Drytac has a wide range of products suitable for producing floor graphics
Foundation for growth
Cast your mind back just over two years ago and you will remember being led around the supermarket by one-way system stickers on the floor, while these same graphics also served as distance markers to help keep us all safe during the pandemic.
The value of floor graphics throughout the pandemic cannot be overstated, and as we now return to a more normal way of life, the impact these applications have had in the past two years are leading to a much wider use, thus presenting those in this market with all sorts of opportunities.
Be it producing a series of graphics to promote a certain brand or offer inside a shopping environment, or wayfinding signage in airports to help holidaymakers on their journey, Print Monthly delves into the market to learn more about growth prospects for print-service-providers (PSPs) and how they can take advantage of increasing demand.
Endless opportunities
First up, Soyang Europe is well placed to advise on the market, given its knowledge of the sector and its selection of materials to produce floor graphics. Andrew Simmons, product development director at Soyang Europe, says where you have a surface commonly used by customers or contacts, such as flooring, you can use printed floor graphics to create endless opportunities.
Soyang Europe says the opportunities in the floor graphics market are “almost endless”
“Flooring media has the capabilities of covering nearly any surface no matter the shape, size, or location,” Simmons says, adding: “Another benefit of working with these sorts of applications is that the printed piece is usually quick and easy to install and remove, meaning you can complete jobs relatively quickly and take on a wide range of work in this market.
Flooring media has the capabilities of covering nearly any surface no matter the shape, size, or location”
“Simply put, there are plenty of opportunities for work in this sector and if you already have the print skills to produce a job like this, then after getting to grips with the materials involved with these types of applications, you can jump into the market and get to work almost immediately.”
As for the types of work and markets PSPs should be looking to target, Simmons says that the supplier has seen demand for its products in the floor graphics sector increase across a host of key areas, some of which has been helped by the reopening of venues and return to near-normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The most obvious one that comes to mind is retail and point-of-sale; in these environments, floor graphics can be used for everything from promoting an in-store offer, to guiding customers around the shop floor – something that was extremely important during the pandemic, but now allows retailers to help direct shoppers to a certain area or product,” Simmons says.
“This leads on nicely to the use of floor graphics in directional and leading signage, which can be, and is, used in almost all environments. Be it signage directing people where to go inside a hospital, or helping travellers find their way to the gate at an airport when going on holiday, the possibilities are really endless here.
“Now Covid-19 restrictions have all-but been removed, we have seen a spike in the use of floor graphics at venues such as sports stadia and events, as well as exhibitions and trade shows. Most of these are directional signage, but the graphics can also be used in these environments to help add to the experience of visitors and transform usually dull floors into a creative and colourful canvas.”
In terms of how Soyang Europe can support PSPs with floor graphics work, Simmons picks out a number of materials that are suitable for this, depending on the application.
Firstly, he highlights Bild Floor, which he says is best suited for long-term and heavy footfall projects where material is printed on the reverse of a 1.9mm clear PVC for protection to the image.
“Rather than using filler layers of cardboard stock, foam and fibreboard, Bild makes use of a single, solid layer of impervious PVC,” Simmons explains, adding: “This polyvinyl is extruded from raw vinyl materials into a thick, solid sheet of clear protective flooring. The image is then printed to a protected layer that is encased in the polyvinyl blend. As a result, rather than layers of fillers, you get a single piece of material that features the graphic encased in protective coating.”
Also available from Soyang Europe is Print Floor, which is well suited to shorter-term, indoor applications such as promotional flooring and exhibition flooring. The material is compatible with direct sublimation, solvent, eco solvent, latex and UV printing, opening up its use to a host of PSPs.
Soyang Europe has materials available for both indoor and outdoor floor graphics applications
In addition, Soyang Europe offers Alumigraphics, which Simmons says can be used for easy-to-install graphics that conform to often tricky textures such as concrete and brickwork. For floor graphics work in particular, AlumiGraphics Grip is a gloss white printable foil-based material that has a slip resistant surface, while AlumiGraphics Half Glow Grip is a glow-in-the-dark printable media, ideal for rigid outdoor and indoor flooring applications.
Increase engagement
Next up, Drytac also has a wide range of options available for floor graphics work. Amanda Brown, global marketing manager at Drytac, says if a brand has not yet incorporated floor graphics, then they are missing out on impactful and cost-effective advertising.
Drytac says brands not using floor graphics are missing out on easy engagement opportunities with consumers
“In 2020, retailers used floor graphics to help minimise interaction between people to help slow the spread of Covid-19,” Brown says, adding: “We saw first-hand how customers read and follow social distancing decals in a retail environment, opening up opportunities for these graphics to be used in other ways.
“Floor graphics can lead to an increase of engagement of over 50%. Customers are always looking down at their phones, why not put something in their line of vision to help promote a brand or offer?
“Many purchases aren’t decided or finalised until actually inside a store where a customer can see and touch a product. Since customers are already accustomed to floor graphics, let the floor graphics do the work and guide a customer to a particular product or promotion.
“Floor graphics are an easy add-on to a campaign that is already using window, wall, or point-of-purchase graphics – whichever way you look you will find branding.”
With the return of events following the pandemic, Brown notes that there has been a significant uptick in demand for graphics for purposes such as branding, wayfinding and advertising.
Brown gives the example of concerts returning, where floor graphics can be used to help guide fans to their seats, food and beverage outlets and other amenities, while the same can be said of sports events, both indoor and outside.
Then there are trade shows and exhibitions, which are a huge market for floor graphics. Not only can floor graphics do their traditional job of guiding visitors around the hall, but also help promote certain exhibitors and, in the case of the print and sign industry, even showcase what a company can do.
When it comes to solutions from Drytac, Brown first picks out Polar Street FX, a PVC-free, aluminium print media for outdoor floor and wall graphics without the need for lamination. The textured printable white matte film is coated on one side with a clear, high tack adhesive, while it will produce high quality graphics resistant to scuffing and high traffic.
O Factoid: According to Drytac, floor graphics can lead to an increase of engagement of over 50% O
Also available from Drytac, Polar PET 170 is a scuff- and tear-resistant polyester film for short-term indoor applications where the printed graphics remain visible and vibrant, such as floor graphics. The white, ink-receptive film has a textured, matte finish that Brown says is perfect for directional notices, retail promotions, POS advertising and decals.
SpotOn SynTac is a PVC-Free PP film, coated on one side with a dot pattern, removable pressure sensitive polyacrylate adhesive, can be paired with Interlam EcoTex to produce floor graphics. Similarly, Polar Grip polymeric self-adhesive PVC film can be used with Interlam Pro Emerytex for floor graphics applications.
“There is no question that demand for floor graphics will continue to increase as more retailers and brands cotton on to how impactful these applications can be in terms of drawing the attention of consumers and showcasing their products in a cost-effective manner,” Brown says, continuing: “Adding this to your service offering will allow you to get a piece of the action and grow your business as a result.”
Rising demand
Casting the net further still and Antalis also has a number of products suitable for producing floor graphics applications. Mike Collins, product manager for Antalis Visual Communication, says the floor graphics market came back into prominence with the pandemic and the need for effective safety distance measures, with plenty of opportunities for PSPs to now build on this.
Antalis says its range of floor graphics products is based around providing more sustainable options
“This brought about a realisation that floor space is often under-utilised for promotional and directional messaging and can often be more effective than other more conventional signage in certain instances,” Collins explains.
“There is an increased demand for its use in directional signage. Exterior grade products such as Coala Walk & Wall from Antalis are being used more frequently in forecourts and supermarket foyers. Floor and wall products such as Coala Floor & Wall can invigorate often bland and uninspiring spaces.”
Looking to the latest developments in Antalis’ range of floor graphics products, Collins says most of these, as with most of Antalis’ product portfolio, are based around providing more sustainable options.
Collins says that moving away from traditional PVC materials and using alternative, friendlier plastics in terms of production and disposal, such as polypropylene and polyester, like those found in Drytac Polar PET and Xerox Floor GraphiX for dry toner, are not only better for the environment but can also be harder wearing for high footfall areas.
“Floor graphics appeared to go out of vogue, but specifiers are now realising the new opportunities they can present and what an engaging display solution they offer,” Collins says, adding: “And, in an age where a lot of people are looking down at their phones, there has never been a better time to take advantage of this often-underutilised space.”
Collins’ closing comments sum up the value of floor graphics in the modern market and the many advantages these applications offer to retailers, brands and other customers. It may be up to the PSP to make their clients aware of this, but after opening their eyes to what is achievable with floor graphics, this could open all sorts of new doors for your business.
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