Expand Vol. 3 No. 12

Display House: An Art Exhibit with an Unusual Twist

Artists and photographers are always looking for something special and something specific when they commission a wide-format print shop to reproduce their artwork. They are often the most discerning yet rewarding clients for which to work.

In a recent and rather unusual project, Top Quality Digital, based in Woodbridge, N.J., was able to meet the demanding specifications for photographic artist Jennifer Chapman. Chapman’s display used an entire house as the framework for her photography.

Chapman found Top Quality Digital on the Internet, ultimately finding a reliable and top-quality digital print house to reproduce the work and make it work for the effect she was after and environment in which the art would be displayed.

After several rounds of color proofing, matching, and approval, Top Quality Digital printed Chapman’s work with one of its HP 5500 printers on LexJet 8 Mil PolyGloss Banner, which was then applied to 1/8-in. plexiglass with an optically-clear adhesive.

“The choice for the polypropylene material was based on budget and durability. The PolyGloss Banner was cost-effective, it reproduced the color to specification, and it held up well for the four months the art was on display,” says Adam Bryan, owner of Top Quality Digital. “The artist is extremely happy with the results and is coming back for more business.”

Top Quality Digital runs three HP 5500 printers – two with dye inks and one with pigmented inks – as well as two Seal laminators. The company’s primary focus is exhibit design and display work, having evolved over the years into the full-service design-build company it is today.

As part of Top Quality Digital’s business initiatives in the exhibit market, the company recently launched gogreendisplays.com, which seeks to provide clients with environmentally-friendly alternatives. As Bryan points out, there is nothing that is truly “green” in any industry, including the graphics business, but the company strives to decrease its environmental impact.

To make a trade show display more environmentally friendly, we work from materials either derived from recycled content or that can be recycled, such as polypropylene,” says Bryan. “There’s no such thing as a perfect solution for the environment, but every little bit helps. So, we do everything we can, from using LED lighting to installing flooring that can be recycled. Plus, if our customers truly want to commit to environmentally-friendly practices they know they can send their graphics and displays back to us and we’ll find a recycling stream for them.”