Almost 300 Race for Life events will be held over the next few months, presenting of course a huge wide-format opportunity.
What did the job entail?
Your Print Partner (YPP) has been appointed sole printing agent for Race for Life this year. So Cancer Research could use this print to generate plenty of interest and sign-ups at pre-race city-centre launches, the printer has already produced the majority of materials needed. This has included 300 feather flags, over 1,500m of banners, plus stage wraps, sponsor branding and barrier jackets. More last-minute sponsor jobs may well come YPP’s way over the next month or so.
How was it produced?
All the print has been produced on YPP’s stable of Mimaki direct-to-textile printers, mostly on either Berger knitted polyester or Berger Airmesh material, suitable for wind speeds of up to 40mph. “We used to do some of the print on PVC but we’ve moved away from that,” said YPP managing director Stuart Maclaren. “We print all Race for Life print on fabrics now, so Cancer Research can wash them then reuse them at multiple events. Each print will be used maybe 30 or 40 times throughout the year and then saved for the next year.”
What challenges were overcome?
YPP certainly had to ramp up capacity for such a high-volume job. “With a job of this size that’s a lot of printing, because all feather flags are double sided, so it’s 600 pieces really,” says Maclaren. “Those have to be cut out and sewn by hand, and we did 3,100 eyelets on banners this year, which is also a manual process. We took on two extra workers for that.”
What was the feedback?
Nick Wright, equipment and suppliers manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Race for Life presents significant challenges to all of our suppliers due to its bespoke requirements and its sheer scale. In 2014 Your Print Partner has tweaked the designs of standard products to meet the operational challenges that Race for Life faces in order that Cancer Research UK can save thousands of pounds on re-investment.”
Visit raceforlife.org to find an event near you.
