As the digital print industry continues to explode onto the scene, wide format printing companies are creatively scrambling for new opportunities to increase their sales volume. One answer to this question lies somewhat hidden, in an ancillary product line known as “Media Framing Systems.” They are designed for the purpose of attaching and interchanging large format vinyl media to virtually any reasonably flat surface. They are also meant to make the process of decorating larger surfaces easy.

Lake Elsinore, CA, September 06, 2007 --(PR.com)-- As the digital print industry continues to explode, wide format printing companies are creatively scrambling for new opportunities to increase their sales volume. Competition is continuing to increase, with more and more companies investing in the latest equipment. The question for many printers is “Where can we find new opportunities to print, and how can we ride this colorful wave -- all the way to the bank?”

One answer to this question lies somewhat hidden, in an ancillary product line known as “Media Framing Systems.” These Media Framing systems are meant to fill a previously unmet void in the marketplace. They are designed for the purpose of attaching large format vinyl media to virtually any reasonably flat surface. They are also meant to make the process of decorating larger surfaces easy. Advocates claim that every flat surface is a sales opportunity and that the market potential is infinite.

In today’s market, graphic images are “super-size,” larger than life, high-powered, and oftentimes—in your face. Get the picture? Walk into a modern outdoor pavilion or shopping mall. The surroundings are colorful and dynamic. Advertisers are using oversized images to make an impression on potential customers. High resolution, large format images alter moods and stimulate imaginations. They seem to create excitement, and actually enhance the buying experience.

Enter Media Frames, which now make mounting and changing giant graphics a practical routine, (without “Mc Guyver”). Many companies have had success using pressure sensitive (adhesive) vinyl wherever possible. The problem is many locations are not possible-- especially if the appearance of the surface needed to remain unmarred in the event of removal. The frames are typically some type of metal extrusion with an anchoring system. The vinyl material is affixed to the framing system and stretched tight to give the display a clean, seamless appearance. Media frames can be used in situations where pressure sensitive vinyl or films are not practical. The benefit of Media Framing systems is that they are installed once only, while the vinyl media held by the framing system can be interchanged repeatedly. Installers who now use media frames instead of troweling out “mud” on rough building surfaces are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Furthermore, without frames, the removal process can be a “sticky” job, to say the least. This is especially important where clients plan to change the display images, because cleaning the gooey substances from a variety of surfaces can be just as costly as producing the project in the first place.

Thanks to Media Frames, indoor and outdoor wallscapes are popping up fast. Stadiums and public auditoriums have walls and columns that beg for décor. Want a high profile image? Ceilings are another great place for media frames. Big, blank walls are an obvious vehicles for marketers, but framing systems were originally designed to be on the move. As far as this writer can tell, Media Framing systems were invented as a safe way to advertise on trucks and semi trailers.

Truckside Advertising - With over 30 million trucks reportedly traveling across the highways and byways of North America, it’s easy to see why advertisers were looking toward this new frontier known as “Mobile Outdoor.” According to Bret Mileski, founder of 1-800-Great Ad, “In our society, every visual space has been used to advertise -- from mouse pads to coffee cups, from supermarket receipts to movie screens, from bus stops to the very skies above. Truckside advertising will be no different.”

Another side of the same coin is 3rd party ad campaigns on trucks. Some companies would like to reach the public through truckside media, but they don’t have a fleet on which to advertise. Specialty brokers like 1-800-GREAT AD, bring these buyers together with delivery companies and/or fleet owners who have ad space available.

Framing systems have been used to create changeable wallscapes in stadiums, on theatres, libraries, public buildings, in and around shopping malls, and at auto dealerships. They’ve been seen on subways and transit systems, and are now being used to liven up walls surrounding major construction sites at hospitals, casinos, and city projects. From parking structures to alleys, from city parks to storage containers, from trailers to retail stores, new applications are being discovered on a regular basis. One company even introduced media frames as an inexpensive innovation to reface old, weathered signs.

When Rockefeller was having trouble selling kerosene in the early 1900’s, he reportedly gave away 100,000 new Kerosene lanterns. His ingenious strategy instantly created a new group of repeat consumers. Digital printing sales are hardly suffering, but Media Framing may be just the “lantern” large format printers have been looking for to develop their own population of return buyers. So…What’s in a Frame? Plenty.

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What a Sign -- $3 Million ROI

Ackland Media Frames, known as "The Extreme Makeover System for Walls and Trucks" create huge return on investments wherever they appear. Old walls and trucks are brought to life with supersize, colorful images. Money in the bank. Case in point, “Several weeks ago two executives from a barge management company walked in and said that they saw our large sign on the front of our building with a picture of a Zodiac. We want to purchase some. They bought 66. Total Value -- Over $3 million."

Lake Elsinore, CA, September 07, 2007 --(PR.com)-- “You’ll never guess what happened” Bryan of Kentuckiana Yacht Sales said. “Several weeks ago two executives from a barge management company walked in and said that they saw our large sign on the front of our building with a picture of a Zodiac. We want to purchase some. They bought 66.”

The International Sign Association’s recently completed survey of new businesses indicated that only 1% of new clients frequented a business because of television advertising, while 49% of new clients walk through the doors because of on premises signage.

As Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story.” The barge management company was less than one mile from Kentuckiana Yacht Sales. For over 40 years Kentuckiana Yacht sales has been housed in a large steel building in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Their neighbor is a barge manufacturer, a subsidiary of the barge management company. For this reason many people believe that KYS makes barges.

Last summer Bryan contacted Sign Here in Indianapolis. Jeffersonville is across the Ohio River from Louisville. Typically, most sign business comes from within a 10-mile radius of our store location. Sign Here was contracted to fabricate and install seven 19 foot x 10 foot framed banners along the front of KYS steel building. Because of the corrugated metal building they need something that would stand off of the building, but they did not want anything that protruded more than an inch or two. Kentuckiana Yacht Sales provided them with the artwork for the banners that were printed on large format printers. Each banner was a picture of a different product.

Using the Ackland Media Framing system and 300 dpi printed media, Sign Here personnel installed the banners on the front of Kentuckiana Yacht Sales. Their first reaction was that these large images were “traffic stoppers.”

The Ackland Media Frame is a two part anodized aluminum system that securely holds media printed on 13 ounce vinyl banner material. There are no special keys for installation or special fabrication to the banner required. This makes installation and replacement a simple process. Sign Here has installed this media on the sides of semi trailers and recently installed a 40 foot by 10 foot on a corrugated building.

For more pictures and information on the media framing system, go to www.signhereltd.com.

Steve Scalph, owner of Sign Here Ltd is a member of the Sign Biz Network and member of the Sign Biz Advisory Board. For over 8 years Sign Here has been providing outstanding customer service and solutions to clients' signage needs.

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