PUBLICATION CENTER

John Becker enjoys serving as an art-project management consultant

WINDOW GRAPHICS: At the recommendation of his LexJet account specialist, John Becker used a semi-translucent polypropylene film to print these graphics to replace the craft paper that had previously covered the back entrance of a Red Wing Shoe Store in West Dundee, IL. As Becker explains, “The back side of the store was used only for receiving, but it did have visibility from an adjacent parking lot.” The translucent polypropylene means the images are visible 24 hours a day, thanks to the backlighting coming from the store which is illuminated at night.

Small businesses with roots in the custom-framing business are using wide-format inkjet printers to reinvent themselves as suppliers of custom décor.  For example, Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing in Red Wing, MN is using their HP Designjet Z6100, extensive knowledge of print finishing and artistic display, and LexJet expertise in printing materials to handle a growing variety of art-management projects, including in-store visuals and local restaurant décor.

Some of these projects may use the same types of printing materials as high-end promotional signs and graphics, but tend to rely more heavily on high-quality, custom photography and display systems to convey a brand message or give restaurants a localized appeal that really resonates with their customers.

Store Graphics: One of Red Wing Framing’s best-known clients is the town’s biggest employer: the Red Wing Shoe Company. Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing prints dozens of visuals for the shoe company’s retail stores, including the firm’s new 20,000 sq. ft. flagship store and museum.

To visually communicate the fact that they make work boots specifically for safety and comfort in different types of environments, the Red Wing Shoe Company sends professional photographers to shoot pictures of the boots being worn in different work scenarios, including logging, electrical-power line repair, and oil-and-gas drilling.

When the Red Wing Shoe Company wants to use these images in their stores, they rely on Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing to recommend different options for graphics, and handle every phase of the project—including printing, mounting, framing, and installation.

“We now position ourselves as a full-service imaging business,” explains John Becker.

STORE VISUALS: The Red Wing Shoe Company uses large photographic prints in their stores to visually remind customers that they make different types of boots for different types of work environments. The black-and-white graphics shown here were printed on Sunset Select Matte Canvas on an HP Designjet Z6100. Smaller images were printed on LexJet’s 11 Mil Sunset Photo eSatin 300g paper and mounted on a 0.5-in board.

Restaurant Décor:Even in small towns such as Red Wing, MN, owners of mom-and-pop restaurants, retail shops, and bed-and-breakfasts have begun to realize they can afford to custom decorate, using images shot by photographers who really appreciate what makes a particular locale so appealing. For the restaurant project shown here, Becker produced two series of wall prints.

CUSTOM RESTAURANT ART: John Becker suggests different types of visuals and print-treatments for different types of restaurants. The images shown here were printed in sepia tone to complement the brick walls of the Potters on Main restaurant.

For the first series, he hired a model wearing a vintage dress to pose at various sites in town. For the second series on an adjacent wall, he shot photos at the region’s annual Flood Run® motorcycle ride/run which raises money for a local children’s hospital. Becker printed images at 40 x 40 in. and 26 x 40 in. onto LexJet Sunset Photo eSatin 300g paper and mounted them on hardboard with a reverse frame standoff on the backside. He has handled multi-image art projects for other area restaurants as well.

Keys to Success: Printing photographs for décor purposes isn’t vastly different from printing any other type of high-end POP display or retail graphics. “Customers usually have an objective in mind of what they want to accomplish with the images on their walls,” says Becker. “We work with them to figure out what their pain points are and how can relieve them.” (www.redwingframing.com)