What’s Your Sign?

"A typical banner or sign will usually be viewed while walking or driving from about 50 feet away. While the banner or sign may look grainy in hand, it will look great from about 10 feet away," he explained.

He continued, "[Because] these products will often be viewed by pedestrians or drivers from a distance, and often at speed, small or complicated fonts and text that is hard to read are a problem. We recommend using large fonts and color contrast, especially in outdoor advertising, to get the most bang for your buck. The message that the banner or sign delivers needs to be designed concisely and with [clarity]."

Schoner wants companies to understand that it is not just the printing device that makes the print look good. Using the proper profile is one key component. "We custom write profiles for every type of media that we use. The printer manufacturers provide generic profiles, but these are not nearly good enough for the high-end advertising agency that demands spot-on color," he said.

ADD IT UP

Wide-format printing has become a natural add-on to print brokers' business. Speedpro handles a significant amount of jobs for the offset printing industry. Schoner said if companies turn away requests for large-format printing, they risk losing their customers' offset business.

"Frequently, our products are part of a marketing campaign for the end-user. Whether we are doing a vehicle wrap, a main street pole banner or a trade show backdrop, the look and feel of our product need to match what the offset printer is producing. Large format is already a part of companies' advertising budgets," he noted.

Megerdichian agreed that wide-format products complement advertising and sales campaigns, but feels they also have "carved a unique, standalone spot in the print market."