Vinyl installation is more complicated that it appears, requiring a specific skill set – and patience. Bubbles, wrinkles and crooked lines are all hazards. “The first time I installed vinyl, I never wanted to do it again,” says Sean, Franklin Imaging project lead.
Like other aspects of printing, vinyl materials and techniques continue to change – which is exactly why we’re committed to ongoing training. Sean is the latest member of our team to take advantage of new learning opportunities. He just returned from vinyl installation training in Chicago that was offered by Printing United Alliance, a member-based printing and graphic arts association we belong to. Over two full days, Sean perfected his Drytac installation techniques using perforated window film, standard removable vinyl and thicker floor vinyl. “I did some vinyl and wallcover training three years ago, but these hands-on sessions gave me a chance to use the equipment and rotate through different booths for a variety of installation scenarios, including around corners and on columns, floors, lockers, windows and more,” he says.
After his two-day training stint, Sean then headed to San Francisco to oversee a large project install. “We like to be on-site for every installation, no matter its location,” he says. “This one will go up in two phases, and for this first phase, we printed and shipped project materials directly to a local printer that is part of our RMX Network – a national partnership of large-scale printers. And because they have the same quality standards that we do, we trusted their recommendation for an installer they regularly use. It made the entire process pretty ‘seamless.’”
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