I am about to have an anniversary. On January 2, I will be starting my 10th year with Optima. What a wonderful and fulfilling journey it has been. I have had the opportunity to travel the country and meet thousands of people in the trade show and event industry…many I consider close friends. But most of all, I have had the opportunity to tell the Optima story where quality and service is front and center and top of mind with everyone in the company.
A client recently asked me what I thought was the most significant graphic product that has impacted the display industry. I would say dye-sublimated fabric. Specifically SEG – Silicone Edged Graphics. The first time I learned about SEG was back in 2008, when I attended a training seminar held by a well-known extrusion manufacturer. At this seminar, a new type of extrusion was being introduced that had a special groove that accepted a silicone gasket that was specifically designed to be sewn to the perimeter of fabric panels. When the SEG was attached to the extrusion, that graphic was as tight as a drum and looked like a seamless hard panel wall. Sweet! Optima was one of the first printers in the tradeshow and event industry to offer SEG as a graphic solution and became proficient in providing SEG that fit – EVERY. POPULAR. BRAND. – of extrusion on the market.
Many of you know that I worked for a custom exhibit manufacturer in St. Louis prior to joining Optima. Back then, practically all custom exhibit construction used a series of wall panels constructed with wood 1×3 frames faced with luan and then finished off with laminate, fabric or commercial-grade vinyl wall coverings. Needless to say, there was a lot of weight and bulk to this type of construction. This weight meant higher shipping and drayage costs. Another drawback from this panel construction was the seams that appeared every few feet. The extrusion/SEG combination solved both of these problems and I spent my first two years with Optima visiting custom exhibit houses throughout the country preaching the benefits of this new graphic solution and letting everyone know that Optima was their go- to source for dye-sublimated SEG.
As a value-added service to our clients, Optima started stocking a few extrusion profiles for SEG such as the popular Nouveau extrusion for simple seamless back walls, the low-profile Infinity extrusion for interior walls and the Panoramic and H-Line extrusion systems that allow the graphics to completely cover the structure with your message and the entire display becomes a creative canvas.
Now we are offering another unique display system that is specifically designed for silicone-edged graphics. It is called the NEXT!. The beauty of this system is it is light weight, portable and perfect for the budget-conscious client who cannot afford the traditional extrusion systems. It combines the upmarket hard-panel look of custom SEG extrusion systems with the light-weight, no tool, ultra-portable world of pop-ups. Plus the modularity of the system allows you to combine multiple frames next to each other, on top of each other, and at 90 degree angles to create striking back drops for events, inline and island displays. Did I mention that a NEXT! Backlit Version is also available?
If you want a display that fits a budget, has a graphic with spectacular color and a seamless hard-wall upscale look, then consider dye-sublimated fabric SEG. Call your Optima Account Executive or Account Coordinator for more details. Did you say you have a rush project? We can do that.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, other Authors, Optima Graphics or Taylor Corp.
Rich Fava is an Account Executive at Optima Graphics.
He has spent his career in the graphics world since earning his Design degree and in Trade Show since the early 90s.
