Hello {{first_name|Vinyl Visionaries}},
With most of us back at work, things start for the year in earnest. We see the pace of news and product announcements picking up, as we try to maintain an independent view of the vinyl industry news and give you the features that you want. Don’t forget to send us your suggestions and requests, and don’t forget to vote on the design of the week.
Design Directory
🧩 Vinyl Challenge: Can You Answer?
What is the largets object ever vinyl wrapped?
Answer at the bottom.
📰Vinyl Scene: News Update
The latest trends, technology advancements, and industry news related to vinyl graphics. Got any news to share?
18 Jan - A new DTF Powder-to-Film system from Vastex International uniformly coats DTF films with adhesive powder, improving DTF printing performance and operator safety. The Vastex system provides uniform coverage without dusting and spillage, reducing waste and freeing staff to optimize production time. An operator positions the wet DTF printed film on the application tray, print side up. With each cycle the top cartridge releases adhesive powder which rains down on the film, ensuring complete and even coverage, with waste captured by the bottom cartridge. When empty, the upper cartridge can be switched quickly and cleanly with the lower cartridge containing all excess powder, reducing exposure while eliminating waste and allowing continuous production until refilling is needed.
17 Jan - Stahls’ range of custom emblems & patches continues to grow. In December it was the twin image FlexStyle® Holographic Emblems, and this month we can add Custom Chenille patches. These softly textured patches come with a choice of 50+ thread colors and 9 felt options, including Gold & Silver glitter. Mix up to 6 thread colors for your design, which can be either heat-applied or pressure-sensitive adhesive. Custom orders can be made down to run sizes as small as 25 units.
12 Jan - Roland DGA Corporation has announced the launch of the new VersaOBJECT™ MO-240—a new UV-LED benchtop flatbed printer that combines unsurpassed print quality with outstanding productivity. The MO-240 boasts two newly developed large printheads in a staggered formation, a new, more powerful UV-LED lamp, and dot control technology optimized for high-speed output—a combination that allows this device to achieve productivity of 22.28 square feet per hour in standard mode.
💡Vinyl Hacks: Weekly Wisdom
Tips and hacks related to creating, applying, or maintaining vinyl graphics. Got a hack to share?
This week’s hack is more of a material than a hack, but it is certainly a game changer for the vehicle wrapping community. FLITE Technology® is Arlon's innovative technology that is included in SLX® Cast Wrap film and is designed for vehicle applications. FLITE Technology is a lite contact system that allows graphics to float over a substrate until firm pressure is applied. Graphics can easily be snapped up after contact for repositioning, and the film will not hold until firm overlapping pressure is applied. Once firm pressure is applied, or post-application heat is applied, the bond strength builds over time until it reaches full bond strength. The technology makes solo applications fast and easy. If you’re a novice, it’s going to help you get the job done. If you’re an expert it’s going to help you get the job done faster!
🤖 Digital Artisan: AI Innovations in Design
Explore the frontier of creativity with a segment dedicated to the latest AI tools revolutionizing the art of vinyl design. Got a great AI tool or hack?
If you have given up on Midjourney or DALL.E making anything useful containing text, then you are going to love Ideogram. It is a full-featured image generation AI, and the ability to see other people’s prompts and remix their designs is very useful. The best feature, apart from the current price of free, is that it seems to handle text in a very creative and readable manner. Sure, it has that random AI way of going haywire, but mostly the text is readable and spelt correctly. Only two of my first designs had two “i’s” in vinyl, so a second prompt was needed to get the correct spelling. This is still a great step forward from most paid AI image generators and at this price, it is staying in my toolkit.
🛠️ The Vinyl Toolkit: Featured Item
Round out your tool kit to be the best in the business. Found a great tool?
The bodyguard knife excels in precise and safe cutting. Its most notable feature is its concealed blade, which greatly reduces accidental cuts, making it particularly suitable for environments where safety is a top priority.
The design of the knife includes a right-angle foot, which cleverly separates the vinyl from its backing paper, while its PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) coating effectively prevents sticking to the vinyl. Additionally, Teflon contact strips are incorporated to enhance the smoothness of the knife's movement, ensuring clean and effortless cuts. The knife's adaptability is further boosted by allowing users to select their preferred cutting direction.
This blend of safety, durability, and adaptability establishes the bodyguard knife as a vital instrument, particularly in large-scale vinyl installation projects.
🎨 Design Showcase: This Week's Best
See last week’s standout vinyl graphic design, and vote on next week’s winner. Have you got a cool design idea?
Congratulations to YarEarth Apparel, our week two design winner.
Next week’s shortlist is below and maintains a strong Valentine’s Day theme. Don’t forget to submit your most fantastic designs, and then it's time for you to play judge! Cast your vote for the winner every week, and the champion gets to revel in that ultimate feeling of victory that can be proudly shared on your social channels.
Winner Week 2 - YarEarth Apparel
Week 3 Shortlist - Subscribe to Vote
🤑 Vinyl Value: Exclusive Discounts
We are on the lookout for any special deals and discounts on vinyl graphics products or services. Have you got a great deal?
Nothing special this week, check back next week.
🌟 Graphic Guru: This Week's Star
Read about the movers and shakers in vinyl. Do you know someone who shook the tree?
Andy Warhol
Vinyl is a 1965 American black-and-white film directed by Andy Warhol
Warhol appeared as a recurring character in the TV series Vinyl
Vinyl was the first adaptation of the novel “A Clockwork Orange”, which was filmed six years later by Stanley Kubrick. Warhol bought the book in the spring of 1965 and he claimed that he had secured the right to the story for $3,000. The recording of Vinyl took place in April 1965 with a very low budget. The only location in the film is a corner in Warhol's Factory, where the 16mm black and white camera stood on a stand and was barely moved.
The movie features the songs "Nowhere to Run" by Martha and the Vandellas, "Tired of Waiting for You" by The Kinks, "The Last Time" by The Rolling Stones, and "Shout" by The Isley Brothers. "Nowhere to Run" is played twice in full length while the artists dance to it.
Warhol appeared as a recurring character in the TV series Vinyl, an American period drama television series created by Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, Rich Cohen, and Terence Winter. The series stars Bobby Cannavale as Richie Finestra, a record executive in the 1970s. It premiered on HBO on February 14, 2016, and concluded on April 17, 2016.
🗓️ The Year in Vinyl: Events that Educate
See what is happening around the world in the world of vinyl. Do you know an event we should list?
19-21 Jan - Impressions Expo, Long Beach, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
30 Jan - 02 Feb - RemaDays Warsaw, Poland is a fair for professionals in the advertising industry, covering sectors like signage, visual communication, and printing technologies.
06-09 Feb - Pamex, Mumbai, India, is an international exhibition on printing and allied machinery, offering insights into the latest technologies and trends in the printing industry.
25-27 Feb - DPES Sign Expo, Guangzhou, China is the leading exhibition focused on digital printing, engraving, and signage technology, perfect for those interested in the latest advancements in these fields.
07-09 Mar - Graphics Pro Expo, Irving, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
19-22 Mar - FESPA Global Print Expo, Amsterdam, Netherlands is one of the largest global print expos, covering a wide range of topics such as digital and textile printing, screen printing, and signage. It's a key event for professionals in the printing industry to explore the latest technologies and trends.
18-20 Mar - UV 2024, Las Vegas. Nevada, USA is the premier all-in-one conference event for leaders in the global UV printing industry and is the only conference dedicated to UV and LED UV printing.
21-23 Mar - Impressions Expo, Atlantic City, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
10-12 Apr - ISA Sign Expo, Orlando, United States is a prominent event in the signage industry, showcasing the latest products and services in signs, graphics, print, and visual communications.
28 May - 07 June - Drupa, Düsseldorf, Germany is known as the world's leading trade fair for printing technologies, Drupa offers extensive insights into the future of the printing industry, including innovative printing processes, equipment, and materials.
03-05 Jun - Graphics Pro Expo, Indianapolis, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
13-15 Jun - Graphics Pro Expo, Long Beach, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
10-12 Jul - Graphics Pro Expo, Philadelphia, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
17-19 Jul - Visual Impact, Brisbane, Australia will showcase the latest in the visual graphics industries, including signage, digital printing, engraving, routing, awards, vinyl application, design, airbrush, screenprinting, and display solutions.
03-04 Sep - The London Textile Fair, London, United Kingdom takes place twice a year in January and September and it is now the biggest textile exhibition in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.
01-03 Oct - Graphispag, Barcelona, Spain is a showcases the latest innovations in the graphic and visual communication industry, including digital printing technologies, graphic arts, and visual communication solutions.
10-12 Sept - Printing United Expo, Las Vegas, USA is an annual event focused on bringing together the entire print industry to see the latest trends, technology, and solutions in one place.
03-04 Oct - Wrap Fest, Towcester, England, is a show dedicated to vinyl installation and vehicle wrapping professionals, and will be held at the prestigious Silverstone Race Circuit. WrapFest includes the World Wrap Masters UK competition, which delivers an intense battle as seasoned pros go head to head to claim the UK title.
24-26 Oct - Impressions Expo, Fort Worth, USA is your source for what’s new in decorated apparel and building your business. See why thousands of industry professionals keep coming back for more!
07-09 Nov - Graphics Pro Expo, Charlotte, USA gives you access to the awards and personalization, apparel decorating, and sign and digital graphics markets, all under one roof.
TBC - Visual Impact, Sydney, Australia will showcase the latest in the visual graphics industries, including signage, digital printing, engraving, routing, awards, vinyl application, design, airbrush, screenprinting, and display solutions.
TBC - The Sublimation Summit, USA is dedicated to sublimation. Crafters and entrepreneurs alike will learn the how-tos of sublimation with classes from some of the leading experts in the industry.
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🧩 Vinyl Challenge: Answer
The largest object ever vinyl wrapped was featured on the assembly building of The Boeing Company in Everett, Washington. This record-breaking digital graphic, designed by SuperGraphics and produced by 3M, covered over 929 square meters (about 10,000 square feet). It was applied to all six factory doors on the south side of the building, with each door approximately the size of a National Football League (NFL) field. This monumental project was recognized by Guinness World Records and serves as a testament to the vast potential and scalability of vinyl wrapping.