businessinfomag.uk 24 magazine SIGNAGE Signs for the times Is your signage fit for purpose in the hybrid working era or are you missing an opportunity to use it to enhance brand-building and internal communications? Business Info looks at how one company is making the most of new print techniques to transform its clients’ use of internal and external graphics and signage A major investment in a direct to surface printer is transforming possibilities for Cobal Sign Systems and its clients, including technology distributor, Westcoast. Cobal is turning signage from something purely functional into something ‘experiential’ that people can interact with visually and physically. Or, in the words of Cobal Marketing & Communications Executive Caroline Cross, something “akin to an art installation”. Cobal makes internal and external signs and graphics for almost every requirement, from huge corporate logos at the top of 50-storey office buildings and illuminated signs in shopping centres all the way down to tiny number plates on office desks for asset tracking purposes, using all manner of materials to reflect clients’ varied brand values, from wood, metal and glass to acrylic wallpapers and even cardboard. The addition of a custom-made flatbed printer to the company’s in-house production capabilities has not just enabled the Newburybased company to produce large format output on-demand but also given it the ability to create textured prints that are both physically and visually immersive. “It’s allowed us to do things that other people just can’t,” explains Managing Director Paul McGlone. “The example I often use is corridor wallpaper printed with a forest scene. You can run your hands along it as you walk, feel the bark every time you hit a tree and look up and see raindrops, printed with a layer of spot gloss, glistening on the leaves.” Cobal’s new printer is an important part of McGlone’s strategy to bring all signage production and all employees back in-house and to focus on building long-term relationships with individual businesses who care about their staff’s working environment and the experience for visitors. “When I took over, we were subcontracting much of our production work and operating in silos with staff scattered around the country. My mission was to strengthen the business, and the path to achieving that was to get bodies back in the building, to recruit people who want to work in an office and to bring technology back in-house.” McGlone says the company’s new printer is already paying for itself by enabling Cobal to do what he calls ‘the flat stuff’ – large format, direct to surface printing – in-house rather than through subcontractors, reducing costs and improving response times. However, his intention was also to go beyond that and do something that no one else in the market is doing i.e. textured output, created by printing layer after layer of ink to give different heights across an image, as well as other advanced printing techniques, including clever optical effects that give the impression of moving images and 3D-like depths. Cobal is revelling in the possibilities its new printer brings, steering clients in new directions and encouraging them to give the same attention to signage that they would to graphic design or interior décor, highlighting the role that internal and external signage plays in creating and reinforcing a brand identity and giving employees an inspiring working environment. Innovative printing A good example is the work it is doing with the largest technology distributor in the UK, Westcoast. “Like most of the customers we work with, Westcoast came to us with an idea for their offices in Theale. We explained that we could absolutely do what they were looking for, but could add in some cool stuff too. We mocked up some images, elevating their idea to another level, and they loved them!” explains Cross. “We started out creating signage for a new office for Westcoast, but then, on a tour of the building, we suggested ways to add impact to the signage outside the main building and to make a stronger impression in the reception area. They loved our truly innovative printing and the scope of our project has continued to grow as a result.” The highlight of this project is a standalone unit in the reception area – the first thing people see when they come through the main door of the building. It combines back lighting with a unique
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