Making an Entrance

The Client Prada

The Player Altitude Color Technologies (altitudecolor.com)

Tools & Supplies EFI Vutek UltraVu 2360, HP Scitex XL 1500, Caldera RIP, 3M IJ3552C media and 3M 3519/8914 overlam, INX Triangle Inks, AGL 64i laminator

The Job The Crystals Retail and Entertainment at City Center in Las Vegas is home to the world’s most elite couture and luxury brands, including renowned fashion house, Prada. During the early development of Crystals, construction delays forced the retail stores to devise a solution to hide the unsightly construction from Vegas passersby. Prada’s answer: digitally printed graphics. Prada contracted Vegas-based Altitude Color Technologies to wrap nearly 21,000 square feet of windows on Crystals’ entrance.

To promote the store’s international appeal, collaged images of hundreds of Prada stores from across the globe would adorn the windows. Prada also called for a large portion of the design to be completely black for two reasons: to ensure no one could see through to the unfinished storeroom, and to reflect the subtlety that Prada is so famously known for. After they received the initial phone call from Prada, the Altitude staff had only four days to complete the eye-catching job.

Production The Prada store images were delivered in collage format via Altitude Color’s FTP site from Prada headquarters in Italy. Prada also provided a design for the all-black graphics, but left the more meticulous measurements of the design to Altitude. The print provider created the design using Adobe Illustrator and mapped out corresponding diagrams for the installation team to follow.

Once Prada approved the images, the photo-collage graphics were output onto 3M Controltac IJ3552C self-adhesive cast vinyl using an EFI Vutek UltraVu 2360 with INX Triangle inks. For the all-black graphics, meanwhile, Altitude turned to its HP Scitex XL 1500 – because of the increased speed it offers, says Altitude Color’s Amy Terrile – also with Triangle inks and onto the same media. All told, the company printed 21,000 square feet of graphics in less than a week. Finishing was done on the company’s AGL 64i laminator with 3M 8519 and 8914 laminates.

The hand-cut graphics were assembled on site by Vision Sign Company (visionsigninc.com), and the installation was completed within two days of the final print work thanks to the strategic packaging of the graphics by Altitude Color to ensure ease of installation. Prada signage, comprising simple channel letters, was placed on top of the graphics during the second phase of installation.

“Given the caliber of this client, we knew we had to move forward diligently and efficiently. The team leveraged every opportunity possible to get the project completed. We printed, produced, cut, trimmed, laminated, and packaged each panel in only four days,” says Terrile. “Our action plan consisted of meeting two goals; providing the client with quality printing solutions and keeping within the tight specified time frame.”