Blackett says, though, that this area doesn’t so much add a new slant to the show, but rather enhance an ethos that has always been present. "Sign & Digital has always been a business event in the true sense of the word, in that it is where visitors can find real opportunities and the best advice to grow their businesses," he says.
"Last year’s show delivered 6,264 unique visitors and looking at the response so far in terms of pre-registrations for the 2013 event, we would expect as strong a turnout as previously," he adds of how successful this focus has proved for the show’s organisers.
Fighting talk indeed. But of course the test is whether those who’ve visited in the past have discovered lucrative new directions to take their businesses in. Ian Wilcox, design and print centre manager at the University of Southampton, certainly feels he has. He reports that while other shows can often entail watching, albeit very interesting, on-stand demos of the very latest technology without much sense of its relevance to his own printroom, Sign & Digital tends to be where he discovers more immediately applicable ideas.
"Sign & Digital is more focused on creative solutions," he says. "For example, an interesting product last year was a material for a laser printer designed to create a foil-blocked effect. We didn’t have an application at the time, but we’ll certainly remember it when we do. You don’t tend to necessarily see something like that at Ipex – you just see all the big manufacturers with all of their big machines."
New business strategies
Wilcox goes on to explain that Sign & Digital excels at delivering ways to approach a new business venture, not just because the sorts of technology on show are well-matched to the average smaller-scale wide-format printer, but also because the show’s seminar and workshop programme nicely complements the exhibitor content.
"Last time we went we looked at Roland’s new hybrid, and then bought one three or four months later, and that was a result of being able to do our research all in one go," he says. "So we were able to go to Roland, go to Mimaki, go to the supplier we eventually bought it off and go to a workshop on how we might use the new kit, all in one day."
And Wilcox adds that it hasn’t always been specifically wide-format or sign-making applications that he’s discovered in his five years of attending. "We’ve also branched into T-shirt printing off the back of Sign & Digital," he says. "We were at a stand and suddenly thought ‘all we need is a heat press, we’ve already got that printer.’ And straight after having that thought, we could go and talk to various suppliers."
So what specific new business streams – wide format or otherwise – can the likes of Wilcox expect to discover from this year’s show? Event director Blackett reports that textiles printing will be feature prominently. "There’s an increasing demand to create wide-format print as a textile," he explains. "It’s fast, simple, long-lasting and best of all it weighs next to nothing compared with standard pop-up material, so not only do you save on delivery charges, but the client doesn’t have to lug heavy graphics around with their display system."
"Another new and evolving market for digital print is the interiors market," he adds. "Media suppliers are constantly improving and adding to their ranges, and there is plenty of advice available on the best way to approach this market with the right applications."
Interior dialogue
Understandably, then, lots of the show’s product launches will be geared around this. On the Colourgen stand will be two new members of Mutoh’s ValueJet range of wide-format printers with the 1.6m-wide ValueJet 1628W primarily aimed at the dye-sublimation, textile printing market. And among the three Mimaki UK launches on supplier Hybrid Services’ stand, will be the new TS500 production dye sublimation inkjet printer.
The Digital Print Innovations (DPI) stand will host the UK launch of the new MTEX1800, the smaller 1.8m-wide brother of the successful MTEX3200 3.2m wide complete direct to textile/fixation solution, and Epson will debut its new mid-high volume 64in SureColor SC-F7000 and low-medium volume 44in SureColor SC-F6000 soft signage, sportswear, apparel, accessories, customised promotional items and decorated gadgets printers.
Meanwhile, on the digital desktop side of things, TheMagicTouch will be introducing its new TMT/OKI LED printers whose white toner option makes dark garment and product decoration particularly effective, says the company.
Of course textile printing innovations won’t be the only ones catching visitors’ eyes. Among a whole host of other printing, finishing and software launches, will be a new ultrasonic SonicZ cutting head from Zünd UK, designed to significantly increase corrugated and honeycomb board throughput on Zund cutting tables; and, marking a move for the vendor into wide-format printer sales, a new Dyss Apollo Hybrid GH2200 flatbed UV printer from AG/CAD.
Also grabbing people’s attention among this wide array of new product launches, should be the show’s environmental focus. First introduced at last year’s Sign & Digital, a Green Trail will again be on hand to highlight where a stand features eco-friendly, environmental or ethical credentials. "There will be a good mix of products including ink and media manufacturers, printers, and recyclable display products, not to mention sustainable solutions from the digital signage sector," reports event director Blackett.
Again this aspect of the show is aimed at really spelling out to printers just what direction they might take their Sign & Digital discoveries in once back in their own pressrooms, says Blackett. "The whole show is really targeted at giving the best advice matched with the best solutions," he concludes.
THE PRINTER'S VIEW
Nick Brown Partner at Print Emporium
"I first went to the show nine years ago. I’d come into print from a completely different background and it was a great introduction; I managed to pick up quite a few bits and pieces. It’s the only show I go to now. Most of what we do is small-format, we don’t do large-format in a big way, but we still feel it’s worth going because the other thing they have there is the personalised side of things. We bought a laser printer for doing personalised photo mugs and T-shirts and mouse mats from TheMagicTouch, as a result of seeing it at the show a couple of years ago.
Every year we go we tend to pick up something whether it’s a new printer or new ideas for the personalised stuff. We’ve had two large-format machines as a result of visiting: a Roland VersaCamm and a 40in Mimaki. This year we’ll be taking a new employee; she’s only 19 and not long out of school so we want to take her to let her see the bigger picture of what’s out there."
Sign & Digital essentials
Date 30 April-2 May 2013
Location NEC Birmingham, Halls 3 & 3A
Price Attendance is free, register online beforehand to speed up entry on the day (www.signuk.com)
Opening times 10am-5pm 30 April and 1 May, 10am-4.30pm 2 May
Exhibitors over 150 suppliers
Key attractions
- 2013 sees the introduction of a new Business Development Learning Zone, focusing on developing markets in the UK and helping signmakers and graphic display professionals make more money
- A New Business Theatre will host a number of sessions related to making money from niche industry areas. Exact times will be announced online
- A New Business Cafe will be the starting place for discovering the new tour and theatre, and the place to network over a coffee
- Digital imaging expert Terry Steeley returns to host 2013’s Adobe Theatre sessions. Topics covered will range from turning everyday snaps into sensational photos, to simplifying soft proofing
- Expert signmaker Paul Hughes of Western Signs & Printing and the Price It Guide will be hosting the fourth year of the Signmaker’s Workshop, offering tips and tricks and live hands-on demonstrations
- The Corel Workshops programme will feature tips on using CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6 in a range of scenarios
- Back for its second year, the Green Trail will consist of stands being specially marked out to show products here boast eco-friendly, environmental or ethical credentials
- Visitors can pre-register online to be entered into a draw to win a VIP trip for two to a top flight football match (with all the trimmings including overnight accommodation), as well as half a day application workshop at Hybrid Services HQ
SEMINAR SCHEDULE (timings repeated daily)
Adobe theatre
10.30-11.15 Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 – Turn everyday snapshots into sensational photos
11.30-12.15 Adobe Bridge CS6 – What is Adobe Bridge CS6?
12.30-13.30 Adobe Photoshop CS6 – The king of image editing
14.30-15.15 Adobe InDesign CS6 – Digital publishing redefined
15.30-16.15 Adobe Illustrator CS6 – Boom! Bigger and better
16.30-17.00 Demystifying colour – Soft-proofing made simple
Corel workshops
10:30-11:15 CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6 - Overview of new features
11:30-12:15 Creating a Custom Font in CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6
13:00-13:45 CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6 - Creative project: step-by-step
14:15-15:00 Vehicle Signage with CorelDraw Graphics Suite X6
15:30-16:15 Wilcom DecoStudio e3 – a CorelDraw product
Signmakers workshop
10.30-12.00 Basic Application of Vinyls
12.30-14.00 Basics of Vehicle Livery
14.30-16.00 The Basics of Making a Signboard
