This year the NEC will again host the industry’s leading trade exhibition for the sign making, display solutions and digital printing industry, when Sign & Digital UK opens its doors from 29 April to 1 May.
Returning for its 27th anniversary, this year’s show will offer more than ever for those in the wide-format print industry, showcasing the latest technology, products and business advice.
Featuring more than 170 exhibitors, visitors can access experts from across the wide-format supply chain, with expertsfrom across the wide-format supply chain, with experts available to provide advice and a range of networking opportunities.
Visitors can also look forward to a free-to-attend seminar programme, featuring more than 30 sessions across five theatres and workshops, combining practical advice and tips on getting ahead in the world of print.
Wide-format exhibitors
2014 will welcome a host of leading wide-format brands, including Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Canon and Hybrid Services/Mimaki. Roland DG, Fujifilm, Colourgen, Mutoh, Perfect Colours, Ricoh, Fujifilm, Esko, Signmaster Systems, PrintMax, GPT, Clarity Software and i-Sub will also be showcasing their range of products and technologies.
The latest wide-format exhibitor news
Roland DG UK
Roland DG UK is gearing up for its busiest year yet and will be exhibiting the widest selection of machines ever demonstrated at the show, including the recently launched VersaUV LEF-20 and LEJ-640F flatbed printers.
Sign & Digital UK will also be offering an exclusive prize giveaway for visiting companies – a Roland VersaARTTM RE-640 large format, inkjet printer package, worth more than £11,000.
Companies that pre-register at www.signanddigitaluk.com will automatically be entered into the prize draw and must attend the show on 29 April, 30 April or 1 May to be eligible to win.
Ricoh
Industry giants Ricoh UK will be attending Sign & Digital UK for the first time and will use the show to unveil the new Ricoh Pro L4100 Series latex large format machine, which is commercially available from April 2014.
Other products on the Ricoh stand include a Ricoh ProTM C751EX digital press, the MarcomCentral SaaS-based Marketing Asset Management (MAM) system and a portfolio of Business Driver tools.
Hybrid/Mimaki
New printers include the fast-selling Mimaki SUV, a unique product that delivers a highly durable, glossy finish that dries instantly, allowing users to trim, finish, pack and apply graphics as soon as they exit the machine. There will be plenty of other product launches and prize giveaways announced closer to the show.
i-Sub
i-Sub will be exhibiting on its largest ever stand space at Sign & Digital UK this year. Their revolutionary stand will showcase three systems to visitors: the Digi-Foil, the Agfa Asanti and the Dgen Teleios Black.
SMGG
Located on stand F70, Stanford Marsh Group Graphics (SMGG) will be showcasing wide-format solutions from big name brands, including HP, Canon, Epson, Mutoh and Océ amongst others. Product demonstrations not to be missed include Mimaki’s CJV wide-format printer/cutter machine. SMGG will also be announcing exclusive show offers closer to the launch.
Epson
Visitors to the Epson stand can look forward to demonstrations from its range of SureColor printers for the signage, POS, décor and textile markets.
Epson’s SureColor SC-S range of 64-inch roll-fed, wide- format printers offers a choice of colours, including metallic silver, and productivity to suit a variety of applications and budgets.
The SureColor SC-S30600, 50600 and 70600 printers will demonstrate applications such as high-quality vehicle wraps, low-cost promotional banners, bespoke wallpapers, POS, and high-value window graphic applications utilising white and metallic inks.
Perfect Colours
Featuring an impressive array of wide-format printers from both HP and Durst, the Perfect Colours stand will showcase the HP Latex alongside the popular Designjet Z6200. Industry heavyweight the Durst Omega 2, as well as Durst’s brand new Rho P10 160 will also be displayed. A huge variety of applications demonstrations not to be missed range from printing soft signage on textiles and fabrics to hugely impressive floor, window and even wallpaper applications.
2014 seminar highlights
Adobe theatre
The popular Adobe Theatre will feature six workshops daily, focusing on practical tips and advice for mastering their software packages. The ‘Breaking the magician’s code’ session is designed to help people master the Creative Cloud, while ‘10 reasons to use Adobe Bridge’, offers expert advice and tips to help people achieve the most from this popular software suite.
Managing colour quality, intelligent upsampling, InDesign typography and Photoshop skills, camera shake reduction and real-time image asset generation are some of the other practical skills and techniques the workshops will explore.
Corel theatre
Combining a range of practical workshops and product demonstration, the 2014 Corel Theatre is a must-attend for anyone in the sign making and garment personalisation sectors. The seminar sessions include an overview of new features in the CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, a practical step-by-step guide to poster design and an insight into how you can use DecoNetwork and Corel technology to allow shoppers to customise products and buy online.
SignLab theatre
Wide-format design and production software specialists, CADlink Technology will present a series of seminars focusing on best practice print and cut, sign and display design and production workflows.
Session highlights include an introduction to using dedicated sign-making software packages, with tips on mastering contour cut, serialisation and vectorisation.
The SignLab for Versaworks session will also explore the opportunities for leveraging innovation in Roland’s print and ink technology. Practical skills to be explored include contour cut-lines and working with Roland colour profiles and metallic and white ink sets.
Signmakers’ workshop
Expert signmaker Paul Hughes will be offering practical industry tips that are a must-see for anyone in the sign making industry. All of Paul’s sessions include a beginner’s introduction followed by an advanced class, with content ideal for all skill levels and experience. An introduction to applying vinyl, the basics of vehicle livery and overview of signboard making are some of the practical sessions available this year.
Business theatre
The Business Theatre will offer practical skills and identify new revenue opportunities for business owners looking to expand and improve their services in 2014.
The Hewlett-Packard workshops, presented by Jane Rixon and Phil Oakley, will explore the new digital solutions for wall decorations in the HP WallArt suite. They will cover its new design and mobility features, as well as the range of applications available for commercial, retail and residential spaces. For any print service providers and wall-covering manufacturers, this seminar is a must- attend to help identify new business areas and revenue adding opportunity.
In the Direct to Garment Printing session, Colin Marsh from Resolute DTG will look at the direct to garment printing process and the opportunities for digital printing and sign companies to take it on as a new revenue stream. The session is ideal for anyone looking to get involved in the direct to garment sector, covering how the technology works, what profits can be generated and where to sell new products.
2014 Trails
The textile trail
This exciting new feature will highlight any exhibitors with products and services on display at the show for textile related printing and finishing or display systems. A wide range of products will be covered including textile printing equipment, embroidery equipment and promotional wear. Businesses taking part in the Textile Trail include Hybrid Services, Colourgen, Corel, The Magic Touch, Doro Tape UK and GDL.
The new business trail
Returning to Sign & Digital UK for its second year, the New Business Trail is dedicated to helping sign and print professionals grow and develop their business.
The New Business Trail combines practical ideas for increasing revenue and information for identifying developing markets in the UK. Businesses taking part in the New Business Trail include Perspex Distribution, Eurobond Adhesives, Lion Picture Framing Supplies and Banner Ups Europe.
To find out more about new technology and products on show at Sign & Digital UK, taking place 29 April to 1 May 2014 at the NEC, Birmingham, visit the website: www.signanddigitaluk.com. To find out about exhibiting, contact the show team on +44 (0) 1342 332000 or email signanddigitaluk@fav-house.com.