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The Versatility of Window Perf

Posted on: July 21, 2009

“Lexjet Expand”, Great Applications, February 2008

USA Image Technologies proves that graphics printed on window-perf film provide multiple benefits beyond simple advertising.

Here’s an example of an application of SEETHRU-SIGN® STSWBF2 higher than street level. For such installations an articulated boom lift is recommended to ensure the material is properly applied in every nook and cranny.

Here’s an example of an application of SEETHRU-SIGN® STSWBF2 higher than street level. For such installations an articulated boom lift is recommended to ensure the material is properly applied in every nook and cranny.

You might say that 1994 was a watershed year for digital imaging. It was a year that heralded the birth of a number of digital renegades who saw the potential of inkjet printing and positively staked their futures on it.

These digital trailblazers paved the way for new applications and new profit opportunities. Not content to simply make signs, they transformed the advertising landscape, branding vehicles, buildings, trade shows, retail, and anything else with a receptive surface.

USA Image Technologies, based in Louisville, Ky., was one of these pioneers. USA Image continues this pioneering spirit in its perfection of the inkjet medium while it effectively communicates how, exactly, its clients can maximize their message.

Sales Value
Take window graphics. On its face, this medium has the obvious benefit of leveraging a previously blank space with colorful communication that helps drive awareness and sales. But if you take a consultant’s approach to your client’s business, its challenges, and the space available for graphics, you begin to find a solution that works on multiple levels. Simply put, a great salesperson asks great questions.

Car dealer clients enjoy all the benefits of a perforated window graphic using FLEXcon’s SEETHRU-SIGN from LexJet… Privacy, shade, and branding, not necessarily in that order.

Car dealer clients enjoy all the benefits of a perforated window graphic using FLEXcon’s SEETHRU-SIGN from LexJet… Privacy, shade, and branding, not necessarily in that order.

For USA Image, that means looking for other value sources beyond the application. The company’s primary window graphics product is FLEXcon’s SEETHRU-SIGN® STSWBF2 from LexJet. The use of the 60/40 window-perforated material provides additional selling points.

“Some of our clients, particularly car dealerships, have horrible glare in the showroom, and the window perf helps diffuse that light,” says Judd Morgan, USA Image’s marketing director. “We found that a lot of the demand was coming from clients who wanted branding, privacy, and shade.”

Morgan says the perforated window film has also been effective at hiding things. Before you jump to conclusions about what someone may want to hide, the reality is that some clients may have a cluttered storeroom with a window that simply looks, well, cluttered.

The local zoo had just that problem as one of its admissions kiosks was being used for storage. “They hated that,” says Morgan, “and we put up their ad messages, such as promotions for the latest exhibits, while covering up some clutter for them.”

Another avenue that sells perforated window graphics is the potential for additional revenue for operators of convention centers, expo halls, and other similar venues. The operator can sell the space to an exhibitor, giving the exhibitor front-and-center advertising punch.

“It’s also great for wayfinding since many of these exhibit halls have multiple wings. It really helps everyone. And, when someone sees this, they might not have known it even exists. It’s safe to say that a lot of the exhibitors don’t know about this perforated window solution. Then, they’re amazed by the product because they don’t see it day to day, and it can help bring additional business,” says Morgan.

Installation and Removal Tips
Once the job is sold, the most important first step before installation is getting the lay of the land. Obviously, measurements must be precise and any breaks in the glass with window sills and frame duly noted and accounted for.

This is so much better than a poster. It draws passersby into the scene as they envision themselves on a luxury cruise to some place exotic.

This is so much better than a poster. It draws passersby into the scene as they envision themselves on a luxury cruise to some place exotic.

An often overlooked factor in this pre-installation step is how the surface sits in relation to the sun. The minimum application temperature recommended for SEETHRU-SIGN® is 50 degrees F, but Morgan says extremely hot temperatures are less than ideal since the heat tends to make it stretch. Once it stretches, the material will naturally creep back to its original form, which could cause it to lift off the surface prematurely.

This type of application provides advertising and wayfinding, and is a great sales tool for the exhibit hall operator. It has the added benefit of showing exhibitors the possibilities of window graphics. Invariably, someone will ask, “Who did the big window sign at the entrance?” Perfect.

This type of application provides advertising and wayfinding, and is a great sales tool for the exhibit hall operator. It has the added benefit of showing exhibitors the possibilities of window graphics. Invariably, someone will ask, “Who did the big window sign at the entrance?” Perfect.

Therefore, during hot months the installation is scheduled when the sun isn’t beating down on the surface. Conversely, in the winter months, when it’s sometimes impossible to meet the recommended minimum temperature for application, the best time for installation is when the sun is beating down on the window.

Though most of the installations are done at street level, USA Image gets the occasional call for something higher off the ground. In those cases, Morgan says a simple scissors lift won’t get the job done properly.

Most of USA Image’s perforated window graphics are for short-term promotions, but Morgan says that some have stayed up for a few years, though the maximum recommended application length is one year. Morgan attributes this to the fact that the graphics might not remove as easily or cleanly after more than a year.

This perforated window graphic transforms the space and provides privacy. It’s really an environmental wrap that complements the building and gives the client a powerful impact on the street.

This perforated window graphic transforms the space and provides privacy. It’s really an environmental wrap that complements the building and gives the client a powerful impact on the street.

“After a few years when you pull it off, you might have some ghosting. I ran into that here at our facility where we had a sample on a window for a long time, but household cleaners or denatured alcohol works fine at removing the residue,” says Morgan. “We have not had a problem with removing the graphics. We laminate our graphics, but anyone who’s using liquid laminate or removing just the base material may have more difficulty. It’s just more rigid when it’s laminated, and that makes a difference. Plus it gives the graphic more durability.”