By Janet Preus Digital billboards—those brightly lit, often enormous signs that scroll through multiple messages—are hard to ignore, both on the highway and from an industry standpoint. What does the proliferation mean to the fabric signage business? There isn’t a vinyl billboard that can light up like a glowing LED screen. The owner of the [...]

By Jill C. Lafferty XLprints began in owner Andy Lotia’s garage with a vinyl cutter. Fifteen years later, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is committed to being on the leading edge of fabric printing and finishing services, as well as green initiatives. “Andy has always been one of the first to adopt new technologies,” says [...]

The Anheuser-Busch commercial, the Bud Light “Light House,” developed for Super Bowl XLIV, was wrapped with Avery Graphics MPI 1005 Easy Apply RS and DOL 1360 Gloss by SkinzWraps Inc. SkinzWraps printed and installed Avery Graphics MPI 1005 Easy Apply RS with DOL 1360 Gloss to cover the exterior of a Los Angeles home, as [...]

The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) announced an Innovation Award to inspire specialty fabrics industry companies. IFF will tell the stories of specialty fabric manufacturers and suppliers who have challenged the norm, succeeded and who are leading the way to innovation. Three categories are fabric, hardware or machinery; end product; and process. Entries will be judged [...]

Innovative Industrial Solutions Inc. (IIS) is a full-service distributor that serves the awning, marine, sign, billboard and banner markets. IIS now carries Safety Components Fabric Technologies WeatherMax 80, WeatherMax LT and fire-retardant WeatherMax FR. WeatherMax FR meets California State Fire Marshall Title 19, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA-701), Canvas Products Association International (CPAI-84) and FMVSS [...]

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum became the spinning center of the New York cultural elite in December 2009, as the next generation of art collectors (the Young Collectors Council, or YCC) hosted its annual Artist’s Ball. The museum, designed by architectural legend Frank Lloyd Wright, features an atrium that forms a sweeping helix shape, but [...]

GEI WideFormat launched its pre-owned equipment program, “Taking the Risk Out of Pre-Owned Equipment,” giving businesses a way to afford a wide-format solution that meets their budget, while providing peace of mind with a nationwide service program. “Customers may be apprehensive about buying pre-owned equipment,” said Roger Ilgen, president of GEI WideFormat Inc. “They can [...]

3M continues to grow its roster of OEM piezo inkjet printer and ink combinations qualified to receive the 3M performance guarantee when used with a wide range of approved 3M media. New to the list of printers are the HP Designjet L25500, Seiko ColorPainter H-74s/H-104s and DURST Rho 320R.The 3M performance guarantee continues to cover [...]

The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) unveiled its redesigned website, which offers manufacturers a roadmap for certifying products and materials for low chemical emissions. The site provides an outline of the various certification programs that GEI offers, as well as a list of sustainable credits that architects and designers can earn by using Greenguard Certified products. [...]

Mutoh America added of Fumiya Aramaki as west coast regional sales manager. Aramaki will work out of Mutoh’s new west coast branch in Torrance, Calif. Prior to joining Mutoh, Aramaki gained experience as a general manager for the world-wide market at Panasonic. He recently transferred from Mutoh Japan, where he held a deputy general manager [...]