Canadian design and graphics business Premier Graphics used Drytac Polar Grip print media and Interlam Pro laminates to produce a series of eye-catching graphics for a futuristic augmented reality art installation on the Cambie Street Bridge in Vancouver.

Canadian full-service graphics production and installation company Premier Graphics recently used a range of films and laminates from Drytac supplied by ND Graphics to produce a series of stunning and colourful graphics for an innovative project at the Cambie Street Bridge in Vancouver.

The project brought to life a vision by artist Jessica Angel, who came up with the clever idea of mixing colourful graphics with augmented reality (AR) to “extend” the Cambie Street Bridge into a 19,000sq ft public art installation for the Vancouver Biennale exhibition.

Installed in June 2021, Angel’s design featured a huge, two-dimensional vinyl mural that wrapped the pedestrian walkway, supporting columns and underside of the bridge, turning what is usually a relatively dull structure into an eye-catching piece of art.

However, AR took this a step further, with passers-by encouraged to download the Vancouver Biennale app for free and hold up their phone while walking through the walkway. Doing this opened up a whole new dimension, transforming parts of the installation.

Premier Graphics, based in Richmond, British Columbia, was selected to produce and install the graphics for the project. As a long-term customer of Drytac, the company chose to work with the adhesive science expert’s materials throughout the project.

The company selected Drytac Polar Grip white polymeric self-adhesive film for the printed film parts of the installation, as well as Drytac Interlam Pro Emerytex PVC overlaminating film for the floor graphics and Drytac Interlam Pro Matte pressure sensitive overlaminating film for the pillars and ceiling. All the graphics were printed on the company’s HP Latex R1000 Plus

“The process consisted of the testing of many materials, and of course balancing a budget that was already stretched thin,” said Taylor Sellinger, Partner and General Manager of Premier Graphics. “We needed to fit the client’s budget with a material that was likely to last 18-24 months and meet the slip-resistance requirements for the safety of the public.”

Taylor Sellinger said Premier Graphics selected Drytac materials as they were familiar with the products, having worked with the company’s films for several years. Moreover, the Drytac solutions also performed best in preliminary tests. 

“We find Drytac films to be consistent in quality and the variety of adhesive types and styles make them a very diverse material,” Taylor Sellinger says. “Since the majority of this installation surface was relatively flat, we didn’t require a cast film to conform, but the nature of the adhesive on the Polar Grip film made it an ideal choice for great adhesion to a rough and unfinished concrete.

“While we’ve been working with Drytac films for the last four years, we were honestly surprised at how well they seemed to perform compared to much more expensive cast films.”

On the art project itself, Taylor Sellinger concludes: “The virtual reality experience developed is amazing when paired with the graphics. It’s certainly the most impressive piece I’ve been involved with so far.”

South African sign and display business SignMax used Drytac ReTac Smooth 75 to create a series of nature-inspired interior wall graphics for a local neurosurgeon.

Family-owned sign and display business SignMax used Drytac ReTac Smooth 75 polymeric PVC film to produce a series of eye-catching interior wall graphics, bringing elements of the natural world into an indoor environment.

The South African company – founded by Theo Vermaak in 1987 and now managed by his son NJ – was tasked with producing a design that created a natural and calming atmosphere for visitors to its client, local neurosurgeon Dr. Francois van Niekerk.

SignMax only started using Drytac shortly before the project, but its success with these materials in other recent pieces of work led it to select Drytac ReTac Smooth 75, which was recommended by the team at Drytac’s exclusive dealer in South Africa, Midcomp.

The company printed the colourful and calming design onto Drytac ReTac Smooth 75 using its HP Latex 335 printer, before installing the graphics at the facility to give the inside of the building a completely new feel.

“We have only recently started using Drytac materials, but we are very excited to start using Drytac products more on future projects,” SignMax Managing Director NJ Vermaak said.

“ReTac Smooth 75 is a great product and prints come out looking awesome when combined with our HP Latex 335. Our clients are also impressed with the fact that the product can be removed when not needed anymore, with no damage to the applied surface.

Such has been the success of SignMax’s use of Drytac materials that the company is now exploring how the products can help it expand into new areas, in particular the wallpaper segment of the interior design market.

“As with most companies in business during the Covid-19 pandemic and coping with the subsequent lockdowns, we’ve had to be proactive and put new products to market,” NJ Vermaak said. “Using Drytac ReTac Smooth 75 means that we can offer our clients a new product we can trust, giving us confidence to enter a market that we have not yet explored.”

Aside from wallpapers, SignMax has also begun to explore other areas such as floor and counter-top graphics, as well as architectural films.

“The prospects for this market are looking great, we are excited and positive about future projects,” NJ Vermaak said. “By combining Drytac films with our HP Latex printers, we are able to print vivid colours quickly, at a high quality, which is ideal for the decorative and retail market.”

NJ Vermaak also commends the team at Midcomp for their advice and support. He concludes: “Midcomp have been a pleasure to work with from day one. From purchasing printers, to ordering materials, they are a reputable team. Everyone within the team is helpful and friendly and they always offer great customer service.”

To find out more about Drytac ReTac Smooth 75, please click here.

Globe Print supplied Drytac Polar Grip Matte film for an intense endurance challenge which saw a team of four men row 3,200 miles non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean for over 45 days.

Drytac’s Polar Grip Matte film was put to the ultimate test in the last couple of months when graphics printed on the material were featured on a boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean in an extreme endurance challenge.

A team of four men rowed, non-stop, for 3,200 miles from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, in a challenge dubbed the ‘Atlantic Dash’. Skipper Billy Taylor was joined by Johnny Ward, Matthew Pritchard and Martin Heseltine for the journey, which took 50 days, 5 hours and 12 minutes.

Such was the extreme nature of the challenge that Monkey Fist Adventures, organiser of the event, relied on Drytac materials – once again – for support in decorating the boat with striking graphics that would be able to withstand the harsh environment out on the Atlantic Ocean.

Globe Print, a long-term user of Drytac products, took on the task of printing the graphics, having previously worked with Monkey Fist Adventures on one of its previous challenges. The Marlow-based company used a Roland SolJet EJ-640 large-format printer to print the graphics on Drytac’s Polar Grip film which was then paired with their Interlam Pro Emerytex overlaminate.

Polar Grip is a self-adhesive vinyl for digitally printed graphics and signs, designed to look vibrant and remain in place for up to five years, making it the ideal solution for such a testing project.

The graphics, featuring the many sponsors supporting the event, were applied to the boat on location in Lanzarote prior to the team setting off on their journey in early March, with the quartet making land in Antigua on 2^nd May 2021.

Barry Hayes, Director of Monkey Fist Adventures, said the decision to work with Drytac and Globe Print again for the Atlantic Dash challenge was an easy one, with the graphics used in a previous event having proved extremely successful.

“We’ve used other companies in the past, but on previous crossing we went to Globe Print, and apart from just being all round nice people, the Drytac products supplied were far superior to anything we’d ever used before,” Barry said.

“Oceans are harsh on everything, but our sponsors – and their logos – remained solid and steadfast for the entirety of both the Atlantic Dash crossings.

“The Globe Print team went above and beyond to produce the printed graphics exceedingly quickly – as they knew we had very tight timeframes.”

The latest Atlantic Dash challenge came about as the Monkey Fist Adventures team sought to restore some sort of normality after Covid-19.  

Alex Mason, co-founder of Monkey Fist Adventures, had not seen her mother in more than a year due to the pandemic, while Billy Taylor, another co-founder who skippered the Atlantic Dash, had to endure his partner contracting Covid-19 while working on the frontline for the NHS. Barry Hayes suffered with mental health issues during the pandemic but was thankfully able to access the right support.

“After having to go through so many challenges and tough times over the past 12 months, we wanted to get back to doing what we do best, so we created an ocean row to try and reset the balance – and the Atlantic Dash was born,” Barry says.

The Atlantic Dash has raised more than £8,000 for two very worthy causes: HUMEN, a movement to improve and maintain men’s mental health; and Dean Farm Trust, an organisation committed to working for a sustainable, healthy and cruelty-free planet. This was less than hoped for, but with the constraints of Covid-19 it became somewhat challenging for fundraising to be as effective.

“However, the major goal of the Atlantic Dash was to get people talking about their mental health and it absolutely worked!” Barry concludes.

If you would like to donate to the above charities, please click here.

Family-run Links Signs has used Drytac Polar Grip to produce an attention-grabbing range of graphics at London Underground stations to celebrate the Euro 2020 football tournament.

Hastings-based signage and large-format print business Links Signs recently used Drytac Polar Grip to create a series of eye-catching graphics at five London Underground stations to celebrate this year’s Euro 2020 national team football tournament.

Euro 2020 had been due to take place last year but was delayed until this year due to the pandemic. The tournament is a special edition of the quadrennial competition, with matches taking place at locations right across Europe, as opposed to the traditional set-up in one country.

Wembley Stadium was one of the venues selected to host games, and to mark this special occasion, Transport for London (TfL) approached Links Signs to produce a series of themed graphics to accompany fans as they travelled across London to the stadium.

Graphics were installed at King’s Cross and Paddington – two of London’s busiest terminus stations – as well as Baker Street, London Bridge and Wembley Park, the latter being where fans exit the train to walk down the famous Wembley Way to the stadium.

Links Signs, an accredited printer and installer for TfL, worked with the commercial team at TfL and its agency to create a series of innovative and attention-grabbing graphics that provided unique photo opportunities for fans. Prior to installation, Links Signs met with the graphics agency at the proposed sites to advise on the best fit solution for the extensive, multi-site project.

The project included wall graphics at Kings Cross and Paddington that mimicked the players’ tunnel at Wembley Stadium, as well as football pitch floor graphics and a design that integrated existing seating at the station to give the effect that fans were sat on benches in the stadium. 

All the Euro 2020 graphics were printed on Drytac Polar Grip polymeric self-adhesive vinyl, paired with Drytac Interlam Pro Emerytex which is fully approved by TfL and carries all the required fire and slip certifications and ratings for public spaces.

Links Signs used an HP Latex 570, installed 18 months ago, to print the graphics onto the vinyl and carried out installation of all the graphics over a period of five nights, in time for the start of the tournament on June 11.

Paul Cox, Operations Manager at Links Signs, said Drytac Polar Grip was the ideal solution for the job as it is approved for use in projects on the London Underground, adding that the product delivered outstanding results across the series of graphics.

“When working on projects for London Underground, we cannot use any materials that are not approved,” Paul Cox said. “Drytac is not only approved, but also an incredibly stable and reliable product that can be easily applied.

“We really liked working with the Drytac vinyl; it delivered exactly what it promised, and we will be looking to work with it on other projects we produce for TfL.”