Trade shows and exhibitions are all about one thing: making a big impression — whether that comes in the form of a banner that extends from floor to ceiling, or life-like graphics that stretch the length of a trade show display, or an eye-catching LED backlit design.

The same is true for commercial graphics and retail displays. The bigger, the bolder, and the brighter these are the more likely they will be to grab attention or succeed in making a sale.

Creating grand and bold printed pieces requires precision, expertise, and, of course, the right equipment.

The Trade Group has recently invested in our printing department to ensure that we can deliver the highest quality graphics while meeting or exceeding deadlines.

For example, our VUTEk GS Series 3250X Pro Grand Format UV printer produces brilliant images and seamless, fabric backdrops. The VUTEk is able to print on a wide variety of materials, including fabric, up to a size of 126.5-inches wide and 2-inches deep. Being able to print on such a wide surface means that we can create massive graphics, banners, and murals all without any unsightly seams – the designs can be up to 10-feet wide and essentially any length.

The printer’s extremely high-quality images are due to Ultradrop technology, an advanced technology that was not available in previous VUTEk models. With Ultradrop, the VUTEk 3250X can print white and spot white, but it also comes with a clear gloss channel, which can be used to create subtle, clear logos and images.

This VUTEk GS Series is environmentally friendly, as well. The previous model’s mercury vapor lamps have been replaced with LED UV curing lamps. These lamps produce minimal heat and require less energy to operate.

Fabric has become an extremely popular choice for graphics utilized at trade shows, exhibitions, and for commercial uses. The very nature of fabric makes it much more versatile than vinyl and more rigid materials. Also, the lightweight and compact nature of fabric makes it easy to pack, ship, and store, which exhibitors love because it helps save money on shipping costs.

Due to this increased demand for fabric, The Trade Group has invested in our extensive printing and fabric-finishing capabilities so we can handle the demand and variety of projects to meet even the most aggressive timelines.

A printer like the EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340 – 126” grand format dye sublimation printer gives us the versatility we need. Along with the ability to print on fabric up to 126 inches in width, the FabriVU 340 can print directly onto fabric or through a paper transfer method.

There are advantages to printing both ways. For the most part, we use the paper transfer method since this style of printing results in a sharper image. That is because, unless the fabric has been pre-treated, wicking of inks can occur when printing directly to fabric, which results in a poor-quality image. Using the paper transfer method avoids that issue.

However, there are instances when direct to fabric printing is the best option, such as with flag material and sheer fabrics. With these materials, you want the ink to blow through so you can see the print on both sides.

The FabriVU 340 uses water-based, dispersed ink, which provides a higher color gamut and more vibrant colors than were available in the past. Water-based inks are also very environmentally friendly.

Whether you print on paper or fabric, the material needs to be either heat set or dye sublimated. This is a process that involves heat, pressure, and time, which is where the Klieverik GTC 3500 dye-sublimation heat transfer unit is used. When freshly printed fabric runs over the heat drum, the ink transforms into gas, and, ultimately, becomes part of the fabric.

Our Klieverik Machine has a 20-inch drum size, which is the largest available. The larger size enables The Trade Group to run a great volume of jobs through the machine every day without any compromise to quality.

Another fast and versatile machine is our Zund G3 3XO 3200 digital cutting system. Before purchasing the Zund, a multi-cam CNC machine was used in our production department. We switched to the G3 3XO 3200 because it is faster and has an intelligent camera with edge detection. The machine has a 10-foot by 20-foot belt fed cutter, which means that a roll of 126-inch banner material or fabric can be loaded onto the backend of the machine, and it will auto-feed and cut the entire roll as it reads the digital cutting marks provided.

The Zund G3 3XO 3200 has through-cut and kiss-cut capabilities. It is able to handle just about any material, such as foam core, leather, felt, and vinyl. It also has a driven rotary tool that can accurately trim a variety of delicate fabrics, including canvas, netting, awning material, banner material, and more.

The expansion of fabric projects necessitated the expansion of fabric finishing tools, such as the Matic Cronos automate sewing machine. This machine’s main function is to easily marry strapping (a reinforcing fabric), Velcro, or a keder to the edge of fabric.

When sewn to the edge of fabric, keders insert cleanly into the grooves in fabric framing systems. This pulls the fabric tight in a frame while also making it easily replaceable. This is a process known as SEG, or silicone edge graphics (although most companies have replaced the silicone keders with PVC because it is more rigid and easier to handle).

The Matic Cronos makes it extremely cost-effective to produce SEG fabric graphics in-house. The machine is equipped with a belt and table, forward, reverse, and hands-free modes and a spool of strapping, PVC edging, or Velcro, depending on the application.

When it is necessary to bind fabrics together, the production team has a couple of high-tech choices at its disposal. The JUKI 6-thread serger overlock stitch sewing machine is for strong, reinforced stitching needs. The serger can stitch through multiple layers of material and is ideal for finishing the edge of a table drape or creating the strong binding needed for stitching together multiple layers of fabric used in hanging signs.

The JUKI serger also comes with a blade cutter that trims excess fabric as it is fed through the machine for stitching. This produces a perfectly straight finished edge.

For free-form sewing, the JUKI DNU-1541 single needle walking foot lockstitch sewing machine is our go-to workhorse. We use free-form sewing when creating tension structures and case wraps. The DNU-1541 is ideal for those projects, stitching heavy materials, sewing on zippers, and any custom tailoring that needs to occur.

We’ve outfitted our printing department to ensure that it’s a one-stop shop for all printing, production, and fabric finishing needs. Because we don’t need to outsource projects, we can avoid the unexpected delays that come with shipping a project offsite. For all your trade show, live event, commercial graphics, and retail merchandising needs, give The Trade Group a call at 800-343-2005 or swing by our showroom and see all that we can accomplish in person.

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