Doing the Paradigm Shuffle

Definitions change under the influence of time. Consider the word "permanent." Last time I checked, the dictionary offered the definition: "fixed and changeless, lasting or meant to last indefinitely." The beauty industry may have been the first to dilute the pure definition of this word by applying it to a chemical treatment of the hair that, in actuality, is very temporary. Subtle morphing of absolute definitions into less-defined contexts is occurring within the digital sign and printing industry as well. The word "permanent," as it relates to graphics, is accepted to mean a print that will last as long as possible, which by extension means three to five years, depending upon the technology used. A "permanent" vinyl sign might last five to seven years. As long as everyone agrees on the definition, no harm. However, it certainly explains the caution with which sign-makers approach the digital-print solution. We spoke with six of the industry’s digital-printing product experts on the slippery curve of pinning down definitions in the sign-making industry. The experts to whom we spoke are:

• Neal Baessler, product manager, Western Graphtec Inc., Irvine, CA

• James Gandy, vice president of production, Signtech USA Ltd., San Antonio

• James Gill, manager of application engineering, VUTEk Inc., Meredith, NH

• Dana Goodale, product manager, imaging products, Gerber Scientific Products Inc., Manchester, CT

• Pat Ryan, director of product marketing, ENCAD Inc., San Diego

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• Rick Scrimger, senior product manager, Roland DGA Corporation, Irvine, CA

Goodale notes that within the Gerber lexicon, "permanent" printing or graphics tends to be three years plus. "Of course, within any inkjet lexicon, it’s between a month and 18 months," he adds. "And that’s part of the issue — the redefinition of durable. I think overall, sign-makers are reacting with appropriate wariness about what durable is."

Scrimger acknowledges that a transition is occurring and that a new mindset is needed to meet it. Vinyl manufacturers in the past 10 years have developed and marketed products to last for set periods of time. Intermediate vinyls will last three to five years in any conditions, and cast vinyls will last five to seven years. These numbers have been burned so deeply into the sign-maker’s mind that the sign-maker expects an inkjet print to last three to five, or even five to seven years, even though manufacturers say the print will last for a year, or a year and a half with a laminate.

"So it’s a perception issue," Scrimger continues, "and I think what is going to happen is we might see some of those roots being severed from that five- to seven-year application because they’re going to find out they’re putting together these five- to seven-year products that are being torn off in a year. I think it’s going to come back around, and people are going to understand that certain applications have different cycles. Not everything needs to last five to seven years."

Sounds like the time is ripe for a paradigm shift. Only a few years ago that buzz phrase gained popularity as people sought ways to succeed, despite changing circumstances. We were encouraged to shift our "paradigm," defined as the framework of concepts from which we operate, and view the new environment or situation from a changed perspective.

A sign-maker’s paradigm shift would result in the words "durable" or "permanent" accurately meaning two different things — one from the standpoint of vinyl signs, and the other defining the longevity of a digital print produced by varying technologies. Instead of fighting the differences, or waiting for the old and the new to fit under the umbrella of one definition, each production method should be accepted and dealt with on the merits of its unique capabilities. That is the perfect world scenario. In reality, sign-makers experience more of a paradigm shuffle. Torn between the need to adapt and the desire to maintain business as usual, signshops are slowly taking steps toward digital integration.

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Longevity in the paradigm shuffle

Recent industry research estimates that approximately 10 to 15 percent of sign-makers have incorporated wide-format digital printing into their business and are averaging 30 to 40 prints per week, relates Ryan. (Editor’s note: This is from C.K. Assoc.’s survey of 113 signshops. ST’s State of the Industry surveys show an average of 36 percent. This survey reflects information from 887 signshops.)

Baessler describes the quest for three- to five-year longevity outdoors as "the Holy Grail of all inkjet printers." While manufacturers pursue with Indiana Jones-like zeal the ability to offer that longevity, sign-makers can still create a strong business around short-term graphics, which tend to be sales, promotions and event signage. "There has been progression on longevity outdoors with these digital-printing devices, and it will continue to improve," Baessler says, "But the point is you can’t wait for that. You have to look at the machine and the way it can be used now to create a profit center for your business. Then, if the inks and media come about to offer what the sign-makers ultimately want, they will already be there with an established customer base and their learning curve behind them."

Outdoor inks, in conjunction with waterproof vinyl and banner materials, provide viable, eye-catching graphics for messages whose content is short-lived. According to Ryan, research confirms that these short-term products are well received in the market. But before sign-makers will fully embrace inkjet printing, manufacturers must guarantee lightfastness without lamination. Vinyl-cut signs, which represent 80 percent of the commercial-sign market, will not be replaced with inkjet until it can provide three to five years of outdoor durability without the need for lamination.

Ryan continues, "Recent research shows that quite a large percentage of products made by today’s commercial signshops only need six to 18 months outdoor durability, which is a segment of products that inkjet can do and do well. And the sign industry, to some extent, has been slow to adopt that particular technology for producing short-term outdoor window graphics and banners. Obviously, inkjet cannot provide the kind of durability we need for long-term, on-premise signage or vehicle graphics, which is a large percentage of the business. But in those areas that inkjet can compete because the durability requirements are less, it can provide a much lower labor rate to produce multi-color graphics, and has the ability to implement both photographic or robust 3-D graphics, composite images, gradients, and textured backgrounds."

Baessler recounts a recent conversation with an enthusiastic customer who was successfully integrating digital applications into her existing business. He asked if she was concerned, as most sign-makers are, about not matching the three- to five-year outdoor life. She said she recognized the limitations of this technology and focuses on quick event signage, such as building contractors, who may only need a sign to display their project for a matter of months, or advertisers using small signs on buses. "So you have those sign-makers who are entrepreneurial, who seek out the business that is out there," Baessler says, "which allows them to use this technology to add to and compliment their existing business."

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Not your average sign-maker

Sign-makers, of course, make up only a percentage of those bringing digital production into their businesses. Much digital equipment is now used by service bureaus, commercial photo labs, screen printers, exhibit builders, digital print shops, ad agencies and fine artists.

The fact is, a homogenous definition of a sign-maker isn’t possible with the changing dynamics of the sign industry. As Scrimger describes, "I think you’ll start to see wider varieties of services from what’s called ‘Super Signshops.’ They’ll be able to offer Web signage, Web design, and re-purpose that same information into making banners, and vehicle graphics with vinyl. If they’re able to add those services, and have a full, value-added product cycle, it would be almost a one-stop shop.

"You’re going to see sign-makers," Scrimger adds, "taking business away from service bureaus, and you’re going to see service bureaus expanding and taking away business from photo studios. So, there’s going to be some consolidation. Definitely the mergers and acquisitions from the ’90s aren’t over yet."

As an increasing number of related but competitive businesses share a common denominator of digital equipment and printing capabilities, the sign industry must solidify its image in the graphic-buying public’s eyes, according to Goodale. He elaborates, "It’s a matter of getting back to the issues of marketing, cementing your customer relationships, and making sure your customers are familiar with your capabilities. Also, make sure you provide a solution to a problem, as opposed to just outbidding the guy down the street. Using automation to drive your costs down is good, but you shouldn’t use automation to drive your profits down."

Goodale continues, "You need to stand out in somebody’s mind that you really helped them out of a bind that last time, so you’re the one they’re going to call because they know you can help them out again. It’s a matter of getting away from cost-based marketing and moving toward solution-oriented marketing."

More choices for the digital print shop

"With the cost of devices coming down," Scrimger says, "you’re going to see more people in a mom-and-pop situation able to afford a machine for a very small amount of money, and be able to provide a very specialized service to their particular customer base. We have customers that literally have an entire business based on printing wedding and anniversary photos onto canvas. A very specialized, very focused effort, but they have that niche on the market."

At the other end of the spectrum of digital print sign-makers is the super-wide format machines marketed initially to the billboard market. Although 300 dpi might be more resolution than is needed for a billboard, in this highly competitive and well-established market, many billboard printers are expanding their work into bus wraps, fleet graphics, indoor exhibition work and full-color flags and banners. Therefore, the improved resolution, as well as the ability to customize small production runs with local phone numbers and addresses, is a great benefit to these other markets.

Producing a diversity of products enables sign companies to produce advertising campaigns beyond the billboard message. For instance, a wide-format printer’s double-strike feature that lays down twice as much ink is essential to creating backlit applications for use in transit shelters, mall posters and airport signs. Even the theater and movie industries use super-wide machines to create backdrops from materials that will not reflect the studio lights.

With a sizeable investment in such sophisticated equipment, it is essential to know how to operate it properly. However, sometimes in the rush to put the machine to use, some sign-makers experience avoidable frustrations. Gandy explains, "They buy the machine, it’s expensive, they get nervous, and they send their salesmen out to sell tons of jobs. Then they have all sorts of problems because they haven’t really come to understand what the machine does, or taken the time to spend 60 or 90 days just doing a few jobs and getting the hang of it. They all bring in so much business the first month that they’re overwhelmed and under tremendous pressure, and they have a tough time. The operator is not experienced, and because he’s nervous, he makes mistakes.

"My advice is to take your time, get comfortable, understand the machine and set it up properly. If you build up slowly, you’ll have wonderful success and less headaches." This has become such a critical concern that Signtech’s number-one policy prohibits shipping a machine until the customer has been trained.

Gill recommends that newcomers learn on a less expensive machine first. He says, "I would suggest buying a cheap, second-hand, 36-inch machine and just play with it and try to understand the principles on that equipment, because the machine is similar to ours. Ours is just bigger, faster and more robust. That way, they’re not making any mistakes on the larger equipment, and they’ve lowered themselves into the digital arena a little bit, without throwing themselves into the deep end."

Because speed and quality are two of the primary concerns among potential customers, Gill also suggests bringing a stopwatch to time a demonstration on a print. He says, "Too often, people look at a sample in isolation, and then they’ll look at a sample from a competitor, and they don’t always know at what speed that particular sample was run. If they time it themselves, they’ll really know what they get for their money in terms of speed and quality."

With so many product options on the market, it is essential to carefully assess the digital market direction of your signshop. As Baessler recommends, "Carefully examine the market you intend to pursue and base your product search on the specifics of that niche. It’s easy to become enamored with all of the things these machines can do, but you need to stay focused on your intended uses. Have prepared questions, be specific, and search out the type of application you want to pursue. Ask what kind of training is provided and take into consideration the training of your employees. You need to have a realistic business plan."

Once the commitment is made to digital-print production, there is tremendous opportunity for the sign-maker to maximize the existing customer base. Conceptually, and in all practicality, that is the easiest way to break into the digital market. Customers looking for a sign may also need a short-run of customized labels, decals, binder covers or special event posters.

Goodale summarizes, "Just as you have to do with any other new capital equipment purchase, you have to promote it, you have to think it, you have to eat, drink, breathe, sleep it, and you have to hype it to the max."