Have a Banner Day!

In our studio, every day is a banner day! The familiar term "banner day" refers to a day being noteworthy or of hanging a banner of announcement, usually of good news.*

This is Part 3 of 3 on substrates:  Context is Everything 

We print banners for a range of settings including trade shows, to direct school traffic, announce auto sales, tout a blue-ribbon award, herald a Bronco’s win, for concerts and fairs, to hang in bars and on light poles and sign posts, and to publicly thank sponsors or participants. Again, it’s all about context. Do you want to hang a banner outdoors that will weather the elements for a year or even longer? Is there a one-time conference that commands custom pieces? We’ve got your solution!

The wide range of substrate options for banners includes:

Scrim:  Commonly used for outdoor signage since it is scratch- and water-resistant but can be penetrated for grommets for easy hanging. Scrim banners are made of vinyl and reinforced with polyester cording. The design is what gives it strength and durability. Its smooth, flat finish makes this surface ideal for large-format inkjet printing.

SoFlat®:   Described as scrim-less since this PVC substrate doesn’t have a scrim/base fabric. It is a non-curl substrate with a smooth, flat finish. It is typically used indoors because it is not scratch- or water-resistant. Commonly used for trade show, event and conference displays, it rolls up well. You see it use for many retractable banners.

Mesh:  Designed to let air blow through instead of flapping in the wind or tearing, this synthetic substrate can also be hemmed for a clean look and pierced to hold grommets. You see these on construction fences and at parks touting sporting and other events.

Canvas:  With a texture similar to a painting canvas, this substrates has a softer feel and is “natural” on the non-print side and painted white on the print side. While not as glossy as some other options, canvas is a common choice for setting that demand a more classic look; your bank or inside hotels.

Heavy Duty:   Ideal for fluttering flags that will go with the wind instead of fighting it, this vinyl substrate has high tear resistance due to the multi-layer design. Typically hemmed and with grommets, it is also ideal for prints that will be inserted into re-usable frames to announce the current sale or holiday specials.

Smooth:   Designed for indoor use, smooth banners are defined by their levelness that allows for pressure consistency in printing. That leads to crisp images—even when viewed very close up. Available in a matte finish and can be printed on both sides.

SpeedPro Denver designed, printed and installed this special recognition banner and building wrap at St. Mary's Academy in Littleton

SpeedPro Denver printed 400 banners for Coors!

We hope you have enjoyed our substrates series

Topic suggestions are always welcome!

303.426.4199

denver@speedprodenver.com

www.speedprodenver.net

*source: answers.com

SoFlat is a registered trademark of Soyang

Florence Nightingale Was Right

Sometime before the turn of the last century, “The Lady with the Lamp” advocated the use of natural sunlight and soothing colors to create a relaxing setting that would encourage healing. Research has confirmed that Florence Nightingale was right¹. Patients in well-designed hospital rooms experience less anxiety, require less pain medication and have shorter hospital stays, according to The Center for Health Design, an organization of health care and design professionals that uses evidence-based research to develop standards for functional hospital designs.

Hospitals have always employed architects, of course, but didn’t necessarily heed Florence’s advice. That has been changing and in a big way. “Positive distractions,” such as beautiful artwork, give patients something to focus on, other than their discomfort from medical procedures.² Sky Ridge Medical Center in south Denver ranked an impressive 7 out of 25 in The 25 Most Amazing Modern Hospitals in the World published in April, 2015 by the Best Master of Science in Nursing Degrees organization. The ranking came in no small part to its extensive art collection with pieces selected specifically “to bring aesthetic beauty and a sense of home to guests.” Note they don’t have patients, they have guests!

Still, we tend to visualize hospitals as well as urgent care facilities and out-patient treatment centers as bright white boxes that we’d rather not go to. So maybe we just haven’t noticed the shift going on because it can be as subtle as a soft yellow paint instead of a jolting white, wall murals depicting outdoor scenes in a waiting room, or elevator wraps with cheerful seasonal messages.

Most healthcare providers know they realistically can’t obtain a pricy art collection to raise the aesthetic beauty of their facility, but may not know where to start to bring in some color. SpeedPro Imaging, a large format print studio, has worked on-site at hospitals to develop those “positive distractions” for their waiting and patient rooms, as well welcoming outdoor banners and wraps for elevators. Creating interesting graphics is what we do.

Sources:

1 International Network for Neuroaesthetics, Published July 17, 2012 Written by Meika Jensen

2 Positive Distractions, published March 11, 2012 by Debajyoti Pati, PhD, for HKS Clinical Solutions & Research in collaboration with American Art Resources designed a study to examine the influence of positive distractions in the dental and cardiac clinic waiting areas at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. A positive distraction has been defined as “an environmental feature that elicits positive feelings and holds attention without taxing or stressing the individual, thereby blocking worrisome thoughts.”