Newbie needs some advice...

[apic]

I’d need some advice please. We have to do two 20’x 4’, double sided, hanging trade show signs. I think, the best and the nicest would be a 20’ x 4’ rigid printed sign, but the customer has some special requirements.

1. He would like to bring the sign with his minivan, so the sign sections cannot be longer than 10’.
2. He would prefer having a banner, because it can be rolled up.
3. He also wants the sign to be professional looking, flat and straight.

My concerns:

1. We have no flatbed printer, so the rigid board has to be printed by a subcontractor. (Alternatively we can print vinyl and mount them on the rigid substrate.)
2. The 10’ board is “oversize” (larger than 8’x4’) so it is a bit more difficult to get and to ship.
3. If we print banners, and simply hang them, the sign won’t be flat and straight like a rigid sign.
4. If we add pole pockets and put dowels into them, with a double sided banner we will have image design and registration issues.

We have an idea but I don’t know if it works or not, so here are my questions:

1. 
   
   • How would you do these signs? Rigid? Banner?
   
   
   
   • Would it work if we would print two 20’x4’ banners (for the two sides), used banner tapes on the top and bottom and leave the sides open? The customer could push two 10’ long (or three 6.6’ long) coroplast boards INSIDE the sandwich, to keep the sign straight. (On the top we can have grommets for hanging the sign.) Will this sign be straight if the boards are in? If yes, should we use 10 mm coroplast or 4 mm is enough?
   
   
   
   • If we print on vinyl and mount them on a board, what kind of vinyl and what kind of substrate material would be the best. Is coroplast ok? If yes, 4 mm or 10 mm? Should we use air release vinyl (or repositionable wall textile) to avoid bubbles? We don’t have a laminator and a bit scared from mounting 320 sqft. (4x20’x4’) of vinyl. Should we get a Big Squeegee?
   
   Sorry for the stupid questions.
   

 

[MikePro]

We don’t have a laminator and a bit scared from mounting 320 sqft. (4x20’x4’) of vinyl. Should we get a Big Squeegee?

yes.
...i don't have one, BUT they do what I do best. ~tackle large applications, with ease.

large + rigid + portable = clusterf****
BUT it can be done. print on banner/flexible substrate (i LOVE ultraLon), stretch on a frame that can be dis/assembled & mounted/hung.
do you have a sign supplier? talk with your salesrep, and they would most likely have a solution for you.

 

[apic]

Thanks MikePro!

Any other advice? Anybody??

 

[Gino]

We would use a flatbed, but before we had one, you want to use rigid trade show header. It comes textured and smooth. I like the smooth. It comes 54" x 25' increments.

Print with your roll to roll, mount it and then laminate a clear over the top. This stuff can be rolled up like into a 12" diameter and unroll even and flat.

My real concern is how or what is this to be mounted to ??
​

 

[apic]

Thank you Gino,

It looks like the customer will accept smaller rigid boards, so we will have them printed on a flatbed. Yesss!

Thanks again for your kindness.