Awnings that aren’t just for shade and shelter can serve as a large canvas for a business’s branding—but printing on them takes a few extra steps.
遮阳篷不仅可以用来遮阳和作为店面门口的遮盖物，它还可以被用作为商业品牌宣传的大型画布——但是在遮阳篷上打印图形有相关的要求和标准。
With sun and the weather requiring fabrics with greater durability, printers need to use the right inks and technologies to make them last. They also need to keep the colors and images vibrant enough to get passersby’s attention on what becomes the business’s sign or billboard—it’s a platform for the business name to be on the front and sides of the building that adds to that visibility.
阳光的照射和气候的因素要求织物要具有更高的耐用性，印刷商需要使用合适的油墨和技术来延长织物的使用期限。他们还需要保证色彩和图像充满活力，足以让路人关注到这些商业的标识或广告牌。带有企业品牌名称的遮阳篷通常位于建筑物的正面或侧面，以提高其能见度。
“They are artistic, yet architectural, ultimately giving a storefront or stand-alone building a different feel to a potential customer,” says Christopher Guyett, sales and marketing coordinator for the large format and label printing business at Durst Image Technology U.S. in Rochester, New York. “Even though static, they offer ultimate customization to portray a company’s first impression. Traditional signs are still very important and attract traffic.
The carefully appointed awning is personal and adds character for a potential visitor. They work hand in hand.”
位于美国纽约州的罗彻斯特市，Durst Image Technology US公司的宽幅标识印刷业务市场营销专员克里斯托弗·盖伊特说：“这是一种为建筑设计服务的艺术。最终要使店面或是独立建筑给潜在客户带来不同的感觉。由于建筑物是静态的，他们也要提供一个最终的定制形象来传达公司给客户的第一印象。传统标识依旧非常重要，而且吸引人们的目光。而精心选择的遮阳篷既能够装饰自己的店面，又能够增加店面的特点来吸引潜在的客户，这是一种双赢。”
Awnings as Branding Tool
用作品牌宣传工具的遮阳篷
Awnings, which serve as a secondary covering often located above a window, door or an area of a sidewalk, are a source of “valuable real estate,” says Scott Fisher, president of Fisher Textiles, a supplier of fabrics based in Indian Trail, North Carolina.
来自美国北卡罗来纳州印第安特雷尔的一家织物供应商，费希尔纺织品公司的总裁斯科特·费希尔说：“遮阳篷作为次要遮盖物，通常位于窗户、大门或是人行道区域，这些地方都是一些‘有价值的房产区域’。”
“You have the opportunity to market whether it’s with a logo or some other message you’re trying to get out,” Fisher says. “It’s probably going to be more visible because it’s higher up.”
费希尔说：“通过遮阳篷来展示一个标识或是一些你想传达的信息，都可以使你拥有进行市场推广的机会。由于遮阳篷有一定的高度，因此能非常容易被看见。”
Awnings can be customizable to the needs of the business and also provide an easily identifiable “landmark,” says Peter Douglas, global sales account manager of Cooley Group, a Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based designer, developer and manufacturer of high-performance, sustainable industrial membranes.
位于罗得岛州波塔基特的开发商和制造商Cooley Group公司的全球销售客户经理彼得·道格拉斯说道：“遮阳篷可以根据商业需求量身定制，制作成易于识别的‘地标’。”
“Think of iconic retail brands such as TGI Fridays (red and white) and Panera’s (no words and a symbol of wheat),” Douglas says. “Awnings also provide brand consistency across locations geographically dispersed as well as an easily identifiable marker from a distance.”
道格拉斯说：“想想一些零售品牌的标识形象，比如TGI Fridays餐厅（红白相间的标识）和Panera（虽然没有文字但是有一束小麦作为标志），遮阳篷还可以为地理位置分散的品牌提供一致性以及即使远距离观看也可以轻松识别的标识。”
Awnings can be simple colored structures or decorated with a design or information giving the business’s name, logo and address. They often complement traditional signage attached directly to the building with the same colors and features, while serving various purposes. They provide expanded seating at restaurants and eateries, add public spaces at schools and government buildings, and achieve energy savings at office buildings. According to the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioner Engineers, businesses that use awnings can see up to a 25 percent savings in their energy bills.
遮阳篷可以是简单的色彩结构，也可以将相关的设计或公司信息比如名字、徽标、地址等贴附在遮阳篷上。它们经常起到一个补充的作用，使与建筑物有着相同颜色和特点的传统标识能更好的与建筑物进行融合，同时服务于各种目的。遮阳篷可以为餐厅和餐馆提供扩展座位，为学校和政府大楼增加公共空间，为办公楼实现节能。根据美国采暖与空调工程师协会的统计，使用遮阳篷的企业可以节省高达25％的能源费用。
“Awnings can assist in adding a sophisticated look to almost any storefront and outdoor signage, while protecting clients and/or tenants from heat and bad weather,” Douglas says.
道格拉斯说：“遮阳篷可以为每一家店面或是户外标识提升其外观的精致程度，同时保护客户或租户免受高温和恶劣天气的影响。”
Awning Material Options
遮阳篷的材料选择
Awnings typically are composed of canvas woven out of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric. The canvas or fabric is stretched over a light structure of aluminum, iron or steel and is light diffusing in the summer and light-enhancing in the winter, while also providing shade, breaking strong winds and protecting from rain and snow.
遮阳篷通常由帆布制成，而这种帆布则是由塑胶、棉、涤纶和乙烯基材料共同压制而成的聚酯织物。这种帆布或织物材料可以使用铝、铁或钢这样的轻质结构进行拉伸，在夏季散射光线并在冬季吸收光线照射，同时还能够提供遮阳、抵御强风和雨雪的保护。
Because they are exposed to the sun, weather and extreme heat and cold, awnings need to be durable and weather resistant, making selection of the material or substrate of “paramount importance,” Douglas says. The substrate, the material where printing is carried out, needs to be of a high quality that will hold up to pulling, tensioning and weathering and be both weatherproof and flame retardant, which often is mandatory to meet code for commercial buildings, he says.
道格拉斯认为，由于它们暴露在阳光、天气多变和极端炎热或寒冷的环境中，因此遮阳篷必须经久耐用，选择合适的材料或者基材十分重要。基材是进行印刷的材料，需要具有良好的拉伸性和耐候性，不仅能够有效地防风遮雨还要具有阻燃性，这通常是满足商业建筑规范的必要条件。
Other materials such as acrylic aren’t inherently flame retardant, and materials that aren’t waterproof can expand in the rain and become baggy, allowing the fabric to flap in the wind and fail prematurely, Douglas says.
道格拉斯说，一些材料如丙烯酸材料本身并不具有阻燃性，而且不防水的材料可能会在淋雨后变得膨胀松软，从而使织物在风中翻动并过早失去遮蔽的作用。
Cooley Group recently announced the launch of WeathertytePLUS, a vinyl product with the look, feel and texture of a woven fabric designed primarily for commercial awning applications. It has more strength and a bolder, deeper image quality than the company’s original flagship product, Weathertyte.
Cooley Group公司最近宣布推出WeathertytePLUS，这种乙烯基产品具有主要为商业遮阳篷应用设计的织物外观、手感和质感。它比公司最初的旗舰产品Weathertyte具有更强的实力和更醒目的图像质量。
“WeathertytePLUS is revolutionary in that it offers the high performance of vinyl with the look, feel, and texture of a woven fabric,” Douglas says. “It has improved workability. It is colorfast, waterproof (and) flame-retardant.”
道格拉斯说：“WeathertytePLUS问世是革命性的，它提供了高性能的乙烯基材料与织物的外观、手感和质感。它还提高了其本身的使用性，不褪色、防水并且阻燃。”
Durst Image Technology, which does not sell or manufacturer the textiles, identified some emerging materials from one of its client, Berger Textile. The materials include:
Durst Image Technology公司不销售或制造纺织品，但他们会从客户之一的Berger Textile订购一些新兴材料。这些材料包括：
For UV printing, Berger Samba is airtight, wrinkle-free and waterproof and has a knife coating for optimal color pop and can be cold cut.
针对UV印刷，Berger Samba密封性好、无皱纹和防水功能佳，并且具有用于最佳色彩流行的刮刀涂布，可以进行冷切。
For dye-sublimation, Berger Eco is heavy-knit with a water-repellant coating.
针对染料升华，Berger Eco是一个具有防水涂层的厚编织物。
Waterproof for dye-sublimation, Berger EZ tent has a textured front providing a nice printing surface with a waterproofing backside.
为了解决染料升华的防水问题，Berger EZ遮阳篷采用防水染色升华技术，正面覆盖纹理，背面可提供具有防水特性的印花表面。
Awning Ink Options
遮阳篷的墨水选择
Selecting the right material is just as important as the selection of ink to retain depth of color over time.
选择合适的墨水和选择合适的材料同样重要，优质的墨水能够随着时间的推移而始终保留颜色的深度。
“For the awning application, the proper ink must be utilized to allow for stretch and durability,” Guyett says. “The awning will be hit with direct sun, snow and all inclement weather.”
盖伊特说：“由于遮阳篷通常都会受到阳光的直射、风雪和所有恶劣天气的影响，为了更好地发挥遮阳篷的效用，必须使用合适的墨水来保证延展性和耐用性。”
The ink can fade if the material is outdoors for a long period of time or if it is constantly in direct sunlight, Guyett says.
盖伊特说：“如果材料长时间暴露于户外或始终处于阳光直射下，墨水很容易会褪色。”
“The only issue with long-term viability is ink and material lasting with the weather,” he says.
“要想延长遮阳篷的使用期限，唯一的解决方法就是选择的墨水和材料能够抵御得住天气对遮阳篷的影响。”
WeathertytePLUS is easily printable for graphic images, logos and lettering, receptive to various ink types, such as solvent, eco-solvent and latex, and to pressure-sensitive films, Douglas says. To give the graphics greater outdoor longevity, a clear performance topcoat is applied, such as 3M and Akzo Nobel, for graphics digitally printed onto the awning, he says.
道格拉斯说：“WeathertytePLUS易于打印图形图像、标识和文字，适用于各种油墨类型，如溶剂、环保溶剂和乳胶以及压敏胶片。为了使图像拥有更长的户外使用寿命，可以使用清晰度较高的面漆（例如3M和阿克苏诺贝尔公司的产品）将数码图形印刷到遮阳篷上。”
Latex, for example, is a colorant that is suspended in a liquid and propelled through an ink jet printer to print onto the vinyl and other materials. The challenge of using inks like latex and ultraviolet is the media they can be printed upon being durable enough for the outdoors.
例如，乳胶是一种悬浮在液体中的着色剂，通过喷墨打印机在乙烯基和其他材料上印刷。使用乳胶和UV等油墨的优点使他们可以在足够耐用的户外印刷材料上进行打印。
“Traditional awning materials are solution-dyed fabrics,” Fisher says. “The printing technology can determine what application they can serve.”
费希尔说：“传统的遮阳篷是由纺前染色的织物制成，印刷技术可以确定它们能何种应用提供服务。”
Instead of direct printing onto the awning, an appliqué with the graphic image or logo is printed and then placed on top of the material, Fisher says. The image is printed on a piece of vinyl and applied to the awning as a second step, he says.
现在有一种技术是将印有图形或标识的印花标签贴附在遮阳篷的顶部。步骤是先将图像印刷在乙烯基板材上，再将其贴附在遮阳篷上。
“The decorating is happening via appliqué right now,” Fisher says. “It’s tougher and a lot of awning mat that are available are not suitable for direct printing.”
费希尔说：“现在装饰遮阳篷大多通过贴花进行装饰。这种方法更加牢固，许多投入使用的遮阳篷都不适合直接打印。”
Digital Printing
数码印刷
In fact, direct printing onto the awning is an emerging market, Fisher says.
事实上，直接在遮阳篷上进行打印是一个新兴市场。
“It really is dependent on the material and the ink getting better and the fabrics getting better for durability that an awning demands,” Fisher says.
费希尔说：“随着制作材料、墨水和面料的质量越来越好，遮阳篷的耐用性也随之提高。”
In spring 2018, Fisher Textiles plans to release an awning fabric suitable for digital printing, Fisher says. The fabric will be coated to accept latex and ultraviolet ink, while also being durable, he says. It also will be scratch and UV-resistant after the printing, he says.
费希尔表示，2018年春季费希尔纺织品公司计划发布适合数码印花的遮阳布。这种织物可以在覆膜后使用乳胶或UV墨水对其进行印刷，同时具有非常优越的耐用性。它在印刷后也会具有抗划痕和抗紫外线的效果。
“There’s a desire for awnings to be directly digitally printed and this fills that gap,” Fisher says. “Right now, there are not a lot of options for textiles that will hold up in the outdoors.”
费希尔说：“过去人们希望遮阳篷能够直接进行数字印刷，现在这个空白被填补了。如今，户外纺织品的选择不多。”
Direct printing can be done digitally, allowing for large format color and process graphics. Digital printing can be done in house at the awning fabricator or farmed out to a printer, a wholesaler or a sign company with a digital printer. The images are printed roll-to-roll in large format with professional sewing and finishing.
直接打印可以通过数字化完成，技术允许对宽幅图形进行上色和加工处理。制造商可以自己对遮阳篷进行数码打印，也可以通过数码打印机将图像传送到打印机、批发商或是标识公司处。这些图像经过专业的缝纫技术和处理过后以卷对卷的方式印刷在宽幅图形上。
“All ink types are being used: solvent, eco solvent, UV and latex,” Fisher says.
费希尔说：“一般使用的墨水类型有：溶剂、生态溶剂、UV和乳胶墨水。”
Durst Image Technology is able to print on a wider format without wrinkling, Guyett says.
盖伊特说：“Durst Image Technology公司能够在大幅图形上进行打印而不会产生皱褶。”
“We build machines to handle roll-able and rigid media consistently and with proper registration due to industrial media handling, tensioning and transferring technology,” he says. “Our focus is on industrial media handling of the material coupled with robust printing technology to precisely print to media used in awning applications, all the while producing exceptional print output.”
他说：“我们制造的机器能够通过工业介质处理、材料拉伸和传输技术，不断地处理轧辊和刚性介质，并进行适当的配准。我们专注于将织物的工业化处理与强大的打印技术相结合，以精确地打印到用于遮阳篷应用的材料上，同时产生出色的打印输出。”
