New products, technologies and signage solutions abound at Sign&Digital UK 2008, the ‘must visit’ visual communications exhibition. It’s also the place to pick up expert advice from the show’s concurrent educational programme and see live demonstrations of the hottest new products on the market. The show opens at Birmingham’s NEC on April 22 for three days.

Sign&Digital UK 2008 blends together all aspects of the UK sign and digital industry including suppliers of wide and super-wide format printers, sign systems, vinyl and substrates, inks, moving image displays, software, fixings and fittings, installation, maintenance, servicing and more. Among the names you can see at the show are Océ, Roland DG, Robert Horne, Hybrid, Durst, HP, B&P Light Brigade and Fujifilm Sericol.

Some 250 plus top suppliers are displaying their wares at the show, providing you with a great opportunity to try out and compare the latest systems on the market. There are also free seminars, educational workshops and masterclasses. And it’s also worth a visit to the show’s website before you visit: you can save £££s by downloading vouchers!

Rebranded to encompass the technological shift in the industry and the digital phenomenon, this is the 21st successive Sign UK show, now under the new banner of Sign&Digital UK. The show has been organised by Faversham House Group since 2001 and it’s an important calendar event, given prominence by exhibitors and visitors alike as the show continues to evolve and grow.

Rudi Blackett, show director, has been working with the show team to both develop and grow the show for the past six years and in that time has seen it grow some 250%. “To coincide with the 21st birthday,” he says, “we are rebranding the show as Sign&Digital UK. Faversham House Group will further enhance the position of the show as an all encompassing event with a wealth of free information, demonstrations, seminars and more, maintaining it as a must attend event for the entire industry. This new branding highlights the equal importance of all the sign and digital technologies, modern and traditional, that make our market as interesting and diverse as it is today.”

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Since its inception, the show has changed enormously. “From its start as essentially a meeting point for sign suppliers and their customers,” says Blackett, “the show has now become one of the largest trade shows in the UK, currently ranked 37 in the latest Association of Exhibition Organisers league table of Top Trade Shows in the UK. When we bought the event and ran our first Sign UK show in 2001, we were aware of the need to constantly read the market, keeping the show current and at the cutting edge. Our exhibitor base has also grown to encompass all aspects of the industry. We have also seen the significant growth of digital print in the last six years, and the more recent adoption of digital screen signage.”

Suppliers in the market have grown with the show as the market has developed and the show has seen new exhibitors each year. Stephen Jater has exhibited with the show since inception, originally with Spandex and now with his own company, Identify, for the past 11 year. Reflecting back on the industry when the show began, he says the image of the industry changed when signwriters started to buy Gerber machines and such technology that emerged around the time of the first Sign show. And he recalls that first show, at the Crest Hotel in West London, where, introducing the Gerber vinyl plotter for Spandex on a coffee table, he had visitors three deep, eight hours a day for three days.

thermal transfer technology has been with us for ten years or more and we have inkjet technology still advancing with the likes of UV inks and more. “Inkjets started off 600mm wide and now they are mammoth,” he says. On the original Gerbers sold by Spandex he notes, “We originally were told they might sell 50 but, as we all know, they sold thousands. In the way the microprocessor changed all our lives, so the Gerber vinyl plotter changed our industry.

Grafityp too has been a constant exhibitor at the event for all its 21 years, through changes in the company and that of the industry. According to Sales Director Neil Stevenson, the show remains the main exhibition for showing to the industry, despite major changes over the past six or seven years. “The show is perceived as very printerish,” he says, “but of course that is the current market trend, and you can’t beat it for its overall market cross section that we too are all about. Expanding on that, he adds, “At Sign we get enquiries, for example, from print wear but at print wear shows, we won’t get sign enquiries and so Sign proves it maintains a good cross section!”

The sign show produces a good influx of visitors from a diverse range of applications, says Stevenson, and hence its importance to Grafityp. “We have the biggest of our exhibition stands at Sign and put the most into it,” he adds. He firmly sees the show as technology led, evolving with changing technology and thus maintaining its pull for both exhibitors and visitors alike. “The organiser is trying to get more visitors and more variety in what the show is doing and that suits the diversity of Grafityp.”

The evolution, or indeed morphing, as Stevenson puts it, of the show is beneficial and the formula is proving successful. “We are there to sell,” he says, “leaving the organiser to get people in. And it works!”

So for this year’s show, besides the exhibition stands, a host of seminars, workshops and theatres widen the draw for Sign&Digital UK. Split into four prime sections, the Seminar Theatre attracts huge interest from visitors.

Seminar Theatre
From Chinese imports to ideas on how to make your business greener, the Sign&Digital UK Seminar theatre is promising great things to inspire and advise you. And green issues are high on the agenda, with seminars from two companies looking at different aspects and benefits of going green.

Robert Horne Sign & Display business development manager Steve Lister’s session takes a close look at the issues surrounding greener products, recycling and environmentally responsible policies, while attempting to demystify a complex area of the industry. You can also hear first hand from Steve Wicks of Greenprint Consultancy on how businesses are best able to market their environmentally responsible activities, to new and existing customers.

On the technology front, Sawgrass Technologies is hosting an introduction to the benefits of dye sublimation, led by John Barker, programme manager on the acclaimed Project Sublimation educational series. Also on the thermal imaging tack, Mel Meibers, co-founder of specialist personalisation company Great Garment Graphics, takes a look at growing a business with heat printing, through to advanced user techniques when using the process.

For those intent on furthering their marketing communications capabilities, JBMC’s Berni Dack discusses the basics of marketing communications, the issues facing every small company and entrepreneur, how to deal with some of these issues on a shoestring budget and how to think co-operatively in order to get the best return on investment.

Taking a look at the value of Chinese imports to western markets, Nick Cunningham, MD and Ross Perkins of UK operations at China 2, present industry relevant information on the pros and cons of sourcing and manufacturing in China.

“Most businesses are aware of the enormous capacity and ability that China has to offer,” says Ross Perkins, “and many recognise that it is possible to source or manufacture a huge range of products from China. However, few achieve it without considerable difficulty. With our experience in PoS, signage and promotional market sectors, we want to use the theatre as a platform to educate and offer a fresh insight to anyone either looking at China for the first time or as a Far East veteran.”

The newly rebranded Digital & Screen Print Association, DSPA, formerly the Screen Printing Association is being unveiled at the show. This seminar outlines how the organisation intends to build on its already invaluable services to further benefit the UK’s specialist imaging industry. You can also talk to DSPA president, Peter Kiddell, and newly appointed business manager, John Keith who will be on hand to answer questions and communicate their vision for the future of this essential resource.

Two further DSPA seminars scheduled for the show include Sophie Matthews-Paul on April 23 with her insight into tackling the challenges facing printers using large format digital technology. On April 24, John Keith explains how printers can increase profit margins by implementing simple yet effective processes and incorporating value added services.

For those looking to get started in digital screen signage, Fairfield Displays & Lighting returns to the show with an educational seminar aimed squarely at helping them do just that. The market has grown at a phenomenal rate, and so Chairman Geoffrey Fairfield will explain how small sign makers with a good knowledge of computers can successfully integrate digital screen signage solutions into their product range to open up new revenue streams.

Finally, in the Seminar Theatre, Nicky Finney, business development manager at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, is scheduled to look at effective wayfinding for the blind and partially sighted. By 2010, over half the UK population will be over 45 years old, experiencing a higher prevalence of disabilities such as sight loss. As an industry, we need to be prepared to meet their needs and so this seminar looks at some of the latest tools and technologies available to help solve this problem.

Walsall College Masterclasses
Walsall College returns to Sign&Digital UK with its theatre of masterclasses encompassing a wide range of topics from vehicle wrapping to the benefits of white ink. Run in conjunction with Roland DG, these educational masterclasses are designed to demonstrate the key techniques and skills needed for young trainees and those looking to expand their skill base.

The Adobe Theatre
Iridius’s Terry Steeley is conducting workshops on a broad range of Adobe subjects including Illustrator CS3, Photoshop CS3 and Acrobat 8.0 Professional. You can also see Apple’s Richard West highlighting the benefits and features of running the new Macintosh OS X Leopard operating system and Aperture 1.5, where RAW power meets raw power.

The sessions are repeated daily throughout the show and they are always popular, so be sure to get an early seat! Sessions and times are:

• 10.30 - 11.00: Adobe Bridge CS3
• 11.00 - 11.45: Adobe Illustrator CS3
• 11.45 - 12.30: Adobe Photoshop CS3 - new features
• 12.30 - 13.15: Mac OS X Leopard - the guided tour
• 13.15 - 13.45: Acrobat 8.0 Professional
• 13.45 - 14.30: Aperture 1.5, RAW Power meets Raw Power
• 14.30 - 15.15: Adobe InDesign
• 15.15 - 16.00: Creative Suite colour management
• 16.00 - 16.45: Ask Adobe Tricks of the trade, an open work shop where you can put the experts to the test.

Corel Seminars
Corel’s Suzanne Smith seminars are set to take a practical look at the capabilities of new packages from Corel including CorelDraw Graphics Suite X4 and Corel Photo-Paint X4. Five workshops are set to run.

The first Corel workshop takes a look at the new productivity enhancing features of CorelDraw Graphics Suite X4, its flexible functions and diverse tools that make it ideal for creating advertisements, signs and logos. The second session looks more closely at the implementation of the software in vehicle signage.

Corel’s third workshop session specifically addresses its Photo-Paint X4 for professional image editing applications. The program enables quick and easy photo retouching and enhancing and when used in conjunction with CorelDraw X4, it creates a workflow that includes bitmap photo editing. The penultimate Corel session concentrates on how to export vector graphics or images from CorelDraw X4 and combine them with video clips and sound files in Corel VideoStudio 11.5 Plus, to create impressive films for digital advertising.

The final Corel session highlights the pitfalls facing designers all over the industry, and how CorelDraw X4 can help ensure that what is on the screen, translates exactly to the finished product. Colour management, preview and indication of overprint features within the program all help safeguard against costly errors, and are contained within the simple to use Service Bureau Profiler. The session also considers CorelDraw ConceptShare, the on-line collaboration tool within Graphics Suite X4.

For more show and show theatre information including full seminar timetables, and to register for your free ticket, go to www.signanddigitaluk.com.

Now let's take a look at some of the new products that will be launched at the show:

Fabric Transfer A Real Wow!
Brand new WoW transfer paper from TheMagicTouch on Stand AA46, will, says MD Jim Nicol, create for the future, enabling full colour images, designs and logos to be printed on almost any garment or fabric regardless of colour or composition. And there is no weeding or cutting involved.

With a superb soft feel and fantastic durability, TheMagicTouch says this great new product enables imaging on cotton, polyester, nylon, denim, leather, neoprene and almost every fabric. WoW transfers work with Oki and most toner based colour laser copiers or printers. WoW has been awarded first prize in the Best Transfer and Best Combination Print categories in the UK Images Textile Awards, as well as Best Product 2007 by Corel Draw Pro Magazine.

JV33 Delivers Ink Choice
Hybrid has the cream of the latest Mimaki kit on its stand, including the new JV33 series solvent printer and its matching CG-FX cutting plotter. There’s also the top of the range JV5, making Stand B20 a must on the visitor trail.

Mimaki JV33, in 1.3 and 1.6m versions is available standalone or bundled as a print & cut or print, finish & cut solution with the CG-FX cutting plotter and Hybrid's laminators. It can run with Mimaki's low odour, ultra-fast drying, vibrant, full solvent inks or, for practically odourless printing, Mimaki's eco-solvent inkset. Features include three year outdoor print durability on a wide range of low cost uncoated media, printed in superb quality via 1440dpi, variable dot print heads. Pre-print, in-print and post-print heaters make for rapid drying whilst drying fans, exhausts and blinds make for low odour operating.

As well as also demonstrating its integrated print, finish, cut and die-cut solution and Mimaki's 610mm desktop cutting solution, Hybrid is also launching Mimaki’s vast JV5-320 grand format solvent printer and the CF3 cutting/routing table that partners the high end UV range of Mimaki JF flatbed printers.

"Sign&Digital UK,” says Hybrid's marketing manager, Duncan Jefferies, “remains the best way to get a snapshot of our industry each year, and we're making sure that we match our visitors' time and effort with a stand containing pertinent machinery and software. We know how valuable a day off the shop floor or out of the office is to our customers, and we're looking forward to welcoming as many as possible on the Hybrid stand."

New Cat For Contour Cutting
New Jaguar IV from Grapfityp on Stand K20 boasts revolution in contour cutting. It comes in 24, 40, 52 and 72in width versions, guaranteeing precision digital contouring. Tangential emulation delivers clean cutting even on fine detail, with smooth corners and sleek edges, on thick materials too. Jaguar IV is easy to control and operate, via the multi language control system that simplifies complex tasks.

Features include an unroll media function that elevates output quality and tracking capability by its advanced reservation of safe margins. Each pinch roller is operated individually, widening the cutting capability of the machine and with an output capability of 60in/sec cutting speed, it simply outperforms the competition, says Grafityp.

Epson Enters 63in Arena
Stand H51 is where Epson is showcasing new technology to deliver higher levels of quality into the digital signage market, adding value to PoS advertising, marketing and photo/fine art production. Its Stylus Pro 11880, the company’s first 64in, large format printer is designed for professionals in the photography, fine art reproduction and proofing markets. It features a micropiezo thin film piezo print head for superior printing performance, taking advantage of the benefits of Epson’s new formulation of UltraChrome K3 inks with vivid magenta.

The new UltraChrome K3 inkset is said to deliver an expanded colour gamut and improved ink stability for high quality signage and fine art print. The full nine colour inkset includes four blacks and two magentas which use new high density pigments that create more vibrant colour, especially blues and magenta, such as those found in seascapes or landscapes. The inkset also boasts superb grey balance and precise colour without colour cast, whilst also virtually eliminating metamerism.

New OpalJet From Kentmere
Kentmere makes its first Sign appearance since joining forces with Harman Technology. On Stand G30 you can see how effectively the company has integrated with Harman, continuing to offer the same products at the same quality with the same impressive performance. New at this show is Opaljet XL which when officially launched later this year, boasts all the performance of the existing Opaljet films but with the added benefit of a new nanoporous, alumina coating.

The coating, formulated to maximise paper colour gamut and image sharpness when used with the new generation, high speed printers such as HP‘s Z6100, is fast drying and more than a match for the significant increase in speed offered by the new generation of output devices.

“We’re looking forward to exhibiting at the Sign&Digital UK 2008 show,“ says Gary Hume, Kentmere’s Wide Format Business Principal, “because so much has happened within the business since last year’s event. We have a number of innovative and exciting new products to tell people about and where better to do this, than face to face at the premier UK exhibition for the signage and large format printing industry.”

Fujifilm Sericol Acuity
Stand D22 is the place to see the latest in the line-up of wide format products from Fujifilm Sericol. And it’s not just printers but business solutions too, designed to meet virtually any printing need. On the stand are HD2504 with its new roll option and Euromedia wide format printing systems.

Sign printers looking to enter the flatbed market are always impressed by the Acuity HD2504, say the company. The new roll option feature promises the same degree of print quality and accuracy so far only available on a flatbed. Offering low cost/copy directly on rigid and roll materials, print quality is said to be truly photographic at speeds up to 16m2/hr, providing a quick return on investment.

Variable size drop technology delivers fine droplets to produce sharp, precise images with smooth transitions, while larger droplets deliver denser, more uniform solid image areas. Net result, says the company, is image quality usually only seen at 1200dpi resolutions or higher.

Euromedia from wide format system provider Colormy, acquired by Fujifilm Sericol at the end of last year, is a highly developed business solution that includes printers, media, software, inks, technical support, display systems and marketing concepts, supported by a highly customer focussed team. Already the market leader in Germany, Euromedia is now being rolled out across Europe, and as part of this, the new Maxjet wide format solvent printer is being featured at Sign&Digital UK as part of the Euromedia range.

Technology Speeds For Roland
The new SolJet Pro III XC-540W printer/cutter, on the Roland DG Stand C40, features Intelligent Pass Control technology, combining the VersaWorks RIP and printer firmware that effectively doubles productivity in standard print mode on vinyl. Intelligent Pass Control precisely controls dot placement, enhancing print quality in every print mode, says the company, by creating even smoother gradations, flawless solid colours and no visible banding, while operating at the increased production speed.

The SolJet Pro III XC-540W runs on Roland’s new Eco-Sol Max white inkset making it ideal for vehicle wraps, graphics on transparent media, decorative window films, packaging comps, signs, labels, decals and PoS displays.

“We will have our full range of wide format technologies on show at Sign&Digital UK, says Roland DG MD Jerry Davies, “with our focus on innovative, saleable applications. While the benefits of integrated printer/cutters are clear in that they have smaller footprints and are more economical and productive than separate machines, customers are no longer simply interested in the relative merits of hardware alone. They want to know that the manufacturer they choose not only has the infrastructure and resources in place to give them a competitive advantage, but shares their creative vision to develop quality printed products.”

Cast Vinyl & Ace Tranparent Media
Hexis has expanded its HexPress vinyls and is demonstrating easy application on its Stand G10. And new for the show is HX10000 cast film, the first range of 50micron coloured cast vinyl available with HexPress technology. You can also see Pop 190CG 190micron clear polyester film for solvent inkjet printing, simplifying the creation of projector transparencies and screen positives. Also being launched by Hexis is its new Ready 2 Print banner material, complete with a patented, grommeted system that allows finished and pre-grommeted material to be printed.

Ferrari Stamoid Decolit 252, another new from Hexis, heralds revolution in banner stand media in its suitability for solvent inkjet printing. Its bright white printing surface and black back make for total opaqueness and thus, says Hexis, a brighter, more vibrant image. Decolit 252, recyclable through the Texyloop system, is ideal for roll-up or static banner stands as lamination is unnecessary.

New Teams For Océ
A first for Océ at Sign&Digital UK on Stand C20, is its teaming up with Zünd UK and its flatbed cutters. Océ and Zünd UK recently held a series of open days for display graphics printers, showing how a flatbed printer in combination with a digital cutter can improve productivity, reduce waste and reduce labour. You can find all that out at the show.

Océ is also collaborating with Avery Graphics, using the event to demonstrate the latest labour saving innovations, designed to reduce waste and increase productivity. Océ will have on-line access to its Media Guide, providing detailed advice and guidance that help printing professionals select the best media for their printers and applications.

“The display graphics market remains buoyant,” says Derek Joys, Programme Manager, Display Graphics Systems for Océ, “and Sign&Digital UK always proves to be the perfect platform for us to launch new products and technologies, and cement our commitment to this market. Once again, we’ll have some surprises in store that will ensure that our stand is a must see part of the show experience for all our customers and prospects, as well as other visitors.”

Drytac Offerings
On its stand H63, graphics finishing and display company Drytac will show off JM63, the latest addition to its JetMounter laminator range. Another new product range includes its two-part FootPrint floor graphics system suitable for short to medium term indoor applications, and StreetFX, a hard-wearing outdoor floor graphic solution suitable for applications lasting up to a year.

The company will also set to show its range of mounting adhesives and laminating films which are available in a variety of speciality finishes. there’s also a new and innovative solution for window graphics. WindowTac is an optically clear, repositionable film. Protac Antibacterial laminate boasts anti-bacterial protection to graphics and signs for areas where hygiene is of paramount importance, such as health centres, hospitals, kitchens and schools.

A Glittering Debut
Screen's desire to move into the print-on-demand market is highlighted by the debut of its Truepress Jet 2500UV on Stand C22. This is its first wide format digital printer, a hybrid machine that is sure to garner a substantial amount of attention. It features five resolutions and can be used for a broad range of applications.

And Finally...
Printing giant HP isn’t giving much away on what it is actually doing at the show but we do know it has a few things up its sleeve! You can see on its Stand G40 the HP Designjet 8000s and Z6100, as well as the first showing of the Colorspan H4500 machine since HP's acquisition.

Says HP, “We also have dedicated areas for super-wides and the latex ink technologies. The stand is very focused on the applications from our breadth of portfolio with surprising applications being used on the stand itself. You will need to come along to the stand to find out more.”

There are lots of other ‘news’ around the show too and one exhibitor certainly worth a visit is Durst on Stand E40. We hear, as we go to press, the new Rho machine launched at Fespa will be there going through its paces, delivering high quality print and productivity. It’s reported to be magic!

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