Get into the spirit with seasonal wall and floor graphics

With the festive period now very much in full swing, Rob Fletcher takes a look at what sort of opportunities there are for print companies in wall and floor graphics during major seasonal events throughout the year.

With most seasonal campaigns lasting only a matter of weeks, clean removability of graphics is of huge importance for end users.

With wall graphics in particular, the application leans toward what might be classified as seasonal ambient décor

It is hard to believe it is that time of year again already. Supermarket shelves are being filled with all kinds of sweet treats and tasty goodies, retailers are transforming their shops into miniature winter wonderlands, and colourful greetings cards are dropping on door mats around the world as millions spread festive cheers.

Yes, Christmas 2023 is just around the corner, and while the big day may still a fair few weeks away, there is already plenty going on to celebrate the holiday season and showcase festive fun. Whether this is a supermarket promoting its selection of Christmas food or a restaurant raising awareness of its seasonal menu, the festivities do not seem to stop at this time of year.

The good news for those in our industry that print plays a huge role in both promotional and celebrational décor, not just at Christmas but at other holidays and seasonal events. One area in particular that allows printers to explore new ideas and stretch the boundaries is wall and floor graphics.

Think retailers in busy shopping centres seeking to capture the attention of Christmas shoppers, or even a garden centre producing direction floor graphics to show the way to Santa’s Grotto. The scope for work in this area during seasonal events is incredibly wide-ranging.

So, how do you best go about taking advantage of this. FESPA.com investigates by speaking with two leading materials suppliers across the wall and floor graphics markets.

Key part of successful seasonal campaigns

First up is Drytac, which offers a wide range of materials for use in wall and floor graphics jobs to customer around the world. On the subject of seasonal work. Drytac academy manager Kieran Blacknall said seasonal events give brands the opportunity to promote themselves around a specific theme or idea – and printer should be looking to work with these clients to showcase how print can help them to achieve their seasonal goals.

“This can be for Halloween, Christmas, or even seasonal sales events such as Black Friday,” Blacknall said. “Point of sale and promotional displays are regularly updated in retail environments, with wall and floor graphics playing a key part in the success of these campaigns by attracting consumer attention.

“As for the most popular time of this work during events like Christmas, there is a massive demand for short term POS work with an emphasis on removability and ease of use. Low-cost solutions in this category are easy to sell and give great opportunity for repeat business to customers from all backgrounds.”

Blacknall’s comments ring true. Retailers, brands, markets and whoever else may be looking to celebrate the festivities will only want to do this for a few weeks at a time. So, one of the most important points when it comes to picking out the materials to work with is that these are only a short-term solution that can be removed easily after the event, but also produce high-quality images that will draw the attention of busy passers-by.

“With most seasonal campaigns lasting only a matter of weeks, clean removability of graphics is of huge importance for end users,” Blacknall stated.

On this note, he highlighted a number of products from Drytac that fit the bill in terms of short-term but high quality, use in festive and seasonal campaigns. One such material is SpotOn Floor 200, a monomeric PVC film designed for short-term, indoor non-slip floor graphics without the need for lamination. It boasts a several slip ratings and certifications which make it ideal for public spaces.

Also available from Drytac is ReTac Smooth 150, a polymeric PVC film that users can install, remove and reposition without leaving residue on the surface. The printable self-adhesive vinyl is billed by Drytac as ideal for many indoor wall graphic applications.

In addition, Polar PET 170 is a polyester floor and wall graphic film that is scuff- and tear-resistant for short-term indoor applications where the printed graphics remain visible and vibrant. Importantly for those graphics featuring snowy scenes, the film is receptive to white ink.

“Our SpotOn, ReTac and Polar ranges offer multiple solutions for short term graphics that are designed with ease of application and removability in mind,” Blacknall said. “Polar PET 170 is growing in popularity as it is PVC-free, suitable for wall and floor applications, and does not require lamination. It is a perfect all-rounder for short term point of sale work.”

Responding to demand

Another leading supplier in this market is Metamark, which, like Drytac, offers a range of wall and floor graphics solutions. Commercial director Max Somper said the company witnesses a seasonal lift in sales of its wall and floor graphics materials as signs and graphics producers respond to incoming interest from their customers.

“With wall graphics in particular, the application leans toward what might be classified as seasonal ambient décor,” Somper said. “It’s possible to print any picture, colour or pattern on wall graphics materials so design options are practically without limit.

“The market is definitely getting the message: you don’t have to settle for what’s on the shelves in the big sheds or shops, you can make it your own with digital print and surround yourself with it at an affordable price.”

So, what sort of work is out there? Somper said promotional opportunities around Christmas are driven in large part by businesses wanting to secure their share of customers’ attention and maybe spread a little cheer. With this, he said almost anything is possible and really only limited by the appetite of the end-user customer.

“We see lots of cut and applied snowflakes at one extreme and at the other real events that take over a whole shopfront, effectively taking point of sale to the pavement,” Somper said. “In those applications the whole gamut of materials is used; digital media, SignVinyl, etch effects and specialities - especially the sparkly ones.”

Expanding on this, Somper said Metamark offers a useful range of materials for decorative applications. SignVinyl now includes popular colours with its AirScape adhesive, which he said makes them suitable for end-user application. In addition, Somper said MD-WR is particularly popular because it is repositionable and removes cleanly from sound surfaces.

“Speciality materials are always in demand and are used anywhere there’s a need for a bit of sparkle and interest. Banners, in partial the lighter weights, never seem to go out of fashion.”

While the opportunities for work in this market seem almost endless, materials choice is key if you are delivering exactly what the customer wants. Short-term but high-quality graphics are the core focus area for seasonal work and the media you work with should meet this criterion.

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