{"id":24783,"date":"2015-11-02T10:54:16","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T15:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/?p=24783"},"modified":"2015-11-02T10:54:16","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T15:54:16","slug":"wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"_DSC0306\"<\/a>
Photos courtesy Magnum Magnetics<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Peter Saunders
\n <\/strong>Magnetic and magnetic-receptive materials are becoming popular in the wide-format printing of point-of-purchase (POP) graphics because of their adaptability to a broad range of retail environments and, perhaps most important to store staff, their ease of installation for ongoing promotional updates. No special hardware, drill holes or brackets are required, as each graphic is essentially a giant refrigerator magnet.<\/p>\n

From fridges to signs
\n <\/strong>As it happens, today\u2019s magnetic graphics actually have their roots in the refrigerator industry\u2014though not in the magnets stuck to their doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the Second World War, the U.S. government asked refrigerator manufacturers to find alternatives to the latches that sealed fridge doors too tightly, making it easy for children to get stuck inside,\u201d explains John Kanis, president of MagX America, a flexible magnetic sheet manufacturer celebrating its 50th<\/sup> anniversary this year. \u201cThis led to the development of co-extruded magnets\u2014which continue to keep fridge doors closed today\u2014and those in turn gave rise to flexible magnets.\u201d<\/p>\n

MagX\u2019s own labs reportedly produced the first flexible magnetic sheeting in 1965, when the company was founded. The signmaking market was significant from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cSignmakers used to emboss plastic letters with a magnetic strip around the edges,\u201d says Kanis.<\/p>\n

One of the keys for printed graphic applications was to make the material sufficiently wide (in printing area) and thin (in thickness). Soon, it was being screenprinted, hand-lettered and plotted. Today, it is frequently digitally printed\u2014and with the rise of wide-format presses has come the demand for wider substrates, so larger seamless graphics can be attached to metal walls and other surfaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a while, the standard width in North America was 0.6 m (24 in.),\u201d Kanis says, \u201cbut our parent company at the time was based in Japan, where printable magnets were already 1 m (40 in.) wide. So, we were the first to bring that size to the U.S. Today, we\u2019re up to 1.2 m (48 in.).\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sign\"<\/a>
At one point, the most popular use for magnetic graphics was to attach them to vehicles. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Compatibility and durability
\n <\/strong>Flexible magnetic sheeting has also come a long way in terms of compatibility with various print technologies. Different formulations of printable surfaces have optimized the material for solvent-based, eco-solvent, ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) and durable aqueous \u2018latex\u2019 inkjet printers, along with flexography, screenprinting and offset printing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s now a diverse range of sheets that can be direct-printed, rather than needing a laminate,\u201d says Jim Cirigliano, marketing manager for Magnum Magnetics, \u201cso it\u2019s important to ask suppliers about which material will work best with your printer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another advantage of magnetic signage has been durability. A printed magnetic sheet fused to a multi-purpose laminate offers strong ultraviolet (UV) resistance outdoors in sunlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are outdoor-rated magnetic materials that can be used where paperstock would never hold up,\u201d says Cirigliano. \u201cMagnetic sheeting is a perfect way to attach large-format outdoor signage to the side of a building, such as quick-service restaurant (QSR) menu boards at a drive-thru.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndoors, the material is even more durable,\u201d says Kanis. \u201cHow can you damage it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Changeability
\n <\/strong>As mentioned, the sign industry has long represented a major market for magnetic sheeting. It has endured due to innovations in configurations and applications. At one point, for example, the most popular use for magnetic graphics was to attach them to vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis made it easy for a vehicle to have two different personalities,\u201d says Kanis, \u201cand it\u2019s a lot easier afterward to remove a magnet than it is to strip off a pressure-sensitive vinyl wrap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only in the past decade have POP displays become the predominant application for magnetic graphics. One driving force in the retail sector is the increasing frequency of promotional campaigns, where graphics must be changed out quickly.<\/p>\n

\"MagRecGraphic\"<\/a>
With magnetic-receptive systems, the changeable graphics are adhered to a magnetic base material, rather than being magnetic themselves.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cStudies show consumers\u2019 attention is drawn to things that change, so it\u2019s in retailers\u2019 interest to refresh their graphics regularly,\u201d says Cirigliano.<\/p>\n

Another factor has been the rise of magnetic-receptive systems, whereby graphics are adhered to a magnetic base material, rather than being magnetic themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome stores cover their walls with magnetic sheeting, so magnetic-receptive graphics can be placed anywhere,\u201d Kanis says. \u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon to change them every four to six weeks. The staff can easily take them down and put up new ones. In fast-food restaurants, the same guy who flips the burgers is installing the graphics! That\u2019s why magnetic-receptive signage is one of the hottest things in the market today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMagnetic-receptive materials tend to be lighter and may be easier for some presses to print than magnetic sheets,\u201d says Cirigliano. \u201cI used to work for a fast-food chain and I know what a chore it used to be for restaurant staff to change the graphics. Now, if you run out of a special promotional item, you just pull the poster down. These are the kinds of situations where magnetic-receptive graphics really make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going mainstream
\n <\/strong>Today, mainstream graphic substrate manufacturers are helping meet the increased demand. Ultraflex, for example, began offering magnetic-receptive print media about a year ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a growing market for new and interesting ways to digitally print retail graphics,\u201d says Kylie Schleicher, Ultraflex\u2019s marketing manager.<\/p>\n

The company also works with another original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Xcel Products, to source rolls of magnetic sheeting to serve as a base for changeable graphics.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome retailers keep a magnetic base in place on their walls,\u201d says Schleicher, \u201cbut there are also rigid display boards available with a magnetic layer or, for that matter, magnetic paint that contains iron filings, so those are other options for coating the walls. Then, shipping the graphics themselves, which are printed on light, rollable magnetic-receptive media, costs less than it would to ship rigid graphic boards.\u201d<\/p>\n

With files from MagX America, Magnum Magnetics and Ultraflex. For more information, visit www.magxamerica.com<\/a>, www.magnummagnetics.com<\/a> and www.ultraflexx.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Magnetic and magnetic-receptive materials are becoming popular in the wide-format printing of point-of-purchase (POP) graphics because of their adaptability to a broad range of retail environments and, perhaps most important to store staff, their ease of installation for ongoing promotional updates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,37,83,65],"tags":[1607],"class_list":["post-24783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-wide-format-printed-graphics","category-magnetic-signs","category-trends","tag-magnetic-applications","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Magnetic and magnetic-receptive materials are becoming popular in the wide-format printing of point-of-purchase (POP) graphics because of their adaptability to a broad range of retail environments and, perhaps most important to store staff, their ease of installation for ongoing promotional updates.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sign Media Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"all\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"all\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"all\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f\"},\"headline\":\"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1026,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"keywords\":[\"Magnetic Applications\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Features\",\"Wide-format Printed Graphics\",\"Magnetic signs\",\"Trends\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/\",\"name\":\"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sign Media Canada\",\"description\":\"Where Image and Innovation Converge\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f\",\"name\":\"all\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"all\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.signmedia.ca\\\/author\\\/all\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/","next":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada","og_description":"Magnetic and magnetic-receptive materials are becoming popular in the wide-format printing of point-of-purchase (POP) graphics because of their adaptability to a broad range of retail environments and, perhaps most important to store staff, their ease of installation for ongoing promotional updates.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/","og_site_name":"Sign Media Canada","article_published_time":"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00","author":"all","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"all","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/"},"author":{"name":"all","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f"},"headline":"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications","datePublished":"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/"},"wordCount":1026,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"","keywords":["Magnetic Applications"],"articleSection":["Features","Wide-format Printed Graphics","Magnetic signs","Trends"],"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/","url":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/","name":"Wide-format Graphics: The advantages of magnetic applications - Sign Media Canada","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"","datePublished":"2015-11-02T15:54:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wide-format-graphics-the-advantages-of-magnetic-applications\/#primaryimage","url":"","contentUrl":""},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/","name":"Sign Media Canada","description":"Where Image and Innovation Converge","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/0eaf6c32fa84e6d6fba2a612b174fb0f","name":"all","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/609a071f3abbd05989f45642c45cb0f684dde38191e6120f45ac3267a21faccd?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","caption":"all"},"url":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/author\/all\/"}]}},"views":5283,"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24783\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/wp-json-v2\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}