistication thanks to technical advancements in fabric. For example, Sunbrella® awning fabrics create a stylish look while offering excellent fade and weather resistance. With a 10-year warranty, Sunbrella fabrics are durable against the elements, and graphics can be applied using Sunbrella Graphics System (SGS) Thermal Digital Film. Simply print the design on SGS film and using an SGS machine, apply it to the fabric for a clean, refined look. SGS film is also available in black for applying lettering to awnings, umbrellas and other shade creations. “Over the years, municipalities have restricted where backlit signs can be used, especially in downtown areas,” said Drew Nelson, Printable Fabrics Product Manager with Trivantage. “The Sunbrella Graphics System has a high-end appearance that helps businesses put their best foot forward and is ideal for installations that incorporate top lighting.” GET CREATIVE Printable premium mesh fabrics, such as Serge Ferrari Soltis® 86, Soltis, 92, Soltis 93 and Soltis 99 offer sign designers a method of shading a building while creating an immersive brand experience: print images, graphic designs, school colors or whatever your imagination conjures up to tell your customer’s story. Soltis fabrics are ideal for tension shade structures where you want to maintain a view from underneath the shade structure or inside a building but need to block some sunlight. From the outside, passersby see only the design printed on the fabric. “Signs can inform and inspire if you tap into the wide variety of fabrics available,” Nelson said. “And your creativity will help your customers’ businesses grow.”
trivantage.com