The Big Picture - September 2012 - (Page 30)

MEDIA MADnESS More than 125 sources of vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives. Today, just about anything can be printed upon. But, as cool as printing on “media” like water might be, doing so doesn’t necessarily result in the most useful marketing medium. Despite the rapid advancements in technology, the classic rollfed media options still tend to be king. And to be a truly successful print shop, you had better have quite the inventory of such media to back up your array of print equipment. Recognizing the importance of offering a vast selection of media, however, is only half the battle. It’s also important to understand what media is best suited to your client’s needs. Even the simplest request to print a banner on vinyl can turn into a complex odyssey to find the best vinyl for that particular project. With hundreds of suppliers offering thousands of options, choosing media can be a seemingly maddening process. To help you conquer “media madness,” we’ve compiled a roster of manufacturers and private-label distributors of the most commonly used 30 THE BIG PICTURE september 2012 The Cure for media in wide-format: rollfed vinyl, paper, films, and self-adhesives. Note that we’ve only listed primary producers, manufacturers, and converters of media for the wide-format inkjet market; we have not listed distributors/ dealers who are only selling another company’s branded media. And, note that this list does not include specialty media (see our October issue) or rigid media (see our August issue). Advantage Distribution advantagedistribution.com Advantage branded vinyl, eco-friendly banner media, and paper. Advantage Sign Supply advantagesignsupply.com Optima Opti-Jet vinyl, paper, and banner media for aqueous; Opti-Solve for solvent printers. AdventureCam Photo adventurecamphoto.com Proof Line paper, vinyl, and films, including self-adhesives and banner. Agfa agfagraphics.com Synaps OM waterproof, eco-friendly synthetic paper for UV printing (as well as screen, flexo, and offset). Also: Synaps AP/AR pressure-sensitive selfadhesive media for UV printing. Ahlstrom ahlstrom.com Chantaffiche coated papers for banners and billboards. Alameda Supplies alamedasupplies.com Alameda wide-format inkjet paper, banner, and film. American Permalight americanpermalight.com Permalight Photoluminescent vinyl and polyester printable films. Arkwright Advanced Coating arkwright.com Paper, film, and vinyl for aqueous, solvent, latex, and UV-curable printers. HX100 Cast Vinyl, HEXis Usa http://www.agfagraphics.com http://www.ahlstrom.com http://www.advantagedistribution.com http://www.alamedasupplies.com http://www.advantagesignsupply.com http://www.americanpermalight.com http://www.adventurecamphoto.com http://www.arkwright.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Big Picture - September 2012

The Big Picture - September 2012
Contents
InSight
Wide Angle
UpFront
Business + Management
The Training Track
Dye Into Print: Focused on Fabrics
Imaging Indulgence: SGIA Expo 2012
The Cure for Media Madness
R+D
Job Log

The Big Picture - September 2012