| Billboards
are back in vogue as an important advertising medium largely on
account of billboard
printing going hi-tech.
Before 1990s billboards were hand painted. This was a time consuming,
labor-intensive process and the quality of printing was mixed.
The arrival of large format digital printers has changed that.
Billboard
posters are now being rolled off high-end, ultra-wide digital
presses. These presses have reduced turnaround time and made a
dramatic difference in quality making billboards a much sought
after medium once again. A 14 by 48 banner that took 3-1/2 hours
to print and another 1-1/2 hours to be put together can be printed
today in 20 minutes on an NUR machine running at top speed.
Also, there is no need to go in for panel printing
as was the case with the earlier printing machines where a printer
would print the poster in two panels and then glue them together.
Today’s machines can roll off 10 by 40, 12 by 40, and 14
by 48-foot prints with ease.
The printing has become easier with the arrival
of vinyl sheets. Printers use flex vinyls for those billboards
where the vinyl sheet is to be hung from the sides. The advantage
of flex vinyls is that these posters can be removed and mounted
on other billboards. This advantage is lost when adhesive vinyls
are used for printing. Besides this, pressure sensitive adhesive
is used for those posters that need to be peeled off once an event
is over. All vinyl posters are coated with ultra-violet coating
to enhance their lives.
However, billboard printing is not an easy
business. The competition is cutthroat with printers adopting
aggressive pricing to capture the market. The demand for quick
turnaround time and optimum print quality has made this industry
difficult both for existing players as well as the new entrants.
The existing players at least have the advantage
of contacts. They can afford to make new investments in technology
because they are assured of some business. The new entrants have
to struggle to find clients despite the hundreds of thousands
of billboards that dot the city streets and the countryside. Their
only hope to attract business is to charge less than the market
rates, and deliver better quality. However, such an approach has
made billboard printing a far more difficult business. The companies
need to generate larger volumes to survive in such an environment.
The back-end is no less challenging. The printers
need to buy the best quality inks and other production material
to deliver top results. If they don’t then they may not
get a second contract.
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