Talk about a targeted campaign. When printed stickers asking ‘How do our kids afford tobacco?’ and ‘Why is illegal tobacco so easy to get hold of?’ started appearing outside schools, in high streets, bus shelters, phone boxes and fast food outlets last autumn, it was clearly aimed at people who were likely to benefit the most from it.

The campaign, organised by the primary care trust, sought to raise awareness of tobacco use among children. What made it so effective, however, is that the campaign used Clings, a substrate able to stick to almost any surface including glass, plasterboard, wood, metal and brick, to get the message across. And just as importantly, Clings can be peeled off and used again.

Clings is just one of a number of innovative substrates that have become available in recent years. This ‘smart substrate’ revolution has been aided by the continued advances in print technology – where once a number of different print and finishing processes were deployed, today digital is making everything far simpler. And, going by the evidence, smart substrates are opening up a world of possibilities.

Clings is sold in the UK by consumables supplier Think Ambient. According to managing director Tap Chauhan, the substrate is essentially a paper-thin polypropylene that has been embedded with an electrostatic charge. "It sticks in the same way that rubbing a balloon against your hair causes it stick," says Chauhan. "There’s no glue or adhesive on it at all."

Printers sometimes confuse Clings with static cling vinyl, but Chauhan says a key difference is that it contains no PVC and so is fully recyclable. "The important thing I would say about this product is that it gives the printer a USP. Such a point of difference can really be crucial in what is a highly commoditised market."

What’s in store?
There are some other notable exampes of smart substrates. Madico Graphic Films, for instance, produces screen protector labels for a number of camera and mobile phone manufacturers. Managing director Andy Voss says his firm is close to introducing the same ‘easy-flow’ technology to the window graphics market.

"People in retail outlets will be able to peel off a liner and apply it straight to the glass. And like a mobile phone protector label, it will just flow out on its own accord without any bumps or creases," says Voss.

As Madico’s product underlines, smart substrates are often used because they make life easier for customers. They also help to reduce installation costs. Removing the extra expense of professional fitters for large-format display products has greatly benefitted the retail sector in particular.

As part of its 800-strong Euromedia range of roll-fed substrates, Fujifilm offers a number of products suitable for in-store and point-of-sale (POS) promotions. Launched last summer, WonderTack Ghost is a clear PET substrate that adheres to smooth, flat surfaces without the use of adhesive. Instead, it has micro-porous suckers on the adhering side, and like so many of these smart substrates, is both repositionable and reusable.

"WonderTack is a great example of a substrate that saves time and labour," explains Fujifilm’s Euromedia national sales manager Peter Bray. "Printers send the product to the retail outlet and store staff apply the signage themselves."

Another product that is benefitting the large-format display sector is Mirri from Celloglas. Mirri is a range of metallic papers and boards that, thanks to the advent of UV inkjet technology, can be printed on in one pass. It has been successfully trialled on an Agfa Anapurna, Fujifilm Sericol Inca and Roland DG LEC 550 and it has also been tested on an HP Indigo 5500 with the help of a primer coating followed by lamination.

According to Mirri marketing manager Jennifer Deacon, the company has been working hard behind the scenes since Ipex, talking to machine manufacturers and testing substrates on their machines. "The benefits of printing metallics using digital are profound," says Deacon. "Before digital came along, you would have to guess whether you got the white layer right when printing it. Now, digital allows you to proof using Mirri as well."

Digital, of course, has enabled smart substrates to be used in short-run production. Deacon says Mirri is ideal for printers who want to produce stunning items in low quantities, such as party invitations, event tickets, or even competition giveaways (see box out on Mirri Glastonbury tickets).

Leed Consultancy’s Alan Steenson says demonstrating the benefits of personalisation to printers and their clients is an ongoing challenge for him. Steenson’s company recently took on the role of European distributor for Masterpiece Graphix, a US-based supplier of clever substrates that come in all shapes and sizes.

Masterpiece has coated more than 800 unique digital substrates for the HP Indigo, and products range from a coating that mimics the effect of metallic paper and a graphic material that can be stuck to wallpaper and removed without damaging it.
"A smart substrate is an ideal bedfellow for personalised short runs," says Steenson. "Instead of printing 20,000 sheets, you may only be printing 500, so you should really be looking at using a substrate that gives you that little extra impact."

Consider the ROI
According to Steenson, printers are often slow to embrace smart substrates, and justifying the extra cost of the substrate with the return-on-investment can often be the sticking point. "A smart substrate can cost five times more than a conventional one, but the ROI could be 10 times more," he says. "Personalisation is all about making the data work for you and your customers, and the use of new materials is an important way of doing that. Sadly, there are not enough printers that realise this."

Much of Steenson’s frustration lies at the feet of designers, who he believes often fail to grasp the commercial benefits digital technology brings. "Very often, designers don’t understand printers and vice versa. If it’s a personalised job, a designer should be aware of the need to use colour text and image variation, and not simply put black onto textile."

The issue is further complicated by the fact that digital print tends to be geared towards marketers as well, so there are three groups involved. "It’s a case of getting all the groups together and making them speak the same language," says Steenson.

Fujifilm’s Bray concedes that, in some cases, suppliers are not doing enough to present to printers just how smart substrates can reduce some of their processes or enhance value. "One of the things we’re starting to do within our business is actually sit in front of printers and present our complete range. Most know about the standard, commodity-type products, but more needs to be done to make them aware of the more specialist items."

Bespoke solutions
For a number of suppliers, a consultative approach is the best way of getting that awareness across. Voss says more than a third of Madico’s business is project-based, meaning a substrate is specifically made to suit the needs of a particular customer. "We don’t sell products from a catalogue. Many of our products are bespoke manufactured," says Voss.

"Sadly, too many printers are afraid to try new things and end up just competing on price. There are, however, plenty who embrace new technologies and we can assist them in entering new markets. These are the printers that are making profit, basically," adds Voss.

By engaging more with suppliers, printers can also gain a greater understanding of trends in the marketplace. A good example is how environmentally conscious retailers are turning away from PVC –  the Co-Operative Group, for instance, has banned all PVC in-store signage. Only by talking to suppliers can printers be made aware of the alternatives and therefore offer different products to their customers.

"Ultimately, a good printer has got strong connections with the supplier, the designer, the customer and the end user," says Steenson. "To me it’s a no brainer – everybody’s happy."

Clearly, many printers are failing to reach that level of contentment. For those of you who are, perhaps an ‘Are you doing enough to embrace smart substrates?’ sticker on the factory wall could help?

CASE STUDY CLINGS
Hospitals are often drab, uninspiring places, with the emphasis more often than not placed on function over form. However, mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being when it comes to the rehabilitation process so brightening up the walls and corridors of hospitals is vitally important. No more so is this the case than in the children’s wards where a great deal of time and effort is placed into creating happy spaces that are rich in colour and variety.

This philosophy influenced the thinking of Warrington Hosptial when it decided to give its children’s ward an under-the-sea makeover. The hospital employed the services of local artist Anthony Turk who created an impressive mural on the walls of the ward.

But, for an added twist, the hospital turned to north west-based creative company Oakbase to create some ‘fishy friends’ printed on Clings, a 100% recyclable substrate supplied by Think Ambient that sticks to most surfaces without the need for an adhesive using static electricity. As a result of this innovation the young patients were able to interact with the fish and reposition them to their preferred location.

The entrance and main corridor of the ward was transformed into a novel and exciting space, which provides a cheerful and distracting environment for the children during their stay in hospital. "Clings were great for this project as they do not cause any damage when repositioned," explains Think Ambient marketing assistant Sarah Rogers. "They’re so easy to move, it’s child’s play."

MIRRI'S WINNING TICKET
Not everything that drops out of the middle of a magazine is an irritation. Last summer, 20 Q Magazine readers were fortunate enough to stumble upon a golden Willy Wonka-style ticket, which entitled them to a pair of VIP tickets for the 2010 Glastonbury Festival.

According to Celloglas sales director Steve Middleton, Q Magazine approached the company and asked them to create the golden tickets, which would be scattered in magazines throughout the country.

Middleton’s solution was to digitally print onto Gold Mirri using an HP Indigo press. "Gold Mirri produces an extremely shiny metallic effect and looks fantastic," he says. "As they were digitally printed, we were able to print a unique number on each of them for identification purposes."

The tickets were printed by Image Evolution on an HP Indigo 5500. A Sapphire coating was applied prior to printing and they were gloss laminated both sides to bring back the glossy effect after coating. 

"Digitally printing on Mirri is a fantastic development," claims Celloglas managing director Richard Gillgrass. "We have already produced a number of spectacular short-run invites for corporate events and we feel there is a lot of potential for Mirri in this market."