By Melissa Donovan
Part 2 of 2
Small format point of purchase (POP) is a popular service for many print providers equipped to offer customers high-quality output. The range of substrates compatible with today’s inkjet devices expands the number of offerings. Applications include shelf wobblers, table tents, window decals, cooler clings, bottle neckers, door hangers, small floor graphics, aisle violators, and pennants.
Here, we share two print providers’ experiences in offering small format POP.
McCarty Printing
Based in Erie, PA, McCarty Printing celebrates 100 years in business. The company, owned by the same family since 1954, has grown from 18 to over 70 employees working out of a 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility. It is well known for its printing of catalogs, brochures, flyers, advertising promotion collateral, and stationery. A hybrid commercial printer, its offers sheet fed offset with aqueous coating, flexographic printing with UV coating, and digital printing thanks to its Xerox Color C75 and Xerox Color 800 presses.
One of its customers, a large convenience chain serving Northwestern PA and NY, required durable, high-quality signage for over 50 different food and beverage sale products. Needed for over 70 different locations, the material used had to withstand moisture when exposed to refrigerator conditions. In addition, this request would occur on a monthly basis, as sale specials changed every four weeks. Finally, the signage would be delivered to the corporate office and distributed from there to the various convenience store locations, which made production time even more shortened.
To address all of the criteria, McCarty Printing turned to Mohawk and chose its Dimensional Premium Polyester Wobbler to be used as shelf wobbler signage. “Because of its synthetic properties, we could deliver an ultra-durable product without any lamination. And because these dimensional sheets come pre-die cut, it saves us time and money by eliminating post-press finishing,” explains Derek Sieber, account executive, McCarty Printing.
Once it was determined that the die cut shape of the wobblers would fit into the refrigerator racks and could hold up to the moisture and cold temperatures of the refrigerator, McCarty Printing worked on initial designs and sent samples to the client. The printer downloaded blank design templates from Mohawk to assist them in the process in addition to referring to the manufacturer’s equipment compatibility chart to quickly dial in baseline color settings.
The shelf wobblers were printed on the Xerox Color C75 and Xerox Color 800 presses. Artwork included heavy ink coverage, but Sieber says the solids printed well on both devices.
Thanks to Mohawk and Xerox, McCarty Printing met all of the customer’s requests—short runs, quick turnarounds, and high quality. The end result is ongoing business on a monthly basis between the print provider and convenience store chain.
Angstrom Graphics
At the end of 2015, Angstrom Graphics of Cleveland, OH replaced existing Xerox iGen technology with a new Xerox iGen 150 digital press. The company is experienced in producing high-quality sheet fed, web offset, and digital printing of catalogs, POP displays, signage, publications, and brochures.
POP signage and displays accounts for more than a third of the print provider’s business. It relies on digital printing capabilities to achieve faster turnarounds and higher levels of automation. The iGen 150 in particular is ideal for small format POP because of its large maximum sheet size of 14.33×26 inches. This accommodates many of the retail signs and displays requested from its clients.
The new press is also an ideal match for the many Web storefronts maintained for some of Angstrom Graphics’ larger clients. It is well suited for automated fulfillment, specifically when a division or separate location of a larger corporation logs into their web portal and orders a short run of small format signage for its store. The iGen 150 is equipped to handle the variability and small number of pieces for such a project.
“Across the board, digital expands the range of work we can produce. We are capable of taking an idea from inception to creative, producing print or digital output, providing complete fulfillment, and efficient delivery plans—all things larger firms provide with the personal service of a smaller firm,” shares David Neumann, COO, Angstrom Graphics.
Narrowing in on POP
Both McCarty Printing and Angstrom Graphics prove you don’t have to be a marketing maven to take on small format POP jobs. If the right press, correct clients, and focused sales team are on the project, the opportunity is lucrative in the narrow format space. dps
Click here to read part one of this series, Sign and Display on a Small Scale.
Jul2016, DPS Magazine
