Established in 2006, Print 2 Media has expanded its offering into other areas, picking up a range of new customers in the process, particularly in the education sector, helped by the launch of its school-focused division, The School Sign Shop. Offering everything from school playground signage to wall murals, The School Sign Shop now works with education settings across Cornwall and the UK.

Most recently, Mousehole School, Penzance, was the recipient of graphics including three large maps; one of the area local to the school that highlighted nearby landmarks, another a UK map showing sites of interest and importance, and the third a world map with postcard pictures of famous sights. A fourth graphic was a timeline detailing major historic events.

For this project, Print 2 Media selected Drytac Polar Grip, a white polymeric self-adhesive vinyl, used in schools before, which offers adhesion to any surface including metal, plastic, wood, glass, and brick. Print 2 Media purchased the film and accompanying laminate from Premier Paper Group, the exclusive Drytac distributor in the UK and Ireland.

Print 2 Media printed all graphics in house using its Canon Océ Colorado 1640 and SwissQPrint Nyala 4, while its specialist team installed the pieces on site at the school.

‘School customers are always the best,’ Print 2 Media founder Glenn Wrigley said. ‘The teachers are so enthusiastic and happy to have such a useful teaching aid and the children certainly let us know their thoughts. They are always so positive and take real pride in their new wall murals. We have been working with Drytac materials for over five years now and are always pleased with the end result.’

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The decision to designate Premier as an exclusive stockist comes after Drytac began working with the supplier in July. Hayden Kelley, CEO of Drytac, explained, ‘We have very much enjoyed working with Premier over the past couple of months and have already felt the benefits of this partnership.

‘In order to streamline our distribution across the UK & Ireland, we have decided to make the stockist arrangement exclusive – making it even easier and quicker for our customers to purchase Drytac products.’

Brad West, Premier’s wide-format media sales director, added, ‘Drytac is trusted by display printers, sign makers and installers alike and we are delighted to be able to now offer this market leading brand to our customers across the UK and Ireland.

‘This is a significant move for us and a great opportunity to further grow our wide format sales. The Drytac range will be stocked throughout our branch network and in-depth at our display graphics centre in Wellingborough.’

Premier will be showcasing various Drytac products on its stand at The Print Show from 19–21 September 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. The company is also running a promotion for Drytac’s SpotOn monomeric film with dot pattern adhesive material during the last quarter of 2023 in which purchasers of the material may win ‘spot’ prizes.

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These self-adhesives are suitable for solvent, UV or latex printing. They come in a variety of materials including paper, polypropylene or polyester with various adhesion options. The extended range is now available from stock.

Whilst the overall Coala portfolio offers a wide range of materials including self-adhesive films, banners, magnetic options, papers, synthetic films, wallpapers and textiles, new are Coala PP Stick and Coala Paper Stick.

Coala PP Stick is a range of PVC-free polypropylene self-adhesive films designed for (eco) solvent, latex and UV inkjet printing. It offers claimed ‘excellent’ printability, dimensional stability and durability, making it suited to indoor and outdoor applications. Coala PP Stick is available with various adhesion options including permanent, removable and high tack. Coala Paper Stick, meanwhile, is a paper-based alternative to self-adhesive PVC vinyl and plastic equivalents. FSC-certified and featuring a water-based acrylic adhesive, the paper product is suitable for short-term, indoor applications and features a water-based acrylic adhesive for application and repositioning. Coala Paper Stick is compatible with UV and latex inkjet printing equipment and delivers ‘exceptional’ print performance.

Antalis product manager Mike Collins said, ‘We are constantly striving to provide our customers with the most innovative and sustainable products on the market.

‘The Coala PVC-free self-adhesives are a testament to our commitment to offer environmentally friendly solutions without sacrificing performance.’

In addition to the new Coala PVC-free self-adhesives, Antalis has introduced Orajet 3720 (removable) and 3740 (permanent) digital printing films. These films are made from polypropylene and offer a PVC-free choice for temporary advertising graphics. With a white, matt, coated surface for better UV inkjet printability and water-based, solvent-free adhesives, the Orajet films can be applied on multiple surfaces for, ‘vibrant advertising for indoor and short-term outdoor use.’

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Suitable for self-adhesive applications on glass and other smooth, flat surfaces, the improved ViziPrint Impress White is said to let users achieve vibrant colours to make applications stand out. The material is designed for either dry or wet installation, according to the size of the graphic, on glass, mirrors or other similarly smooth surfaces.

Drytac says it is ideal for applications such as window advertisements, screen displays and appliances or white goods decoration, and that it creates a strong bond in both high and low temperatures without leaving residue behind, eliminating bubbling, making installation easier while being unaffected by moisture.

The ultra-white PET film can be moved and repositioned multiple times and will remove cleanly, without leaving residue. It is printable with eco-solvent, latex and UV print technologies and offers three years’ interior and two years’ exterior durability.

‘We are delighted to make the improved ViziPrint Impress White PET film available to our customers around the world,’ commented Drytac CEO Hayden Kelley. ‘It is an incredibly flexible material and can be used for multiple indoor and short-term outdoor applications including window advertising, graphics, decals, stickers and privacy and decorative glass applications.

‘Add in clean removability and excellent durability, and ViziPrint Impress White PET film is the ideal solution for a wide range of graphics projects.’

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The portfolio of self-adhesive films, called ImagePerfect EverGreen, is PVC-free and priorities sustainability in its surface film, adhesive, liner, as well as how the rolls are presented, protected and packaged.

The ImagePerfect EverGreen range comprises eight digitally printable white films offering matt and gloss finishes with a range of adhesive systems (PerfectApply, permanent and high-tack), plus a printable clear laminate film. The printable films are consciously designed to be compatible with latex and UV digital printing technologies. The coloured signage range includes 22 different films, including black and white in gloss and matt finishes and 18 contemporary colours, with a bespoke colour matching service for specific one-off customer requirements.

Ben Scammell, UK sales director, Spandex, said, ‘Customers regularly ask for more environmentally responsible film choices, with a particular drive to reduce their reliance on PVC. Until now, we’ve been able to suggest some PVC-free products, but ImagePerfect EverGreen is in another league. It addresses many aspects of the end-to-end product lifecycle, offering an environmental step-change without a price premium. With products like this, guiding clients towards more planet-friendly options will fast become a no-brainer. That’s great news for the environment and for visual communications businesses who want to do the right thing while still making healthy margins.’

ImagePerfect EverGreen products are 100% free of PVC and plasticiser, offering the well-documented environmental advantages of PVC-free products while retaining the handling characteristics, flexibility and durability of PVC films. The material used is polyolefin, which is free of toxins such as dioxins and furans and is readily recyclable into a range of consumer products.

In addition, the new range incorporates an advanced, water-based adhesive system that is 100% solvent-free but retains adhesive performance expected by customers for stability and durability of applications. This contrasts with the solvent-based adhesives used in the manufacture of many PVC-free products.

Environmental innovation also extends to ImagePerfect EverGreen’s specially sourced liner paper, a 100% recycled, FSC certified base paper with an LDPE (low-density, polyethylene) coating that is free of petro-chemicals. This special liner requires 60% less carbon to manufacture than a typical liner material.

The roll supports (core holders/end bungs) used for ImagePerfect EverGreen also offer a significant environmental and strength advantage compared with the conventional polypropylene roll supports used to deliver most film products. The IP EverGreen roll supports are manufactured using a granulate of FSC-accredited recycled paper and recycled LDPE, resulting in a 100% recyclable material.

According to the company, consideration for the environment also extends to the biodegradable bags used to protect rolls of IP EverGreen in transit and storage. Likewise, the boxes used to package IP EverGreen products are made from unbleached cardboard, manufactured from sustainable, FSC-certified sources. The boxes are specified to be fully fit for purpose without using plastic-based tapes, and they carry detailed recycling and/or disposal instructions for all the individual product components. ImagePerfect EverGreen materials are coated and converted in the UK using raw materials from European producers to minimise carbon footprint.

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The new MonsterTack material has a solvent gas and lubricating oil-resistant adhesive formula that helps it adhere to surfaces which would usually be problematic, such as applications on plywood panels of box trailers, which are often equipped with a dirt-repellent surface; construction, agricultural and industrial machines subject to extreme dirt and mechanical stress; petrol pumps, powder-coated surfaces and low-energy substrates, ABS plastics, motocross vehicles and caravans/campers.

MonsterTack DFP 05 complements the existing UltraTack DFP 06, 07 and 08 films. It is also suitable for bonding on rough surfaces indoors and out. It can be attached to flat or slightly curved surfaces in temperatures as low as -10° C and it lasts up to seven years outdoors.

The polymer film can be printed with solvent, eco-solvent, latex and UV curable inks, as well as with screen printing inks. Despite its strong permanent adhesive, it can be removed from low-energy substrates and steel without leaving residue. The self-adhesive film is also classified to salt spray test ISO 9227:2017.

Anja Falkenberg, marketing and sales director at Aslan, commented, ‘We at Aslan have been able to prove, time and again in the past, that we are able to meet, understand and solve the challenges in sign making and digital printing. We are proud that the MonsterTack Aslan DFP 05 fills a gap in the world of self-adhesive films. This requires know-how and a lot of development work and it is what Aslan has stood for more than 70 years. The result is a film that is extremely easy to process despite the high demands.’

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SteriTac is said to provide 24/7 protection on a wide range of surfaces for up to 15 years; its flexibility and hard-wearing nature means that cutting or intense cleaning should not impact its antimicrobial properties. SteriTac is also effective against Coronavirus (tested to ISO 21702) and surfaces with SteriTac are 99.9% cleaner than unprotected surfaces.

In addition to the standard roll sizes supplied to trade customers, SteriTac is now also available in the UK in A4 cut-sheet packs via Amazon, bringing the material to the consumer market and a wide range of consumer and small business applications.

According to Shaun Holdom, Global Product manager at Drytac, ‘The introduction of Protac AMP proved to be a turning point in terms of offering high levels of surface protection to customers. This was particularly true during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the product played a key role in helping businesses from multiple sectors operate more safely throughout the crisis.

‘Under its new name, we believe SteriTac will continue to go from strength to strength. Our expansion into the consumer market with the new A4 sheet packs is set to open up a wide range of opportunities for us and our customers.’

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LoopPet Aslan DRL 19 is a white film, made using 30% recycled polyester, for wide-format digital printing. It can handle both latex and UV curable inks and Aslan says that its Dryapply adhesive technology makes it easy to apply the film without bubbles and provides it with excellent removability.

Meanwhile the LoopLam Aslan SRL 19 laminate is being marketed as ‘the perfect match to protect the print.’ Its recycled polyester content is 70% and, even though the product is designed as a protective laminate, it is also possible to print onto it with UV curable and latex inks. Both self-adhesive films are equipped with Aslan’s water-based adhesives contain no solvents, PVC or VOCs.

The company’s research and development manager, Dr. Petra Tschöpe, said that the new products reflect the global desire for signage to be more environmentally friendly. ‘We used raw materials which contain recycled components as a base for the new films,’ she explained.

The films, which are 1.9mil thick and suitable for internal or external use, can be applied to smooth, flat surfaces.  

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