Amazing installations
Whilst it can be a costly investment to start off with, wide-format print offers a plethora of opportunities for print businesses as it opens the door to sectors such as retail, out-of-home advertising, banners, flags, textiles, home décor, wall, floor and window graphics, and more.
Print businesses are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with wide-format print. One installation that stands out is the huge playful building wrap on Glasgow’s Argyle Street which was installed to celebrate the launch of Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off.
This project saw Talon and OMD produce a 78ft-tall photorealistic cake print which was wrapped across two sides of the building. The impactful wrap shows the potential of wide-format print as a runner against digital out-of-home alternatives.
In this feature, we take a look at some of the innovative work produced in recent months by our own wide-format print industry members, showing that the possibilities in this sector are endless.
Making an impact
If winning Wide-Format Print Company of the Year (under 30 employees) at the inaugural UK Graphic Awards isn’t testament enough, Imageco’s impressive portfolio of wide-format work not only looks good, but has the good of the environment and the local community in mind.
The Leeds-based company’s award collection is only growing having also taken home The Green Award and the Leisure and Hospitality Project of the Year award, scooping a quarter of the awards up for grabs and further cementing its success in the wide-format industry.
As the high street suffered due to a drop in footfall caused by the pandemic, Imageco set out to reinvigorate its local Leeds high street through its Indie Initiative. The idea behind this was to give buildings on the high street fresh new designs and colours in a bid to give back to the community and rehabilitate Leeds’ shops.
With the environment always at the forefront of everything Imageco does, the company also used the initiative as an opportunity to show that vibrant and eye-catching designs can be produced sustainably.
As the pandemic saw the NHS buckle under increasing pressure, Imageco also helped to raise £5,500 that went towards the production and distribution of visors to the NHS and care homes around Yorkshire and further afield. As a result, the company won the Covid Extra Mile award at the British Sign Awards 2020.
Describing itself as “green at the core”, Imageco is always looking at new ways to look after the planet. The company uses a voltage optimisation device to lower energy output and CO2 emissions by 27,000kg each year as well as a HP Latex machine to reduce its carbon footprint through the use of environmentally friendly inks. The use of an EFI VUTEk printer also reduces reprint waste through “colour accuracy and repeatability”.
These efforts haven’t gone unnoticed and as well as taking home the 2021 Green Award at the UK Graphics Awards, the company won the Green Company of the Year award at the 2020 Digital Printer Awards, and were joint winners of the Green Award at the British Sign Awards 2020.
When asked what his favourite wide-format application in recent months has been, Nathan Swinson-Bullough, managing director of Imageco recalls an installation at the Zaap Thai street food restaurant in Headingley. This project saw Imageco use a UFabrik backlit Eco single piece wallcovering from CMYUK to decorate the interior of Zaap Thai Street Food which has only recently opened.
Nathan Swinson-Bullough, managing director of award-winning eco company, Imageco
Using its 5m-wide LED hybrid EFI VUTEk GS 3250 LX Pro, the company produced 5m-wide by 2.5m-high graphics featuring images depicting the bustling vibe of downtown Bangkok. Using night/day printing, Imageco was able to produce the graphic in a way that switches between day and night.
This technology uses a full colour day image and a full colour night image which were digitally output and sandwiched together in a lightbox with a printed white layer between them. The graphics switch from daytime when the lights are switched off, to nighttime when the lightbox is turned on.
I think we are at a really positive turning point in wide-format print that will change the way we do things forever”
Reflecting generally on the wide-format print industry, Swinson-Bullough adds: “There is lots going on to be excited about and I think we are at a really positive turning point in wide-format print that will change the way we do things forever. It’s nice to play a part in that.”
Keep it green
Also operating within the wide-format sphere is materials supplier, Innotech, another company that is answering the call for environmental solutions through offering PVC-free print materials.
An example of this is when Innotech supported Liberty Signs in an installation for the Manchester International Festival (MIF) last summer.
Kieran Dallow, marketing manager of Innotech Digital, explains: “This project was billed as an antidote to the year of lockdowns we have all experienced and the organisers wanted to commission something that encouraged the people of Manchester to reconnect with their city.”
Christine Sun Kim, a US-born Berlin-based artist, created Captioning a City which was a series of statements designed to trigger memories, emotions and sensations as people enjoy spending time in the city.
“These captions were not on TVs and monitors, but installed on streets and buildings in vast proportions on PVC-free media all across the city and could be discovered intentionally or even by chance,” Dallow adds.
Will Smith, owner of Liberty Signs, says: “As printed display projects go, this one is about as big as it gets, and we were determined to show the organisers that as a company we had the professionalism, capacity and capability to deliver a first-class solution that met the high standards required by MIF.”
With the project being government funded, the job had to be as sustainable as possible, and by using PVC-free materials rather than vinyl, Liberty Signs was able to ensure that no products ended up in landfill.
Innotech helped Liberty Signs to offer a sustainable solution for the Manchester International Festival last summer
“We encouraged MIF to consider using only PVC-free materials that could be fully recycled,” Smith says, adding: “This is where Innotech really helped us. They have an excellent and broad range of PVC-free materials and they worked hard to ensure we had everything we needed in terms of samples and swatches to present to MIF.”
Rising to the challenge
Keeping with the sustainability theme and MacroArt produced the first carbon neutral installation for the English Football League (EFL)’s Papa John’s Trophy Finals ‘Wembley Weekender’ back in March.
This installation involved over 3000sq m of graphics and signage at Wembley Stadium with over 2500sq m of graphics being used on seat covers. These were produced using Kavalan PVC-free material from supplier CMYUK. According to MacroArt, this immediately reduced the project’s overall carbon footprint by over 30% compared to traditional banners.
Of over 3000sq m of graphics installed by MacroArt at Wembley Stadium, over 2500sq m of graphics were used on seat covers
After the event, all graphics and signage were recovered by the MacroArt team and returned for recycling.
With two finals in two days, the project proved to be challenging and MacroArt had to rebrand sections of the stadium overnight to make sure team-specific branding was in the right place. The holding area walls, team dugouts and “Spot the Ball” seat kills were also removed and updated after the first game by MacroArt.
For Michael Green, managing director of the company, a favourite job has been the installation of graphics at Blenheim Palace. “This was particularly rewarding for the team at MacroArt as it required a high level of technical expertise and client collaboration to ensure that the client received the result they sought, whilst maintaining visitor accessibility at all times,” he explains.
Green adds: “For print professionals, it is often the technical solutions that are not necessarily visible to the end user but enhance their experience that are the most satisfying.”
The Blenheim Palace restoration project saw MacroArt and design agency, Creative Gravy, produce signage, hoardings, wall coverings and fabrics that reflected the heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage Site buildings. To do this, temporary access corridors were fitted with exact replicas of the existing wall coverings of the Green Writing Room.
Concrete traffic bollards were also covered with heat conformable printed vinyl which replicated the sandstone that makes up the Palace.
Mike Hamling, key account manager of MacroArt, adds: “Our team worked tirelessly to deliver the level of attention to detail required – assessing and adapting even the smallest of elements. From invisible panel joinings and hidden fixings, to exact replicas of existing wallpaper graphics and sandstone facades, everything was considered.”
Ease of use
Over to Landor UK, a specialist provider and distributor of self-adhesive fabric, Phototex. Ideal for use in wide-format print applications, the material has a unique adhesive for easy application to any flat surface. It can also be removed and repositioned unlimited times without losing its stickiness.
Derric Landor, managing director of Landor UK, explains: “Phototex is ideal in situations where fast turnaround is required and also when it is essential that surfaces are not damaged after the job is complete.”
(L to R) London-based American artist, Loreal Prystaj, with Derric Landor, owner of Landor UK
When asked to pick a favourite job, Landor recalls an installation at No.20 Arts Gallery in Islington. Due to its flexible nature and ease of application, Landor describes Phototex as ideal for artists and this is why it was chosen for this particular installation.
London-based American artist, Loreal Prystaj, uses the substate regularly and says it was a key component in her recent installation at No.20. Having created an immersive kitchen space, Prystaj invited visitors to “consume and be consumed” by sights, scenes, and sounds at the exhibition.
Describing the use of Phototex, Prystaj says: “As I was developing the piece, I knew that Phototex was the material I needed for the wall covering.” Having first used the material over a year ago after finishing her degree at the Royal College of Art in 2019, she adds: “Phototex was like nothing I had used before. It’s very easy to apply, remove and then reapply.
“This is so important to me as it is hugely frustrating to work with products that are tricky to install and allow for no margin for trial and error. What I love about Phototex is that I can quickly remove bubbles and creases and if it has been installed slightly crooked, it is very easy to remove and replace exactly as I want it.”
What’s more, as Phototex doesn’t tear like actual wallpaper or stretch like some vinyls can, the material allows artists to achieve photorealistic reproduction on a substrate that will stand the test of time in an installation. Due to its ability to be reapplied, Prystaj even refitted the installation at the London Photographic show in Somerset House.
These installations show the unlimited ways wide-format print can be used to brighten up large and unusual spaces. The only real limitation is your imagination.
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