Decisions, decisions. When it comes to making an investment, there are usually so many factors to take in.

Do you go for the large one, the small one, or the one that requires you to travel overseas to see it in all its glory? Before you even consider buying, you have to choose from the plethora of tradeshows vying for your attendance.

While the print trade show field may be dominated by Drupa and Ipex, they only come around every four years.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of innovative, smaller trade shows promoting all that’s good about print. Next in line is Sign & Digital UK.

Taking place in just under two weeks’ time at the NEC in Birmingham, the three-day event aims to provide visitors with a snapshot of the wide-format print market in 2011.

Change of focus
As in previous years, Sign & Digital will cover the full gamut of the sign sector, although visitors this year can expect a bigger focus on textiles and the increasing importance of digital print technology.

With confidence slowly returning to the marketplace and an event accessible to most, now is a great time to take a look at the technology, applications and companies that can help provide your business with the springboard to make 2011 a truly successful year.

Sign & Digital 2011 is characterised by "more products, more applications and more opportunities", claims event director Rudi Blackett.

"Our key message for all those in wide-format and those that are looking to enter this important growth market is that Sign & Digital UK is a showcase for new revenue opportunities," says Blackett. "Come and find out what wide-format can do for your business".

This year’s event is forecast to be 20% bigger than last year’s show with companies such as Agfa, Screen UK, Durst, EFI, GPT and Hexis increasing their presence compared with 2010. Meanwhile, companies including paper merchant Antalis McNaughton, Optimus and ThyssenKrupp are making their debuts at the three-day event.

One area that has grown in prominence is the demand for digital textile printing. According to Blackett, EFI, Mutoh, Fujifilm and Spandex will each be carrying a textile focus.

EFI will be giving a show debut to its Vutek TX3250r, a 3.2m dye-sublimation fabric printer that is claimed to offer odourless, bright prints. Capable of print speeds up to 100m2 an hour, the model uses a fast-drying ink that dyes fibre directly so textiles retain the original look and feel they had prior to printing.

According to EFI Vutek general manager Scott Schinlever, the TX3250r offers unrivalled print quality and saturated colours for wide-format textile at production speeds, enabling customers to tap into high-growth applications.

Fujifilm will be exhibiting both internal and external window signage in a shop-like environment. The mock shop will include floor graphics, pop-ups, posters and backlit displays.

Peter Bray, UK sales manager for Fujifilm’s Euromedia products, believes constructing a shop-like environment
on stand is "the perfect vehicle" to demonstrate how its media products can be applied.

One such product is StickyTex Heavy FR, a self-adhesive B1 textile that is suitable for wallpaper and other indoor applications. The polyester textile can be used for wall tattoos, photos, borders and any large surface wall decorations.

Of course, this month’s show will present visitors with more than just a snapshot of digital textile technology. Software will also share centre stage, with MIS developers such as Shuttleworth and Optimus leading the way.

Shuttleworth starts a busy show season with its attendance at the NEC. Joint managing director Paul Deane says the company is using the event to "inspire the sign and digital market" with its MIS, which he says can increase both profitability and efficiency to a print business.

Consumables shouldn’t be overlooked either. Maidstone-based display printer Speedscreen has just signed for a Durst 320R 3.2m UV roll-to-roll printer, and, despite inevitable interest in what kit Durst will have on show, it is the ancillary accessory products on display that have piqued managing director Tim Hill’s interest.

Great opportunity
"The show is a great opportunity to look into some wider elements of the sign and display market all under one roof. We plan to do more lightbox work in the near future and Sign & Digital gives us the chance to speak to the right people," he explains.

With less than a fortnight to the show, Sign & Digital is shaping up to be a comprehensive overview of where that market is in 2011. So with many companies predicting a return to growth in the coming months, Birmingham’s NEC is definitely a good place to start.

"Being able to see first-hand the broad range of products and services being demonstrated, to ask the experts for advice, to make informed buying decisions, to learn about new techniques and opportunities and being able to interact with others in the industry are valid reasons why a visit to Sign & Digital UK is essential," concludes Blackett.

SHOW INFORMATION
Registration Sign & Digital is free to attend. To register, visit signuk.com
Venue Halls 17-18, NEC, Birmingham
Date 12-14 April 2011
Show times 12 & 13 April: 10am-5pm
14 April: 10am-4.30pm
Getting there
By car: The NEC is well served by the UK’s motorway network and can be accessed from the M6 and M42
By train: The NEC is situated next to Birmingham International Rail Station. Depending on your origin station you can travel directly by train to The NEC by alighting at Birmingham International. If your point of origin does not provide a service directly to Birmingham International, you will need to travel to Birmingham New Street and take a connecting train from there. National Rail Enquiries: 08457 484950
By air Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is right next door to the NEC. If you are on foot follow the signs to the Air-Rail Link, which leaves the airport from the first floor of Terminal 1

SIGN & DIGITAL STAND HIGHLIGHTS
Agfa Stand B20
Agfa will launch the Anapurna M1600, the latest iteration of the company’s Anapurna UV series, and the Jeti 1224 HDC FTR flatbed at the show.

The Anapurna M1600 offers high-quality four-colour-plus-white in a single run at up to 23sqm per hour on rigid boards and roll-to-roll substrates.

The flatbed design of the Jeti 1224 HDC FTR allows printing on substrates up to 5cm thick, and can be used for high-resolution exhibition graphics, POS displays, estate agent signs and backlit signs.

Antalis McNaughton Stand C24
Paper merchant Antalis McNaughton will showcase products aimed at sign makers and display printers, including those from manufacturers such as Alcan, 3A Composites, Mactac, Foamalite, Palram Industries and Lucprint.

Chris Green, Antalis McNaughton sign and display market manager, says: "We’re exhibiting at Sign & Digital 2011 because a large part of the sign sector isn’t aware of what we do. We have a good range of products that apply to the sector. We are more than a paper merchant."

EFI Stand H30, J30
EFI will be giving a UK debut to its EFI Vutek TX3250r 3.2m dye sublimation fabric printer when it exhibits at the show.
The TX3250r dyes fibre directly so the textile retains the original look and feel and is claimed to offer brighter colours than other textile printing methods.

EFI Vutek general manager Scott Schinlever says: "The TX3250r offers unrivalled print quality and saturated colours for wide-format textile at production speeds, so our customers can tap into high-growth applications."

Epson CWE: Stand C46; GPT: Stand C20; Spandex: Stand D40
The Epson kit on show will be hosted by partner companies. CWE, GPT and Spandex will be demonstrating models from Epson’s high-resolution 64in Stylus Pro GS6000 eco-solvent type printer, the 64in aqueous inkjet Stylus Pro11880 and 44in Stylus Pro 9700.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 has a maximum print resolution of 1,440dpi and is capable of printing 25.2m2 per hour in 720x360dpi mode on a range of substrates.

Fujifilm Stand H10
Fujifilm will showcase its Euromedia brand of substrates, ink and equipment targeted at digital wide-format and screen printers at the show.

The company will use the show to create a purpose-built shop environment to demonstrate a range of media and applications.

HP Stand H22
HP’s Designjet L25500 and Scitex LX800 printers, which incorporate the company’s latex ink technology, will drive HP’s presence at this year’s exhibition.

In addition, the company will be showcasing its HP Scitex FB500 UV flatbed printer and the HP Designjet Z6200 photo printer.

The manufacturer will also be running an on-stand seminar programme during the show as well as a Vespa-wrapping workshop from vinyl-wrapping expert James Deacon.

Hybrid Services/Mimaki Stand C10
Mimaki UK and Ireland distributor Hybrid Services has invited printers to test the "creative potential" of the manufacturer’s new JFX-1615plus UV large-format printer.

The printer can output at a resolution of up to 1,200dpi and has a bed size of 1.6x1.5m. The new model also features a post-curing unit with a claimed print speed of up to 24sqm per hour.

John de la Roche, national sales manager at Hybrid Services, says: "The JFXplus has the ability to print onto non-coated substrates up to a thickness of 50mm, and the added advantage of two ink options, hard and flexible UV-curable inks."

Keencut Stand D60
The Midlands-based cutting machine manufacturer will launch its Javelin Series 2 cutter bar at the show. The accuracy of the Javelin is claimed to make it ideal for cutting banner materials, pop-ups and other display materials that require precise and accurate cutting for perfect alignment.

Océ Stand D10
Océ will be showcasing its Arizona 550XT and Océ 350 GT UV wide-format printers, both of which will be powered by Onyx workflow software.

Also on stand will be its ColorWave 600 poster printer that incorporates the manufacturer’s CrystalPoint technology using toner pearls.

Océ will partner Zünd, the Swiss manufacturer of digital flatbed cutters, with the company’s Zünd G3 L2500 digital cutting system in action.

Derek Joys, display graphics systems program manager at Océ UK, says: "Once again our stand will be a must-see part of the show experience for all our customers and prospects, as well as other visitors."

Optimus Stand F28
Optimus is exhibiting at the show for the first time and will be showcasing Optimus Dash, its new management information system designed to cater for all digital sectors.

According to Optimus if you can produce it, Optimus Dash can manage it with a focus on eliminating waste and maximising the profitability in each transaction by taking out unnecessary steps.

Roland DG Stand D20
Roland DG will celebrate its 30th birthday by running a raft of competitions at the show, one of which will give visitors the opportunity to win a trip abroad. Equipment-wise, the company will exhibit its entire family of VersaCamm VS print-and-cut machines, including a dual-CMYK option.

Roland DG will also feature its CorelDraw software on its stand, and it will run daily seminars showing visitors how to incorporate metallic ink into their output.  

Shuttleworth Stand G33
Shuttleworth will be exhibiting the latest developments of its MIS software focused towards sign printers, which includes a production planning system that features real time feedback from the shop floor.

Also on show will be its new supply chain management software, a web-based tool hosted by Shuttleworth that allows manufacturers to get updated prices from suppliers.