Feeling the P-O-P Burn

To secure the point-of-purchase work for the Palm Beach Tan chain of tanning salons–136 stores in all–New Tech Graphics was able to one-up the tanning chain's previous print provider on four different counts: turnaround time, color, resolution, and application ease. It was a combination of advantages that proved to be unbeatable for the Memphis-based New Tech.

The Palm Beach Tan Company's previous print shop was 'a very large digital printer and not a low-end guy,' says Bob Metz with New Tech, but Metz's eight-person company was able to convince the client of its superiority around these specifics:

* Turnaround time: New Tech promised its new client a four-day lead time after art approval, beating the competition's time, says Metz. 'We run Onyx ProductionHouse on an HP 8600 workstation with dual quad core Xenon 3.0 processors, with 4 GB of memory and 1.5 terabytes of disk space, so processing goes very fast for us,' says Metz.

* Color: Color also came into play here because it had delayed the production process for Palm Beach Tan. 'The previous supplier had several color issues and it frequently took three to four days to get the color right,' says Metz. 'We do it in one.' New Tech's color expert-who happens to be Metz's son-has been managing color for 10 years. 'We're not bashful about telling the client what we want,' says Metz. This includes requiring designers to use CMYK profiles and spot colors as well as defining specific color numbers, and requiring that designers use reasonably calibrated monitors.

* Resolution: New Tech utilized its ColorSpan DisplayMaker 72 SR printer with ColorSpan solvent inks, and was able to up the graphics' resolutions from a very low resolution to 600 dpi.

* Application: The final benefit for Palm Beach Tan's 136 nationwide stores was a solution to recurring problems. 'The prior supplier used static-cling vinyl, which is a bear for the inexperienced to apply and they always got complaints from their stores,' says Metz. New Tech, however, specifically chose an easily applicable low-tack window vinyl to simplify the installation process.

The full job comprised the following for each of 136 stores: three 30 x 60-inch window vinyls, two 11 x 17-inch counter cards, an average of 18 tanning room signs at 11 x 17-inches each, 30 different 'sidewalk sign' graphics, and a manager's guide. All of the counter cards were printed using a Konica Minolta laser printer, while the big jobs were moved to the DisplayMaker 72 SR to be RIPped, printed, and kitted. In addition to the low-tack window vinyl, banners were also printed on 10-ounce banner material.

Finishing included laminating the counter cards with 10-mil gloss laminates and situating an easel place on the back, as well as bleed trimming the window graphics and sidewalk displays. Production was completed in three days while the shop was also printing 110 banners and preparing 55 store kits for a Blockbuster franchise promotions, 'plus the other odds and ends stuff that comes in everyday,' says Metz.

NEW TECH GRAPHICS
www.newtechgraphics.com