Colour Your Worlde

Scott Price of Innerhand Shaping completed a professional design and installation of 7 large format pieces for San Diego Sports Medicine. Their main lobby and gym at the new facility were enhanced with images of local San Diego landmarks and athletes by local photographers. The images where a mix of a direct to print on Sintra and high quality FujiFlex paper face mounted to acrylic. The large images were 6ft x 4ft and spectacular with their resolution, color and presentation. They truly transformed an empty large space into a fascinating, inviting and unique one with positive energy! The focal piece is the image of San Diego beachfront with breaking waves. The FujiFlex paper give amazing depth and aliveness to the image, and the effects of the plexiglas mounting add a watery shine that makes you feel as if you are actually there. It is amazing how well these images can represent your business and convey what you are trying to say.

We also worked with Scott to create an oval shaped image for a unique presentation. The image was printed direct on to Sintra and cut to shape with our digital router. The oval outline shape on the group of cyclists training together gives the image motion, and a truly thinking outside the box presentation. The ability to create and deliver images of different sizes, shapes and materials gives Innerhand Shaping the professional tools to deliver on artistic vision.

Innerhand Shaping does commercial and home art design and installation, using personal, local, stock or Scott's own abstract digital images. Also check out Innerhand's abstract fine art web gallery.

German camera company, Leica, worked with Advico Y&R to demonstrate what can be accomplished with a 37.5 megapixel camera. These shots were taken by photographer Christian Bobst with a Leica S2 model. The posters, shown here in their actual location, provide razor sharp close ups of the walls and fences on which they are placed. Creative advertising presentation as well as the perfect illustration of how higher resolution cameras can substantially increase the results in large format displays.

We love printing big graphics for customers here at Artisan Colour. We also want to make sure that the graphics we produce are effective. If the letters used for the text are too small, created with a font that is not readable, or a color that is hard to differentiate from the background, then the sign is not going to have the desired impact. This article by Signs & Digital Graphics Magazine offers some helpful tips and things to watch out for when designing your sign so that it is able to be seen and easily read from long distances. The formula for how large your graphic letters should be to be read at a certain distance is particularly helpful.

Designing Award-Winning Signs: View from the Road - by Matt Charboneau

In discussing the effectiveness of a sign, we must address three factors that dominate the design process: visibility, legibility and readability.


Optimum legibility: Letter style, size, color, spacing

Our Zund G3 digital router can do some amazing things. It is able to cut through a variety of materials, from BioBoard to even leather. Of course, the best results are achieved when the print and cut files are set up correctly. It does take a little knowledge of Illustrator to do it right. This step by step guide shows the best way to set up a file for printing and cutting.

First create a new document in Illustrator. Make sure the document size is large enough to fit the graphic plus registration marks outside of the image. (Registration marks are required for the camera guide on the digital router to line up the artwork and cut file properly.)


Next create three layers in the new document. One for the RegMarks (Registration Marks), one for the ThroughCut (or KissCut if that is what is called for in the project), and one for the graphic or Artwork. Each layer should be named appropriately.

Place your graphic in the Artwork layer. Make sure the artwork is inside the document's
bounding box.

On your cut layer create lines and shapes that will go around the artwork. Be sure that proper bleed is built in your graphic and the cut lines are inset at least 1/4" from the outside of your artwork. Create a new swatch named ThroughCut set to Spot Color CMYK and 100% magenta. We recommend making the fill or stroke of the line .5 pt in thickness.

For the Registration Marks layer create .25" black circles. Place reg marks outside the graphic, but inside the bounding box of the document.

Be sure to check for any stray points or lines in the file that would effect your final cut.

When you are ready to save, save two versions of the file. To create the print file, turn off the Cut Path layer and leave the Artwork and Registration Marks layers turned on. Save this file as a pdf or eps. To create the cut file, turn off the Artwork layer and make sure the Registration Marks and Cut Path layers are turned on. Save this file as a native Illustrator ai file.

Master these steps, and you will be able to add custom cut elements to your design projects.

Looking for alternate signage ideas for your product? The floor is often the perfect place to add to your message and literally stop consumers in their tracks. Every retail space has a floor, and each floor is a potential advertising canvas.

By utilizing floor space, these graphics can be used as a directional tool to guide customers to the desired location in an interactive way. Strategically placed in point of purchase locations through the store they can increase sales of your product up to 30%. With a low cost per square foot to produce, and a durability to withstand high foot traffic for several months, they offer a high return making them one of the most inexpensive advertising mediums.

Floor graphics are made up using a base vinyl and a specially formulated over-laminate for the floor. This over-laminate has a rough texture to prevent slipping and protects the print from foot traffic. The vinyl is easily removable and leaves no residue on the floor. Making it also easy to change out for future campaigns.

Most commonly seen in grocery stores, floor graphics can be used in many ways beyond the frozen food section. They are perfect for trade shows and special events. A logo placed at the entrance of your lobby can promote company pride and help build your corporate brand. Or create three dimensional illusions like this image of a 'hole' in the ground that Publicis, an advertising agency in Brazil, created for an anti-drug campaign at Mackenzie University.

Contact an Artisan Colour representative to learn how to create your own floor graphics.

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Found this article in all places, Psychology Today. They analyzed how a people shop, and found patterns and trends in the way the average consumer navigates a store. Their findings can be utilized by retailers when designing and laying out their space to maximize and encourage sales. For example; since most people are right handed, they tend to turn right when first entering a store. That high traffic area may be the best area to place high-profit items.

The Urge to Splurge

Putty-colored mannequins and quaint window displays are so 1950s. Today's retail stores map out the shopping experience with a precision that starts the moment you walk through those double glass doors.

Can't help but reach for one of those V-neck sweaters so neatly stacked in the middle of The Gap? It may be the work of a savvy retail consultant like Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell and author of the book Why We Buy.

PT investigates how retailers nudge you toward that cash register.

First Impressions

The Landing Strip

The first 10 feet inside a store are the "transition zone." Because most shoppers walk at a brisk clip from the parking lot, store designers seek to slow the shopper down, using a table of clothing, a sign or perhaps a salesperson "greeter" as a speed bump. Few retailers put important merchandise next to the entrance because most shoppers aren't yet in browsing mode.

Sweetest Spot

Most shoppers turn right, probably because most are right-handed. The right-hand thoroughfare attracts the highest traffic anywhere in the store. It is the perfect location for high-profit merchandise.

Look Here

Signs with just two or three words work best. At most, a sign registers for all of two seconds with a shopper.

We have also found with our own customers that striking images along with the one or two worded sign leaves a lasting impression with today's media overloaded consumer. The old adage that a picture can speak a thousand words holds true. It can add continuity to the message you are trying to convey, as well as aid in the brand the persona of your store. Inventive displays can help draw a shopper to a specific area of your store, or in the case of a window display, pull them in to your store. Get creative with your signs and merchandise presentation to help promote profitability.

Posted via email from Artisan Colour

New options with digital fabric printing have changed the way that many businesses design their displays. There are are an abundant choice of fabrics available — from sheer taffeta, shiny silk like weaves, upholstery, outdoor rated flag and awning canvas, to gaming felts, and everything in between. There are even fabrics available that are made from recycled soda bottles.


- Fabric advertising can add an impression of quality to your product.
- Fabric banners can attract more attention. They move with even a slight breeze, which will draw the eye to your display.
- They can be used over and over and still look good. Many of the fabrics available can even be thrown in a washer and dryer.
- Green fabrics are available that are made from recycled plastic materials.
- Fabric prints do not give off an odor.
- They travel well. They can be folded, put in a suitcase and still look good at a tradeshow or event.
- Fabric graphics rarely (if ever) curl, and in most cases can be ironed.

Best of all, is being able to create your own design to be printed. For more information on our fabric printing capabilities please visit our website.

After several months of fine tuning, we are proud to announce the launch of the newest version of the Artisan Colour website.

Artisan has gone through many changes since the last version of their website. Maybe one of the biggest is the recent addition of the Display Graphics Division with the merger with Mighty Imaging and the purchase of two new pieces of equipment; The Oce Arizona 350 GT U/V curable roll to roll and rigid hybrid printer and Zund router cutter. These machines can do amazing things! The U/V inks on the 350 GT are environmentally friendly (no VOC emissions) that can print a truly Green and sustainable product. The Zund cutter can create custom shapes and packaging to complete a corporate identity or make displays with distinction.

We're not done yet. We do have plans to further expand the site and add more features. Check back soon for the latest additions.

Our thanks to Don Giannatti of SteelID, who designed the site.

The successful promotion of a company’s product line depends on effective marketing and presentation. It is vital for a product to be advertised in such a way that grabs the audience’s attention and also creates brand recall among customers. Most companies are looking for an approach that will give them the best return on their investment.

While there are many methods of advertising, Point of Purchase (or POP) displays are an effective and low cost method that can be used as one component of an overall marketing strategy. POP displays can be found at many different retail applications. They have been in utilized in a basic way ever since man started selling their wears. Used in the simplest form, merchants would hang samples of their product in shop windows to inform potential buyers of what they sold. Nowadays, with technological advancements, samples have been replaced with picturesque depictions of the products.

Point of purchase displays come in variety of forms. They may be backlit signboards, an entire showcase, or a counter top display right at the cash register. An effective piece will have the brand name predominately mentioned. POP fixtures and displays should be colorful and attractive to consumers. The goal is to draw the customer’s attention to the display to entice them to buy your product. They need to be targeted to the demographic you are trying to reach. They should also make a statement about your company and be consistent with your brand image, as it may be the only impression the customer gets of your company.

The machine we recently purchased to create the Artisan Colour Display Graphics Division is ideal to produce this type of marketing. It was recently recognized for its superior print quality at the Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo. The Océ Arizona® 350 GT won the 2009 Poznan International Fair (PIF) Gold Medal. The first generation of this machine (the 250 GT) was awarded the PIF Gold Medal in 2008.

Océ Wins Double Gold at Euro-Reklama Outdoor Expo 2009

The PIF Gold Medal is awarded to a product that meets a number of criteria, including quality and innovation, and that has been produced using the best technology available. A panel of specialists in each industry judges the entries. The PIF Gold Medal competition jury has a 30-year tradition of recognizing outstanding products in various fields.

The Océ Arizona 350 GT UV curable flatbed printer uses Océ VariaDot™ imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system, it can print on a wide variety of rigid substrates and features a Roll Media Option for printing onto flexible media. A White Ink Option is available to enable under-printing on colored media or objects, over-printing for backlit applications on transparent media, and printing white as a spot color. The Océ Arizona 350 GT printer is ideal for producing a wide variety of applications such as event graphics, point-of-purchase displays, limited-term signage, banners, backlit and reflective rigid displays, transit advertising, and directional signage.

Today's display graphics are no longer considered just a sign. Very often the graphics we print for our customers in the Retail Market are thought of as art by their shoppers.

Here at Artisan Colour, color management is religion! The two pillars that we live by are accuracy and consistency. Our ability to replicate colors to the highest standard is a daily task. So often Retail Graphics Buyers demand that product colors in the graphics match the merchandise. Easier said than done, eh? A number of our readers have expressed frustration when trying to produce a certain color to match a brand or product where the slightest shift spells disaster. In the print graphics field we spell disaster W-A-S-T-E!

The other pillar of color management is consistency. Have you ever had a job come in where the client is requesting different applications for the same campaign? Using multiple printers on different substrates can seem like an insurmountable task when the goal is to be consistent through out the entire campaign.

In this month's edition of Wide-Format Imaging Marc Welch describes how science has aided color management in image editing and producing uniform and precise color output no matter what devise is used.

How it's Done

The workflow is quite simple:

The first step shuts off color management on all RIPs. The RIPs will receive color-managed files, so they do not need to perform this function. However, the RIP still performs basic printer to media calibration for each media type. This involves printing a tone scale for each color, and making adjustments to optimize the match between requested and printed values. Once calibration is complete, the device is linearized.

The final step is creating a reference or “fingerprint” of the printer or press. A reference chart is printed and ‘read’ with a spectrophotometer. This allows the software to understand both what colors your printer can reproduce as well as how it produces them. Good color management software takes the printer color output, compares it to a preferred standard (GRACoL, for example) and creates a link to correlate the printer’s color capabilities to the color standard. Printers with a broader range of colors (gamut) support a better match to the color standard or original color being matched.

With the right software and training, you can deal with special circumstances. For example, some customers print the backside of polycarbonate then laminated over the print with a white film. The resulting color gamut is considerably smaller than GRACoL. In this type of case it is possible to compress the input color range to fit the available gamut.

....What once required a time-consuming, difficult to teach, and often inconsistent skill has become an efficient, productive process. Both you and your customers will take notice.