Digital printing is a key part of nearly every area of the sign and graphics industry. Indeed, the management of large-format printers is considered one of the most important tasks for sign fabricators today, if they are to be successful. A lack of planning in this respect can cost thousands of hours and dollars, while a successful approach to print management can foster new opportunities and innovations.
数字印刷在标识和图形印刷行业占有重要的地位。事实上，如果标识制造商想要获得成功，那么他们就应该考虑将对宽幅打印机的管理列为目前最重要的工作之一。缺乏宽幅打印机管理这方面的计划可能会浪费数千小时和美元，而成功的印刷管理方法可以推动创新和创造新的机会。

Direct-to-substrate and layered printing
直接打印和分层打印
Digital printing’s direct-to-substrate and layered processes grew out of a much older technology—screenprinting, where ink is applied through a fine mesh onto such materials as fabrics, wood and steel.
数字印刷的直接打印和分层打印的工艺源于一种更古老的技术——丝网印刷，这种技术是将油墨通过细网喷涂到织物、木材和钢等材料上。
An entire industry of craftspeople and suppliers grew over the 1,000-year-plus history of screenprinting. And today, in product packaging and other industries that rely on large-scale manufacturing, screenprinting still plays a large role. Even in the sign industry, while digital technologies are replacing screenprinting for many jobs, it continues to be useful for large rollouts of similar graphics in a narrow colour range, such as parking signs.
这个由手工艺人和供应商组成的行业，其发展历史超过了1,000多年。而今天，在依赖大规模制造的产品包装和其他行业中，丝网印刷仍然扮演着重要的角色。在标识行业中，即使数字印刷技术正在很多方面取代了丝网印刷，但它仍然适用于在有限的色彩范围里打印大量相似的展示图形，例如停车标识。

In the right hands, screenprinting is renowned for crisp lines and compatibility with a wide variety of surfaces. Its growth today is hindered, however, by the need for a large investment in training and facilities.
另一方面，丝网印刷因其清晰的线条与强大的表面兼容性而闻名。然而，由于需要在培训和相关设施方面进行大量的投资，它的发展在如今受到了很大的限制。
The technology behind inkjet printing, meanwhile, has been known for more than 100 years and only became practical for commercial purposes in the 1970s. Inkjet printing became very popular in the 1990s as a low-cost approach to colour graphics, but it took another 20 years of continuous improvement before it could achieve levels of detail close to that of screenprinting and photography.
与此同时，喷墨印刷的应用技术已有100多年的历史，并且在20世纪70年代开始用于商业目的。在20世纪90年代，喷墨印刷作为低成本的彩色图形印刷方案开始变得非常流行，但是在喷墨印刷达到与丝网印刷和照片相近的细节水平之前，它仍需要20年的不断改进。
Flatbed printing added the capability to address multiple substrates without needing to change their shape or size. Many large-format flatbed printers can accommodate materials up to 51 mm (2 in.) thick, including grained woods and textured metals, although each may require a different ink ‘alchemy.’ The process has become as much of an art as a science, with sign companies experimenting with special visual effects.
平板印刷增加了处理多样化基材的能力而无需改变其形状或尺寸。许多宽幅平板打印机可以打印厚达51毫米（2英寸）的材料，包括在纹理木材和纹理金属上打印，尽管每种材料需要的打印油墨不同。这种过程已成为与科学相当的艺术，标识公司正在试图打造特殊的视觉效果。

The two primary types of inks for these printers have been solvent-based and ultraviolet-curable (UV-curable). Solvent inks are generally waterproof and durable for outdoor graphics, but require extensive heating during printing and time afterwards to dry. UV inks, as their name suggests, are cured quickly through exposure to light. They are considered environmentally friendlier than solvent inks, but are less durable and are susceptible to cracking. That said, there are many different formulations of both solvent and UV inks, including advanced UV inks that are effective for outdoor graphics.
针对这些打印机的两种主要油墨类型是溶剂型油墨和UV（紫外线）固化油墨。溶剂型油墨非常有利于户外图形的防水性和耐用性，但是在印刷期间需要大量的加热以使图形干燥。正如其名字所暗示的，UV油墨则是在暴露于光线下时可以快速固化，它们被认为比溶剂型油墨具有更好的环境友好性能，但它们的耐久性较差并且容易开裂。也就是说，溶剂型油墨和UV固化油墨的应用类型不同，但是高级的UV油墨仍可适用于户外图形。
Printers that can also cut help streamline the production process. The integration of flatbed printing and routing technologies, for example, has turned the creation of printed signs into a more seamless and efficient process, particularly for the packaging industry’s printing of merchandising fixtures for retail environments.
打印机也可以帮助简化生产流程。例如，平板打印和切割技术的结合已经将标识印刷变成了更加无缝和高效的过程，特别是对于零售环境下包装印刷行业的商品配置而言。
One key attribute of direct-to-substrate and layered printing is it can be applied to dimensional surfaces of a variety of rigid and semi-rigid materials, including plastics and metals. Vacuum-formed plastic, for example, has been used to produce sign faces for at least 40 years, but only recently have both software and hardware been developed that can digitally print them successfully. The software can control for the distortions when plastic is moulded into a dimensional shape, enabling the graphics to be printed precisely.
直接打印和分层打印的一个关键特点是它可以被应用于各种尺寸的刚性和半刚性材料表面，包括塑料和金属。例如，吸塑材料运用在标识生产方面时间已经长达40年，但直到最近才开发出能够使用数字打印成功印刷它们的软件和硬件。该软件可以通过控制将塑料在被制成三维图形过程时的变形，从而可以精准地进行图形打印。
‘Rough’ direct-to-substrate printing entails placing graphics on loose substrate surfaces, such as cork or rusted steel. This capability has found new applications in art, display and industrial settings.
未经加工的材料在进行直接打印时，需要将图案放置在松散的基材表面上，例如软木或生锈的钢材。这种技术已经在艺术、展示和工业分类中找到了新的应用。
Three-dimensional (3-D) printers—which create sculptural objects and can apply printed graphics to them—are still new and may have enormous future potential in the sign industry, particularly for the production of accessibility signage and complex dimensional signs. Issues with speed and durability will need to be resolved, but already, precision cast moulds based on intricate forms have been 3-D printed for the sign industry.
三维（3D）打印机（通过创造雕塑图形来美化印刷图形）仍然是新兴的技术，并且可能在标识行业的未来具有巨大的潜力，特别是用于生产可接近的标识和尺寸复杂的标识。速度和耐久性方面的问题还有待解决，但是标识行业内一些样式复杂且精密铸造的模具已经开始运用起了3D打印技术。

Direct-to-vinyl and fabric printing
乙烯基印刷和织物印刷
Over the last 30 years, the printing of large-format graphics on vinyls and fabrics has built a complex community of fabricators, print service providers (PSPs), ink formulators and material manufacturers. Together, they have lowered the barrier to entry, to the point where even the smallest sign shops can enter the market. And while direct-to-substrate printing has addressed many of the materials used in signmaking, vinyl and fabric printing has become the industry’s primary method for covering large exterior and interior walls, windows, floors and other surfaces.
过去30年来，宽幅图形在乙烯基材料和织物印刷方面为制造商、印刷服务供应商（PSPs）、墨水配方设计师以及材料制造商构建了一个复杂的工作环境。在共同的努力下，他们降低了行业的准入门槛，甚至连规模最小的标识商店都可以进入该行业的市场。尽管直接打印可以处理标识行业内许多材料的使用，但乙烯基和织物印刷已经成为业内覆盖大型室内外墙壁、窗户、地板和其它的表面的主要应用方法。
The industry standard has long been the use of white, self-adhesive vinyl as a base surface for wide-format graphics.As the use of vinyl has grown, many traditional sign installations have been replaced with large, colourful inkjet-printed graphics.
长期以来，行业标准要求白色、不干胶乙烯基材料作为宽幅图形的基础表面材料。随着乙烯基材料的使用量不断增加，许多传统标识已被大型彩色喷墨印刷图形所取代。
Internal illumination, for example, is a key factor for signage visibility, which has driven the development of vinyls in a variety of opacity levels, including transparent and translucent films and perforated meshes.
内部照明是标识可视性的关键因素，这促使了各种不同透明度的乙烯基材料的开发，包括透明和半透明薄膜和穿孔网格。
One major advantage of printing on vinyl is colour matching at a low price. The material is ideal for additional second-surface graphics for branded environments. Even mural design has become an entirely digital process, with specialty vinyls that can be applied with heat to rough surfaces, including brick, stone and concrete, and that will endure extreme weather conditions. These materials are being used everywhere from retail floors to parking garage walls.
在乙烯基材料上印刷的一个主要的优点就是能以较低的价格进行颜色搭配的操作。这种材料用作品牌环境的背面材料是非常理想的选择。甚至连壁画设计也变成了一整个数字化的过程，专业的乙烯基材料可以在热量的影响下应用于粗糙的表面，比如砖头、石头和混凝土制成的表面，并能够承受极端天气条件的影响。这些材料应用范围非常广泛，从零售商店的墙体表面至停车场的墙面均可以使用。
Fabric manufacturers have also made enormous strides in recent years in developing textiles that can be directly printed. They do not achieve the same level of graphic durability as with dye sublimation, but the gap between the two processes has narrowed with the developing of improved inks and coatings to enhance the longevity of ‘soft signage’.
织物制造商近年来在开发可直接印刷的纺织品方面也取得了巨大的进步。虽然他们的技术没有达到与染料升华相同的图像耐用水平，但随着油墨的改进，两种工艺之间的差距正在逐渐缩小，涂料的发展也在提高“软标识”的使用寿命。

Embedded and sublimated graphics
嵌入式图形和升华式图形
Dye sublimation is just one example of several methods that bind inks to substrates. Long before digital printing, after all, images were baked into porcelain and powdercoated into metal. The use of heat and electrostatic energy to embed and sublimate graphics remains prevalent today in areas where long-term durability is especially important, such as with transportation and park signs. Enamel, for example, is used to create signs for the subway system in New York, N.Y.
染料升华只是将油墨与基材结合的几种方法之一。毕竟在数字印刷出现之前，图像被烘烤成瓷器并被粉末涂覆成金属。如今，使用热量和静电能量生产的嵌入式图形和升华式图形仍然很普遍，并且对于交通标识和公园标识来说，长期耐用性尤其重要。例如，珐琅材料被用来为纽约的地铁系统制作标识。
Embedded graphics are useful not only for withstanding harsh environmental conditions for long periods, but also in terms of seamlessly integrating signage into a building’s architecture. As such, many of these processes have been developed by outside specialists, rather than companies in the sign industry that tend to focus on shorter-term promotional graphics.
嵌入式图形不仅可以长时间承受恶劣的环境条件，而且可以将标识无缝整合到建筑物的结构中。因此，这些工作的许多部分都是由外部专家开发的，而不是由标识行业中专注于短期图形发展的公司负责的。
Dye sublimation, for its part, is now used extensively for the production of banners, awning graphics, building wraps and other soft signage. The process uses a heat press to transfer a digitally printed image from paper to fabric. The resulting graphics are light and flexible, but also permanent.
就其本身而言，染料升华技术现在广泛用于制作横幅、遮阳篷图形、建筑物包装和其他软标牌。染料升华的过程是使用热压机将数字打印的图像从纸张转印到织物上。由此产生的图形轻便灵活，且具有永久性的特点。
Heat and pressure can also be used to embed graphics in laminates. The resulting signs are popular in exhibitions, parks and transit systems, where tactility and durability are important. The laminates can be fabricated at a variety of thicknesses, including those thin enough to curve around surfaces.
使用热量和压力也可以将图形嵌入层压板中。使用这种工艺生产的标识产品在展会、公园和交通系统中非常受欢迎，其中标识的触感和耐用性起到了很大的作用。层压板可以制作成各种厚度，包括足够薄的曲面。
Another process that has long been used for park and transportation signs is embedding graphics in fibreglass. The results are not as precise as with other approaches, but are highly resistant to scratching and fading.
长久以来用于公园和交通标识制作的另一种方法是将图形嵌入玻璃纤维中。虽然成品图形并不如其他方法制作出来的图形那么精致，但是这种图形但对刮擦和褪色有很强的抵抗力。
Like laminates, powdercoated graphics have their roots in building materials. Materials that can be powdercoated include wood, glass and metal. As graphics can be applied directly to the substrate, this process has seen success with signs and information panels that are integrated directly into buildings, as well as with complex curves and other shapes, suchas perforated screens.
与层压板一样，粉末涂层图案也源自建筑材料。可以喷涂粉末的材料包括木材、玻璃和金属。由于图形可直接应用于基材，这一过程已成功应用于直接集成到建筑物中的标识和信息显示屏，以及复杂的曲线和其他形状，例如穿孔显示屏。

Branded environments
品牌环境
Large-format digital printing has transformed the way architects and interior designers develop interior environments. In fact, most of today’s top architecture and interior design firms have in-house design teams that specialize in branding environments with indoor graphics. They have had notable influence on the retail, corporate, hospitality and health-care sectors.
宽幅数字印刷已经改变了建筑师和室内设计师开发室内环境的方式。事实上，当今大多数顶级建筑和室内设计公司都拥有内部设计团队，他们在室内图形设计的品牌环境领域非常专业，并对零售、企业、酒店和医疗保健行业产生了显著的影响。
This trend has created new opportunities for sign companies, particularly those that specialize in large retail and corporate graphic rollouts, but it has also brought new, specialized competitors into the market. One of the main challenges is differentiating higher-quality inks and materials from lower-cost options, particularly for environments that require high levels of graphic durability.
这一趋势为标识公司创造了新的机遇，尤其是那些专注于大型零售和企业图形展示的公司，但它也为市场带来了新的专业竞争对手。其中一个主要挑战是将高质量油墨和材料与低成本的选择区分开来，特别是对于需要图形拥有长久耐用性的环境。
“Digital printing has reshaped our business,” says Beth Gillespie, president of Acorn Sign Graphics. “We have printed on many different materials, experimented with photopolymers for accessibility signage and invested in new substrates with high recycled content and reclaimed materials. Clients expect us to provide complete ‘placemaking’ and those who are willing to invest time and resources into prototyping are creating momentum toward new, exciting applications.”
Acorn Sign Graphics总裁Beth Gillespie说：“数字印刷改变了我们的业务，我们印刷了许多不同的材料，利用感光聚合物进行可见性标识试验，并用于投资高回收价值的新基材和再生材料。客户希望我们提供完整的‘场景制作’，而那些愿意投入时间和资金进行原型制作的人正在努力创新一些激动人心的应用。”

Building wraps
建筑包装
Digitally printed building wrap graphics have been significant in Europe for the last few years and are just starting to show up in North America, mainly for temporary structures at trade shows and other events. The challenge now is to increase the role of these graphics in an architectural context by ensuring greater longevity, which can mean using different materials.
在过去的几年中，数字印刷的建筑包装图形在欧洲已经占据了非常重要的地位，并且开始在北美出现，主要用于贸易展览和其他活动的临时搭建。现在面临的问题是如何通过确保更长的寿命来提高这些图形在建筑环境中的作用，这可能意味着应用材料的多样化。
Vinyl for exterior use has certainly seen new advances, including multiple layers and translucent effects, but more durable embedded and sublimated graphics have been more successful at crossing over from trade shows and events into building wraps and façades. Laminates and powdercoated graphics, as mentioned, are well-entrenched in the sign industry.
应用于室外的乙烯基材料的优点日益明显，例如多层次和半透明效果的优越性，但更耐用的嵌入式和升华式图形则更成功地从贸易展览和活动的应用中转移到了建筑包装和外墙。综上所述，分层图形和粉末涂层图形在标识行业中占有重要地位。
At the same time, architects are growing more comfortable with specifying digitally printed graphics for large-scale building projects. Compared to commodified vinyl graphics, there is enormous potential for sign fabricators with high-level preparation and installation skills to improve durability and overcome building owners’ concerns about product failure.
与此同时，建筑师越来越乐于为大型建筑项目指定数字印刷的图形。与商品化的乙烯基图形相比，具有高水平的安装技能和准备充分的标识制造商拥有巨大的潜力，他们不仅可以提升产品的耐用性，还可以帮助建筑物的所有者克服对产品故障的担忧。
One reason this distrust of durability has been an issue is a tendency for multi-year material warranties to be easily voided by certain conditions.
大家对产品耐久性一直持怀疑态度的原因之一是材料的使用期限很容易因为某些条件而失去效用。
“There are challenges in the preparation of substrates, which often fails,” says Russ Roberts, project director for Creo Industrial Arts, which custom-fabricates architectural signage. “We want to experiment in direct-to-substrate printing and avoid delamination issues. We have had good success with aluminum, for example, and we like how digital powdercoating holds up.”
专注于建筑标识加工定制的Creo Industrial Arts公司的项目总监Russ Roberts说：“由于在制备基材方面很容易面临失败，因此我们想进行直接基材印刷实验并避免分层问题。我们在铝材方面取得了巨大的成功，而且我们想知道这种数字提取的粉末涂料如何保存。”

Interior and exterior wayfinding signs
室内和室外的导视标识
Similarly, digital printing has become a dominant technology in the production of wayfinding signs, ranging from temporary posters to embedded graphics in laminates, fibreglass and enamels. Screenprinting is still a cost-effective, high-quality option for producing large numbers of similar signs, but direct-to-substrate printing has done much catching up, addressing such challenges as tactility for accessibility signs and the need to update directories frequently.
数字印刷已经成为了导视标识生产中的主导技术，从临时海报到分层、玻璃纤维和珐琅形式的嵌入式图形。丝网印刷仍然是生产大量相似标识的高性价比选择，但直接打印已经取得了很大的进展，解决了比如可接近标识的触感问题和标识更新的问题。
Except for the very simplest of interior signs, this field requires a significant degree of fabrication skill to achieve high quality and efficiency. One exciting new area is the combination of digital printing with modular production, which will expand shops’ ability to produce unique sign systems. Numerous composite materials are being developed to optimize direct-to-substrate printing in this context, including wood, aluminum and plastic-based options.
除了最简单的室内标识之外，想要在该领域实现产品的高品质和高效率就需要拥有相当丰富的制造经验。一个引人注目的新领域是将数字印刷和切割生产相结合，这种生产方式可以提高标识商店生产独特标识系统的能力。为了优化直接打印的内容，许多复合材料也在不断的开发，包括木材、铝和塑料材料。
The complexity of projects like accessibility signage will continue to limit the number of competitors in this market, but will also force those involved to ensure they are highly flexible in terms of the jobs they can take on. Software, for example, may be difficult to resolve, since few programs can combine computer-aided design (CAD) documentation with routing and vinyl cutting.
无障碍标识等项目的复杂性将继续限制该市场中竞争者的数量，但也会迫使相关人员提高他们在工作上的灵活性。软件问题可能很难解决，因为很少有程序可以将计算机辅助设计（CAD） 功能与乙烯基切割技术相结合。
“As an environmental graphic design (EGD) professional, I have made it my business to know as many different types of processes as possible, from vinyl to embedded inks,” says Peter Scherer, president of H Plus. “The technology keeps changing and we need to work hard to stay on top of it. I think porcelain enamel is the gold standard, as we have projects that are still out there 20 years later, but powdercoated graphics are making a strong run and could be the ‘bridge’ between temporary materials and expensive signs.”
H Plus公司的总裁Peter Scherer说：“作为一名环境图形设计（EGD）的专业人员，我已经在尽可能多地了解各种不同类型的工艺，从乙烯基颜料到嵌入式油墨。技术不断变化，我们需要努力工作以保持最佳状态。我认为瓷器是黄金标准，因为这种材料可以保证我们的项目在20年后仍然保持工作。但粉末涂层的图形也能够保证优秀的展出效果，可以说这种图形是短期材料和价格昂贵的标识之间的‘桥梁’。”
“We consult extensively with paint, ink and material suppliers about what is possible,” says Seth Davis, president of Urban Sign. “That’s what separates sign fabricators from most large-format printing companies.”
Urban Sign总裁Seth Davis说：“我们会与涂料、油墨和材料供应商就可能的事情进行了广泛的协商，这就是标识制造商与大多数宽幅图形印刷公司的区别所在。”

Material flexibility
材料的灵活性
Indeed, one of the largest areas of experimentation in digital printing has been in applying new materials to different environments. Direct-to-substrate printing has opened extensive use of diverse materials, from wood to metal, and the combination of printing with engraving, cutting and moulding has created many different lenticular, layered and dimensional effects. Graphic durability has been extended through the addition of new topcoats, clearcoats and embossing.
事实上，数字印刷最大的实验领域之一就是将新材料应用于不同的环境。直接印刷已经开始广泛应用各种材料，从木材到金属均有涉及，并且随着雕刻、切割和模塑的结合创造了许多不同的透明、多层次和立体的效果。通过涂覆新的面漆、透明涂层和压花使得图形的耐久性得到了不断的延长。
The ability to print on just about any material opens up endless possibilities. Sign companies that experiment extensively are developing new approaches and creating new applications.
使用任何材料进行图形打印都会带来无限的可能性。标识公司正在通过广泛的试验来开发新方法和创新应用模式。
Building awareness may be the largest challenge. Not only are there few places to find best practices, but a lack of understanding in the design community may also prevent many prospective ideas from being applied.
品牌的建立可能是最大的挑战。不仅是因为这些想法很难找到最佳的方法得以实践，并且在设计界缺乏理解也可能会导致很多预期的想法难以实现。
“Both sign fabricators and material manufacturers have to get much more aggressive in introducing their new approaches,” says Kevin Rourke, national accounts manager for Davis Marketing Associates (DMA). “The biggest issue preventing these innovations from finding practical use is lack of education.”
戴维斯营销协会（DMA）国家客户经理Kevin Rourke说：“标识制造商和材料制造商都必须更积极地推出他们的新方案。阻止这些创新思想在实际中应用的最大问题是缺乏教育。”
“Much of our work is coming from generic substrates, like plastic and foam boards, which are both dropping in price and improving in quality,” says Robert Lee, president of Unicorn Graphics, “but the more exotic materials are what’s really exciting. We have built an extensive library through crazy inquiries and experimentation. To stay on top of the industry, we will try anything!”
Unicorn Graphics公司总裁Robert Lee说：“我们的大部分工作都来自通用基材，如塑料和泡沫板，这些基材价格下跌，质量也有所提高，但是越是新颖的材料越是令人惊喜。我们通过不断地查询和试验，建立了一个庞大的信息检索体系，为了保持行业的领先地位，我们会尽一切努力！”

Temporary and permanent graphics
短期图形和永久图形
The ability to balance the temporary and permanent requirements of signs has become particularly difficult with the dramatic changes seen in printing technologies over a relatively short period.
随着印刷技术的更新频率越来越快，平衡标识图形的临时性和永久性的能力就变得越来越困难了。
Most temporary graphics might only be needed for a few weeks, but they are more often in place for six months to a year. There are considerable differences between the durability of various inks and materials. And seemingly small decisions, such as installing graphics on certain windows, can yield enormous changes in longevity.
虽然大多数的临时图形只需要几个星期的展示时间，但它们通常会在橱窗内或是其他地方悬挂半年甚至一年的时间。各种油墨和材料在耐久性方面具有很大的差异。一些看似很细微的决定，比如在某些窗口上安装图形，可能会导致标识图形寿命产生巨大的变化。
From one to five years, the environment will start taking a toll on durable materials. Many manufacturers offer five-year warranties, but as mentioned, these are often voided by specific conditions, such as pollution or exposure to sunlight. This is where the use of additional coatings and laminates can play a major role in longevity.
在1年到5年之间，环境将开始对材料的耐用性产生不利影响。即使许多制造商声称能够提供产品的五年质保，但是如前所述，总有一些特殊条件（如污染或暴露在阳光下）会损坏图形导致其无法使用。而这里就体现出了使用附加涂层和多层次图形在延长标识图形的寿命方面发挥的重要作用。
Finally, after five years, even the most durable wide-format graphics begin to break down. Embedded or sublimated graphics are built to withstand prolonged outdoor use, but they still require careful preparation and placement if they are to survive in difficult environments.
五年后，即使是最耐用的宽幅图形也会开始出现问题。嵌入或升华的图形是为了承受长时间的户外使用而设计的，但如果要在困难的环境中生存，仍需要仔细地准备和安放。
Many large-format printing companies do not specialize in long-term durability, so there is an opportunity for sign companies that can mix and match products based on particular needs, keep a wide variety of options in-house and have strong relationships with outside vendors.
许多宽幅印刷公司并不专注于标识图形的长期耐用性的开发，因此标识公司可以根据特定需求混合搭配产品，在公司内部保持多种选择并与外部供应商建立牢固的关系。
“People often assume the continued viability of an established technology is threatened by new materials, but we are busier than ever and our growth is driven by new uses for our material,” says Bryan Stockdale, president of porcelain enamel supplier Winsor Fireform. “The architectural market has required us to expand our capacity to handle much larger sizes and shapes. Fabricators are coming savvier about durability and we are finding a place in the mix.”
瓷器供应商Winsor Fireform公司的总裁Bryan Stockdale说：“人们经常认为，新材料的发展会威胁传统技术的生存，但现在的我们比以往更忙，并且在材料上的新型运用也带动了我们业绩的增长，建筑市场的发展要求我们提升生产能力来处理更大尺寸和形状的图形。制造商对耐久性的要求越来越高，我们正在寻找一个方法能使它们相平衡。”

Illuminating graphics
标识图形的照明工作
Much of the industry is dedicated to the production of illuminated signs, including both internally and externally illuminated versions. Large-format digital printing has radically changed what can be achieved with these signs.
许多行业致力于照明标识的生产，包括标识的内部照明和外部照明。宽幅数字图形印刷技术的发展已经从根本上改变了标识所能达到的效果。
Perhaps the most popular approach for large-format graphics is external illumination, as it is inexpensive and can be used in co-ordination with architectural elements like awnings and brick walls. Vinyl that can be adhered to rough surfaces has become increasingly popular in externally illuminated applications, as have fabric wraps.
外部照明通常是宽幅图形运用得最广泛的方法，因为这种方法不仅节约成本并且还可以与遮阳篷和砖墙等建筑元素相协调。就像织物包装一样，由于乙烯基材料可以粘附在粗糙的表面上，因此它在外部照明的应用中越来越受欢迎。
Fabrics are also beginning to dominate lightboxes, a common form of internally illuminated signage, both for indoor and outdoor installations. Another trend in urban architecture has been the use of a glass curtain wall as a key element; with advances in curved and tempered glass, an entire building can now become a platform for illuminated signage, using translucent, perforated and reflective films.
使用面料制造的灯箱多使用标识的内部照明功能，无论是室内还是室外安装。城市建筑的另一个趋势是使用玻璃幕墙作为建筑的关键要素；随着折弯技术和钢化玻璃的进步，建筑可以通过使用半透明、穿孔和反光膜材料来成为照明标识的平台。
“We do a lot of vinyl building wraps and most are temporary, lasting a year or less,” says Jimmy Jones, project manager for AdGraphics. “Most of our printing is on translucent material and the quality is incredible today. We have seen yearly growth of six to eight per cent in this area, particularly from developers of malls and apartment buildings.”
AdGraphics公司的项目经理Jimmy Jones说：“我们所做的大量的乙烯基材料建筑封装，大部分的使用期限都是临时、一年期或时间更短。如今针对大部分图形的印刷，我们均采用半透明材料，并且质量也非常优越。我们在这一领域的年增长量为6％~8％，其客户多来自商场和公寓楼的开发商。”
Compared to simple printing, these applications require the additional expertise of sign companies, including the abilities to specify the right lighting and to install translucent graphics accurately. The growing popularity of both lightboxes and projected illumination will continue to expand opportunities for integrating signage into architecture.
与简单印刷相比，这些应用需要标识公司的额外专业知识，包括确定合适的照明和精确安装半透明图形的能力。灯箱和投影照明的日益普及将继续扩大将标识与建筑结构相结合的机会。
“Printing on translucent materials provides a creative path forward in generating unique and specialized graphics,” says Guy Kallman, senior technical specialist for 3M, which formulates inks and manufactures substrates. “We do recognize major issues yet to be overcome, including control of ink adhesion, uniformity and colour saturation.”
3M公司的高级技术专家Guy Kallman说：“在半透明材料上印刷为创造独特性和专业性的图形提供了一条创新的道路。我们同时也认识到还有待克服的主要问题，包括控制油墨附着力、均匀性和颜色饱和度等问题。”
Another challenge, going forward, will be regulation. While illuminated window and building graphics have so far been relatively unregulated by sign codes, this is starting to change, as local authorities start to control them like other types of signage.
今后的另一个挑战将是监管。虽然窗口照明和建筑照明图形迄今为止相对未受到标识行业的管制，但随着地方当局开始像管控其他类型的标识一样控制它们，这种情况开始逐渐发生变化。

Printers and fabricators
打印机和制造商
Many printing companies have moved more heavily into the signage industry, particularly in the production of indoor graphics. In markets like retail and corporate marketing, some of these companies have developed a high level of expertise.
许多印刷公司已经进入标识行业，特别是室内图形制作方面。在零售和企业营销等市场中，这些公司中的一些已经掌握了高水平的专业知识。
Sign fabricators, meanwhile, have also benefited from large-format digital printing as a value-added element for their existing business. They are using the technology in concert with their specialized expertise in areas like outdoor sign installation and custom fabrication. By combining multiple processes, they can focus on the more durable end of the market.
与此同时，标识制造商也从宽幅数字印刷中受益，将其作为现有业务的增值元素。他们正在将这项技术与他们在户外标识安装和定制生产等领域的专业技术相结合。通过结合多个流程，他们可以专注于更持久的市场。
The printing companies are turning large-format graphics into a commodity, which means it is now harder to make money on printing alone. Further, companies that never previously identified themselves as part of the sign industry—such as packaging, fixture and display fabricators—now find digitally printed graphics are moving them into closer competition with sign shops.
印刷公司正逐渐将宽幅图形变成商品，这意味着现在仅靠印刷来赚钱更难了。此外，以前那些从未将自己划进标识行业一部分的公司（如包装、夹具和显示屏制造商），开始发现数字印刷图形的发展使它们与标识商店的竞争更激烈了。
“It pays to invest in quality materials,” says Steven Olken, senior account executive for Applied Image. “A lot of printing companies are getting into this game and falling flat on their faces by not having a clear idea of the need for ‘high-level’ inks and vinyl. In addition, installation requires extensive skill sets, since materials are going onto widely different surfaces, from glass to drywall to concrete. Being a large-format specialist is much different from other areas of printing.”
Applied Image公司的高级客户经理Steven Olken说：“对于优质材料的投资是十分值得的。许多印刷公司正在参与这场竞争，但因为对‘高级’油墨和乙烯基材料的需求不明确而四处碰壁。此外，安装需要丰富的经验，因为图形材料会安装在玻璃、干式墙或者混凝土等不同材质的表面，作为一名宽幅图形专家，这与其他印刷领域有着很大的不同。”
“Everyone is looking for the magic bullet that makes them a strong competitor,” says Michael Quigley, VP of operations for Sign-Age. “We use our colour matching proficiency as a central skill set. Getting G7 certification was central to this focus. Staying on top of colour control yields enormous rewards.”
Sign-Age公司的运营副总裁Michael Quigley说：“每个人都在寻找能让他们成为强大竞争者的妙招。我们将对颜色搭配的熟练运用程度作为主要优势，而获得G7认证是这个优势的核心。保持优秀的色彩运用能力会带来巨大的回报。”
Printing companies moving into areas like exterior signage will pose a big challenge for the industry, but such difficulties are balanced by sign companies making the same significant inroads, as they have many more opportunities today to integrate digital printing into their toolkits for work in both exterior and interior environments.
印刷公司进入户外标识市场等领域将是对该行业的巨大挑战，但这些挑战在标识公司生产的不断进步下等到了平衡和解决。他们如今有更多的机会将数字印刷技术运用到他们的室内或是室外的工作环境中。