News & Events

MacDermid floor graphics enable speedy rebrand

Date: 11/04/13

The Oxford Eye Hospital’s innovative floor graphic signage system, which uses coloured stripes to provide optimum clarity for the partially sighted, was upgraded in April 2012 by sign and display specialists Installation Images UK using SIGMAGraF™ and FootPrint™.  Colour rendition and robustness were two essential requirements for the new floor signs.  Installation Images UK Managing Director Graham Dilleigh commented, “It’s easy to install thanks to its inherent stability and for the floor graphics it’s supplied with an extremely reliable adhesive base.  Colour rendition is also amazing, considering that the film is reverse printed, as the supporting film is perfectly clear, while at the same time being incredibly robust to withstand high wear and tear.”

SIGMAGraF™ and FootPrint™ are exceptionally durable polyester display films specifically developed for easy application in busy public areas such as retail centres.  The films are cleverly packaged to be used in a combination of applications from vertical surfaces (such as POS, claddings and so on), as well as horizontal displays including floor signage. 

Laura Bullmore, International Sales Manager MacDermid Autotype and a specialist in this sector, comments, “Whether in a hospital or in retail centre, today’s market needs are very similar: versatility, robustness, ease of application and not least the ability to reproduce colours to reflect branding.  We have used our retail display solutions successfully in the past for quick and easy rebranding of entire store sections, from chiller units, to tills and of course structural areas such as floors or support columns.  The renewal of this successful installation is yet another endorsement of the quality and reliability of our product range.”

MacDermid Autotype films such as SIGMAGraF™ and FootPrint™ enable retail rebranding exercises to be carried out successfully, often overnight and in key locations.   What’s more, it isn’t just a case of putting up new graphics, but changing the look of architectural features and equipment such as counters, columns, walls, dispensing and display units.  With specially engineered polyester films such as SIGMAGraF™ and FootPrint™ it’s virtually impossible to detect that an old counter, for example, has just been recycled using this process by cladding the existing unit with a new ‘skin’.  And the robustness is so great it often goes way beyond the specific length of the campaign in question.

The process of subsurface printing on these specially engineered polyester films not only protects the image from wear and tear, but doesn’t affect in any way colour reproducibility, which means that with expert printing, pantone accuracy can be achieved.  An added bonus is that in many instances, thanks to intelligent surface texturisation, light reflection can be avoided, which makes the message even more striking.

Over the last few years, many retail giants in Europe have either rebranded or simply refreshed their image by adopting this film process technique.  This cost-effective solution, if expertly designed and installed, can even strengthen a store’s profile.

The refurbishment can be done overnight in a matter of hours with the same unit appearing to be brand new the next day.  In instances of store promotions, or store-within-a-store, this solution comes into its own as areas can be customised quickly, easily and above all, economically and with minimal effort, often overnight during restocking hours, preventing extended store closures and revenue losses.

The three “Rs” of Rebranding, Reviving and Recycling are hot topics in retail, especially when budgets are tight.  However, MacDermid Autotype’s SIGMAGraF™ and FootPrint™ graphics offer the convenience and strength to execute a rebrand swiftly and with tremendous impact.