With Graffiti and Clear Perforated Window Film

With the purchase of its new state of the art EFI Vutek GS525OLXr printer, digital printing experts Graffiti Retail Solutions can now print on an extensive spectrum of materials, including clear perforated window film and a clear acrylic jelly like substrate broadening the creative potential of window branding. By transforming seethrough graphic products, glass can be transformed into opportunities for advertising, branding, promotions and one-way privacy. Designed to be seen, and to be seen through, these innovative materials transform transparent panels in more ways than imaginable.

According to Graffiti National Retail Solutions Manager Richard Wood, the unique qualities of see-through graphics, known to deliver an unrivalled visual impact, make them ideal for settings with large areas of glass frontage or glass interior walls. Garage forecourts, car dealerships, restaurants, retail and banking environments are perfect for this perforated window film, which can be printed with different levels of transparency on one or both sides of the material.

“Using a solid material would block out all natural daylight, obscuring the view. In environments where security is important – like in banks – you need materials where vision is maintained without compromising branding opportunities. Clear perforated window film is perfect for this application, providing maximum visual impact and sensational branding. An elegant product, it looks so much more professional than using tape to stick up a poster on the inside of a window.”

Although clear perforated window film can be used inside or outside there are some variations that cannot be printed with a UV varnish, making it best suited for application on the inside of glass, which acts as a protection against sun damage, rain, dirt and other elements. If it were exposed to the elements, the see-through performance would be impaired because the holes in the perforated window film would collect water and dirt. Being inside the windows also protects the product from scuffing and general wear and tear. Opportunities for vandalism of signage are also removed. Planning and zoning approval restrictions can also be avoided with inside applications on existing window frontages; it could even remove the need to pay media rentals for outdoor advertising.

Installation is also easier when it’s difficult to access the outside of windows. Add to that - in a busy shopping environment most promotions are at eye level making this a very cluttered space, so by looking higher and creating something much larger, you ensure that the promotion is seen from a distance and less likely to be missed. Wood says that designing a wrap for a large glass lift in a shopping centre using a clear perforated window film would ensure the promotion was seen from all sides and by shoppers in and outside the lift.

“We do not recommend using inside graphics on tinted glass, as it can dull the impact of the graphics,” adds Wood.

Clear perforated window film is enhanced by using white ink during the printing process and Wood says that Graffiti has worked tirelessly testing and experimenting with profile settings and ink layering, ensuring the double-sided printing process has been perfected. A technical procedure, layers of ink must be laid down so that that the visual can be clearly seen on both sides, should that be a requirement and the way the artwork is set up, while still maintaining transparency. Very simply this requires printing the image, then white, then black and then the image again. Wood says that the new Graffiti printer, the only one of its kind on the African continent, has incredibly advanced technology and the UV inks, including white, have a far longer life than traditional printers on the market.

The acrylic jelly like substrate is an alternative product to consider with different but equally impressive features. Wood says that unlike clear perforated window film which is technical and requires specialised support to install (unless it’s under A0 in which case a client untrained in application could manage the installation) this product is very easy to apply. Once Graffiti has produced the artwork, either from supplied designs or that which it produces in-house itself, the finished product can be delivered to clients to install themselves should they so choose. “It has a remarkable adhesive which is re-positional, making it an effective way to run advertising intermittently on windows. We just send the finished product and the client does the rest.

“Creating a standout campaign in a busy retail environment is always a challenge; already distracted consumers are so bombarded with messages that they often become immune to the promotions around them. Getting cut through often requires a different approach and our design department has all the skills to combine creative ideas with a detailed understanding of the mind-set of the consumers, the surrounding environment and the material in question,” says Wood.

Whether for advertising, a short-term promotion, or for security, there’s a world of commercial and creative opportunities in see-through graphics and with Graffiti there’s more than one way of getting there.

Graffiti Retail Solutions - where science, design, and ergonomics merge with intention - to produce creative that complies with corporate identity specifications. For more visit: www. Graffiti.co.za.