Oklahoma Print Pro Elevates Ice Cream Parlor's Brand Presence With Stunning Hotel Signage

SO, WHEN THE COMPANY needed exterior brand signage for its new location within the luxurious Skirvin Hotel, the small-batch ice cream parlor tapped the cream of the crop: Lettering Express. This family-owned business with nearly 40 years of experience is known for creating visually stunning and effective solutions with vinyl window graphics.

Recognized as one of the most trusted installers in the industry, CEO Charlie Trujillo understood this project needed top-notch creativity, expert craftsmanship, and outstanding quality to match the lavish $15 million renovation of the historic hotel property.

Laminate protects the printed inks from scratches and abrasion while also providing UV protection on exterior windows. It also provides greater rigidity to the film, making for easier installs and removals.

The Project

“ Boom Town’s design firm provided an initial mock-up of the design that had a lot of cream tones,” says Trujillo. “After I saw the render, I suggested the graphics should be printed on digital film that would be covered with a matte overlaminate. The images would be topped with metallic gold cut vinyl lettering to provide dimension and depth between film and finish.”

Trujillo decided on using these products for the job:

• Avery DennisonR® MPI 1105 Easy Apply™ RS digital wrapping film — A wide format high-gloss printable base film with 3D conformability that allows for easy installation.
• Avery Dennison®DOL 1380Z Matte digital overlaminate — An ultra-thin and conformable cast overlaminate that provides abrasion resistance, extended durability, and a smooth, matte finish.
• Avery Dennison® SC950 Cut Vinyl Film — A premium film in gold metallic with outstanding durability and weeding that made the entire project pop.

“I like to stick with the brands that I trust and have a long-term relationship with,” explains Trujillo. “My big trick of the trade is using MPI 1105 with a matte digital laminate like the company’s 1380Z. That creates a nice element of class.”

Laminate protects the printed inks from scratches and abrasion while also providing UV protection on exterior windows. It also provides greater rigidity to the film, making for easier installs and removals.

The Preparation

Trujillo’s shop was well-outfitted for the Boom Town Creamery assignment. With a focus on adhesive-backed products, the Lettering Express facility employs 17 people and includes more than 11,000 square feet of cutting, application, printing, and display space.

The firm uses some state-of-the-art equipment including a Mutoh ValueJet 1624 eco-solvent printer, a Roland TrueVis VG-640 printer, plus plotter cutters from Mutoh, Odyssey, and Roland. But Trujillo also continues to use machines originally purchased by his parents, including an older HP 750 flatbed printer and Gerber Edge plotter cutter.

The Boom Town Creamery job included a total of 10 58.5˝ x 90˝ windows, four created with the MPI 1105 and six with the SC950. The size was especially fortuitous: Trujillo was able to employ 60˝ of material with his Mutoh printer for extremely efficient use of the film products.

“One of the greatest benefits of using die-cut materials as an added design element for printed signage is that they come in reliable, vibrant colors,” says Trujillo. “Whether you’re looking for carmine red or bright gold, these cut vinyl films come ready to go. We can quickly have it designed to size, plotted, weeded, and masked.”

Because Lettering Express used an eco-solvent printer for project’s printing film Trujillo allowed the inks to outgas for 24 hours. While some in the printing industry don’t think outgassing is necessary, allowing window vinyl to outgas for as long as possible before laminating reduces the opportunity for haziness caused by outgassing.

The amount of time needed for outgassing depends on a variety of factors. The main considerations are the type of ink used and the dots per inch or DPI. With a higher DPI, the ink will appear darker and will require more time for outgassing.

Use caution with large-format digital printing. Be certain to use the manufacturer’s approved ICC profile that has been designed specifically for the selected film. The proper ICC profile will optimize ink coverage heater settings and speed, while eliminating drying and over ink saturation issues.

From start to finish, Lettering Express completed the in-shop production process in four days.

Shown here, a Lettering Express tech slowly reveals the gold metallic, cut vinyl lettering on the Boom Town Creamery window. There were six windows with the job that used cut vinyl for graphics.

The Installation

“Since our print size was so close to the windows’ total dimensions, we didn’t have to align each individual glass pane,” says Trujillo. “We were able to do each panel by itself, which was very convenient. But we were extremely careful that our strokes and squeegee edges didn’t nick the material.”

Because of its high gloss, installation of the gold metallic film could have been more challenging. However, its application first lowered the surface energy of the windows. When overlaying a high-gloss finish over matte laminate, Trujillo emphasized that it’s important to ensure proper adhesion for long-term durability.

While Trujillo used a dry apply for this installation, here are some pro tips for a wet-apply application: Spray the glass with a mild solution of water and baby shampoo to prevent the adhesive from directly touching the glass when it first makes contact. Then use a firm, even squeegee stroke to force all the solution from behind the glass. Be certain to install on a day when the temperature is at least 60° Fahrenheit because the solution is more difficult to squeegee if it is cold.