Traditionally screen-printing technology is considered to be a great way to print flags and cloth banners, giving colour and brand awareness to events, shop-fronts and more. However, the technology has certain drawbacks, such as design limitations and it always requires high-volume orders. In this, dye-sublimation technology defies all complications—complicated designs are no more difficult and everything churns faster and simpler. Dye-sub technology has brought a new paradigm shift in fabric printing, opening new opportunities and applications—all developed to a new level over the last one decade or so.

Among a gamut of applications, dye-sublimated graphic prints are best choices for retailers endeavouring to elevate their brands and enhance in-store space. A modern marvel of digitally printed fabric posters offers retailers consistently vibrant, colour-saturated, and high-quality prints, as well as cost-saving advantages over traditional screen printed graphics or rigid materials which trend to crack. Backlit in-store fabric graphics deliver vibrant illumination to store windows.

Fabric POPs are ideal for enhancing an in-store environment, providing vivid, sleek graphics without unseemly seam or glare. Some common applications include: wall-mounted décor, perimeter murals, suspended signage, end-caps, free-standing fixtures, tablecloths and runners. Of them, some feature backlit technology, or illumination from behind the printed material via a light-box frame. These graphics on fabric material achieve a further level of intense colour definition and attention-grabbing vibrancy.

SEG

As the name suggests, SEG (Silicone Edge Graphics) are silicon-edged graphics uniquely designed to mount onto aluminium frames with options to be changed out the graphics as per requirement. Quite popular among retailers, this framing system with fabric graphics sewn with silicone edges is one-time investment for users, then continually using it changing the graphics from time to time. Apart from the retail sector, SEG are popular in other applications including exhibitions and events.

Technologies & materials

There are a handful of leading manufacturers in the market which produce widely demanded range of dye-sub/direct-to-fabric printers. To mention a few, MUTOH, EFI VUTEk, MIMAKI, EPSON, Roland DG, Anajet, Reggiani, among others, produce best-in-class fabric/textile printers suitably designed for businesses of different sizes and levels. And a range of widely used fabric materials preferred by clients for diverse applications are available from reputed manufacturers like SENFA (Decoprint), Sun Fabric and so on.

Why fabric?

There are a handful of advantageous reasons why fabric signage should be chosen. Digitally printed dye-sublimated fabric is light weight, vibrant and machine washable if there are strains. This green printing material emits no ink odour and mostly available with flame retardant coatings. Graphics printed on fabric are possible to easily contour in unique shapes and structures. They are easy to store, reuse and recyclable.

Due to its flexible and lightweight nature, fabric graphics allow for efficient storage and reduced freight cost. When it comes to installation, professional help is not much needed for installation, which means it’s quick and easy to install a fabric signage. Durable and resilient, fabric media are available virtually in any size in diverse variants. Some are available as 100 percent polyester and wrinkle-free fabrics for high-textured graphics.

In addition to in-store applications, other major benefit of fabric signage is its wide versatility, allowing for use across a variety of creative applications. After all, PSPs must get inspired by the endless possibilities of fabric branding, especially in the retail world.