Digital Output Magazine

By Melissa Donovan Fabric-based trade show graphics present opportunities for reusable signage. This yields sustainability, effective messaging, and ease of install—no professionals needed. It’s a no-brainer to offer soft signage to customers. However, there are certain things to look for when determining which fabric is right for trade show applications. These include opacity, white point, soft hand, elasticity, and weight.

By Melissa Donovan No glue, no stickiness, no negating the adhesive if it’s touched prior to application—traditional printable magnets or magnetic-receptive media are popular options in the signage industry. Ease of install, repeatability—the attraction makes sense. However, printing directly to magnetic material is not without challenges. “Magnetic media is still a problem child when it comes to printing it consistently.

By Cassandra Balentine Heat presses are required for direct to garment (DTG) printing. Traditional heat presses feature a platen size of roughly 9×12 inches, but vendors are now designing and selling 15×15-inch models—or wider—to accommodate rising interest in creating oversized graphics and meeting higher volumes of production.

By Melissa Donovan Flatbed printers are now equipped with various combinations of specialty inks, whether it be white, clear or varnish, light cyan, light magenta, light black, orange, green, violet, red, gray, or neon. Each color is used for specific reasons. Growing Adoption Print providers are increasingly turning to flatbeds with ink sets extending beyond CMYK. Application demand is one factor.

Mobile Viewing: Click Here Jul2026, Digital Output

Mobile Viewing: Click Here Jul2026, Digital Output

By Cassandra Balentine Indoor retail and point of purchase (POP) environments use wallcoverings and wall graphics for both aesthetics and performance. “Vinyl is the industry standard for achieving both; you have flexibility to customize a solution for your brand while also providing durability from scuffs and scratches,” shares Alex Wixted, commercial innovation platform manager, Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions.

By Cassandra Balentine Pressure-sensitive adhesive media is versatile, supporting a range of applications from labels to walls and windows. Started in 2012, Stick Em Up has run as a full-time operation since 2015. Based in Bayonne, NJ, the print provider primarily serves the New York, NY and NJ area, but also ships nationwide. It offers custom stickers, graphics and installations, packaging and labels, as well as graphic design services.

By Melissa Donovan Black, magenta, yellow, and cyan—the four basic colors associated with printing. Countless hues are repeatedly produced and have been for years thanks to endless combinations. Specialty inks, however, up the game, enhancing color further for vibrant digital flatbed printing. Above: The Epson SureColor V7000 features ten-color UltraChrome UV ink, including white ink, vivid red ink, and varnish.

By Melissa Donovan End-of-line automation includes anything that eliminates that extra worker at the end of a print job manually cutting or moving material. Using it frees operators up for other tasks. Fearing automation is common, but operators shouldn’t be concerned. Not only is implementation of automated solutions easy, the return on investment (ROI) is real.