Floor Graphics Keep Zooming Along

“The resolutions are better than ever before and the colors are bold and vibrant…literally jumping off the ground to grab the prospective consumer’s attention,” he states. And this has lead to Kern’s choice for the hot trend in the market. “More outdoor applications to attract walk-ins from let’s say public sidewalks,” he says. “With newer, more aggressive adhesives and thicker over-laminates, this might pick up even more.”

As for the future of the floor graphic market, Kern says it is hard to predict, but the demand is ever growing. “With companies wanting to utilize every available spot for effective advertising, I don’t really see an end in sight for the demand of floor graphics. It is turning into a very lucrative market for those with the capability of producing them.”

Group Effort

National Print Group, Inc. (NPG) is a provider of in-store and out-of-home signage. With headquarters in Chattanooga, TN since 1957, NPG operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and sales offices across the country.

NPG has been in the floor graphic business for past several years, mainly printing them on screen and in large volume, according to Alan Ali, the company’s production manager. “As soon the power of digital print came along it opened up a new door, allowing us to work in smaller quantities and a variety of substrates,” he explains.

Ali says the technological advances in the past 10 years have been a huge boost to the industry. “Technology is advancing every day, especially in large-format digital print with much faster ways of printing and a better lifetime expectancy for the graphics,” he says. “The technology of solvent and UV-based digital printers provides customers with a much greater range of choices. Using full color graphics on a floor graphic creates the highest awareness of all floor categories. The impact is even more powerful since we have a variety of substrate options that adhere to carpet and unfinished cement/sidewalk.”