Case study from CMYUK

Banner Box has been digitally printing textiles for over two decades, so they know a thing or two about materials. Through CMYUK, Banner Box has now converted almost entirely to Pongs materials.

The season of Pongs continues. This time with Banner Box, a veteran of digital textile printing, converting almost entirely to Pongs materials supplied by CMYUK for all its textile output. Situated in Staveley, Chesterfield, Banner Box has been printing onto textile for over two decades, and being one of the earliest adopters in the Sign Industry to do so, when it comes to materials, they certainly know a thing or two about what’s what. Back in early 2017, Banner Box replaced its Hollanders ColorBooster XL 3.2m printer with an EFI VUTEk FabriVu 340 digital printer. The Georg+Otto Friedrich material it had been using no longer suited its new digital fabric printer, and so the company started casting its net to find suitable alternatives and suppliers. Waiting in the background was Joel Willcock, Materials Business Developer at CMYUK, and the UKs’ leading independent supplier of digital wide format printers, cutters and materials. Ryan Shelton, General Manager at Banner Box says: “Joel started coming to see us a couple of years ago, and to be honest we gave him the cold shoulder, but because he was so persistent, when we switched our printer and started looking around and entertaining the idea of other suppliers, we decided to give Joel and his materials a try.” When testing new materials Banner Box’s ‘modus operandi’ is to reproduce its extensive colour chart on the textiles in question. Those materials where colour looks good on both the front and reverse are made into flags and hoisted onto flag poles situated outside the company’s premises to see how they fare in weather. Says Ryan: “Some of the materials were very good in colour but very poor in longevity, whereas some worked the other way around. However, we found Pongs gave us good print through and a good lifespan.” The company evaluated materials from other popular manufacturers, but the German-manufactured Pongs came out on top. “It was giving us very good results for a really good price,” says Ryan. Banner Box has migrated 95% of its textile materials to Pongs, and uses predominantly Pongs Flag Supreme accounting for nearly two thirds of its output, followed in the main with Pongs Softimage Creaseless Premium FR, and Pongs Eco Beach Jersey FR. The Pongs Softimage Creaseless Premium FR is ideal for use with tension frames, and perfect for pop up banners. Banner Box also uses this material for the multiple flags that adorn the premium shopping meccas of London’s Oxford Street and Bond Street. Says Ryan: “The Pongs Creaseless Premium has a great colour reproduction and is very stable. Also, the coating that is on the material isn't too thick that it causes any problems when sewing. Sometimes materials can be quite heavy on the coatings side and when you're sewing the materials together you got a lot of puckering and bunching.” Pongs Flag Supreme is a sturdy, flame retardant flag textile made of polyester that has nearly 100% print through due to its special coating. Full marks go to print quality particularly when it comes to its unbeatable razor sharp edges and its longevity. Banner Box also uses Pongs Eco Beach Jersey FR, a lightweight knitted tear proof beach flag material with holes designed for barrier jackets and flags. It too, displays characteristics of good colour reproduction, stability and is easy to work with. However, what Ryan believes to be the most important factor with the Pongs materials is its supply line. “I've got a very good relationship with Joel. He'll go the extra mile to get stuff sorted and he’s good at predicting usage levels. When you speak to the CMYUK office nothing is ever a problem. The service we get from these guys is as important as having a good material,” he says, adding, “Pongs is very good value for money, it is affordable and excellent quality, which is a massive advantage.”