Focus on Sheet Materials WS Vion VP1 William Smith
Addressing the demands of the sign trade
William Smith addresses the everyday demands of the sign and graphics trade with a full range of VION digital print media. Developed and exclusively distributed in-house since 2014, VION has spent more than a decade earning its place in sign shops, giving printers and installers a dependable option for signage of every kind. Buyers deal directly with William Smith, with account managers on hand when a job needs a steer. The range spans print films from VP1 for short-term work up to VWrapPro where long-term durability counts, backed by matching VION laminates to protect the finished graphic. Durability grades of up to ten years make specifying simpler, while a choice of clear, grey, removable, V-Flow and high-tack adhesives covers the surfaces a sign shop meets day to day, from illuminated fascias and flat panels to wall and floor graphics. Two recent changes make the whole range easier to work with. A new naming system replaces the old numeric codes with a format that reads left to right, so VP3G-C tells you at a
glance it is a three-year gloss film on clear adhesive, and a free Switch Kit puts samples and a 10m roll in a sign maker’s hands to try on a real job before ordering. The portfolio also keeps growing. Its newest addition, VP1, is a monomeric vinyl built for one-year promotional work such as point-of-display, exhibitions and retail promotions, priced well below the polymeric films a longer job would need. It prints cleanly across eco-solvent, solvent, UV and latex in a gloss finish, with a removable or permanent adhesive to suit the campaign.
www.williamsmith.co.uk Metamark More value from the sheet Metamark MiA swatch Metamark MiA swatch
Sheet materials are among the sign maker’s most versatile raw materials. Printed directly, faced with graphics or fabricated into structures, materials such as ACM and foamed PVC provide the blank canvas upon which much of the industry works. Metamark MiA Interior Architectural Film presents another
way to transform that canvas and potentially another market for businesses already skilled in applying self-adhesive materials. MiA is a range of premium architectural films designed to transform sound, smooth and non-porous interior surfaces. Applied over suitable sheet materials and other substrates, it can convincingly impart the appearance and texture of materials
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including natural wood, stone and metal, alongside contemporary matt and solid colour finishes. The opportunity for sign makers is particularly interesting. Businesses accustomed to wrapping vehicles, applying large-format graphics or handling pressure-sensitive films already possess many of the practical skills and tools needed to work with MiA. Those capabilities can be turned towards architectural transformation, opening opportunities in retail, hospitality, offices, washrooms, furniture, doors and other commercial and domestic interiors. Rather than removing and replacing serviceable fixtures, partitions and panels, MiA can give existing surfaces an immediate visual transformation. The installation process is fast, clean, quiet and odour-free, while the film’s MetaScape air-release adhesive helps make application straightforward. Its engineered construction provides a durable, hard-wearing finish suitable for demanding interior environments. For sign and graphics businesses, that means familiar skills can create something with considerably greater perceived value than the sheet beneath it – turning an otherwise ordinary panel into a premium finished surface. The recently expanded MiA range now offers 41 carefully selected finishes, creating even more scope for creative specification and profitable transformation.
www.metamark.co.uk www.signupdate.co.uk
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