NOT ALL SIGNBOARD PRINTERS ARE THE SAME
4 reasons to compare more than just the headline price…
QUALITY
Every digital print machine has varying quality settings built into the machine, determining the speed at which the signs are printed and the depth of ink deposited onto the correx. Most signboard printers will use “production” settings on their machines (as recommended by the machine suppliers) which is the fastest setting, printing approx. 20% faster than the “quality” setting. At Signworld we only ever use the “quality” setting for all our signboards and digital print, giving you a better depth of colour, extended longevity and value for money.
Shown to the left is a magnified view of the difference between quality and production print settings. As you can clearly see from the left image the reduced amount of ink deposited can result in very thin lines in the print (banding), which are considerably reduced with the quality print machine setting shown on the left.
PRIMER
This probably should be the number one reason that all Estate Agents boards are not the same! The primer is a clear liquid that dries onto the correx, forming an invisible layer which allows the UV print to fully bond with the substrate. This is an expensive (yet invisible) part of the process that any board printers can ignore without obvious effect UNTIL your signboards are out on the street and the weather causes the ink to react with the correx and de-bond, peel away or simply rub- off.
Shown to the left is a magnified view of the difference between quality and production print settings. As Because this is an invisible layer that cannot be tested before the signs are in situ, it’s very easy for board manufacturers to use a cheap alternative that’s not fit for purpose, or even worse – no primer at all!you can clearly see from the left image the reduced amount of ink deposited can result in very thin lines in the print (banding), which are considerably reduced with the quality print machine setting shown on the left.
At Signworld we’ve digitally printed Estate Agents boards since the very first wide format digital printers came to market and we’ve tested numerous primers over the years, finally developing our own unique chemical mix to get maximum adherence between board and ink.
We’ve been using this primer since 2015 and are so confident in it’s ability to give you value for money that we offer our no-quibble 12 month guarantee against ink peeling/rubbing-off when your boards are exposed to the elements.
To the right is an example of a competitor’s board that was primed with an inferior primer (or not primed at all) and was shown to us by a local board erector, having been used for just two weeks!
FINISHING
Going back approx. 30 years, the normal way to fix the two sheets of a T board together was to use a double-sided tape or glue gun. Both these methods have since been superseded by permanent heat-welding, which is the manufacturing process we use.
Glue or double-sided tape is NOT an acceptable way to “weld” the sheets together in the 21st century as it is far from permanent and will rapidly deteriorate when exposed to inclement weather.
Make sure your boards/slips/posts are all finished to your liking. At Signworld we’re committed to giving you the complete service you require within the original costs quoted, which means we’ll be pleased to pre-drill your order so all components we supply will fit together, saving you time and representing further value for money.
SERVICE
Yes, we know what you’re thinking, every supplier says they offer “great service”… but do they??
Is “great service” waiting six weeks for your order?
Is “great service” being told the order is on its way to you when it’s not even left the factory?
Is “great service” giving your supplier a deadline, only to be waiting for your delivery a week or more later?
These are all horror stories we’ve been told by customers who’ve had poor experience of a competitors “great service”.
We appreciate that sometimes things can go wrong because of events outside of our control, but these are stories occurring time and again because some suppliers are prepared to offer everything and deliver little. Signworld are committed to giving you truthful and realistic timescales to produce your order (even if that means losing the job). We will never give you an undeliverable lead time and we’ll move heaven and earth to meet the despatch date agreed at the time of order.
The four points above should be carefully considered when deciding which company produces your next order of Estate Agents boards. At Signworld we don’t ever claim to be the cheapest, but we continually check our competitors’ prices to ensure we are always very competitive, and you can be assured that you will always receive great...VALUE FOR MONEY.
Signworld are delighted to be associated with some of the best-known names in UK Estate Agency and are pleased to have supplied our services to the following industry leading organisations
