OUTPUT

In the world of outdoor and indoor durable wide-format print it's often too easy to use two or three years' longevity as a major selling point when dealing with end customers. But do many of these clients really want their orders to last this long or is it just our perception of a job well done and which lives up to its expectations?

Probably the most successful applications we see on the streets today are those which are instantly memorable and which disappear, to be superseded by others, before they become stale. Such is the nature of today's promotional material that consumers have come to accept change and tend to ignore long-term displays.

I've spoken to companies asked to produce event graphics, designed to last a week at the most, which are manufactured with an exterior life of a year or more. Others have been surprised that, for Christmas and other seasonal promotions, the long-term durability of the print has been questioned by the client along with the price.

Are we becoming so accustomed to longer-life ink formulations that we find it difficult to acknowledge the fact that many display print requirements are for jobs which literally only need to last for a couple of months at the absolute maximum? And are print service providers in danger of over-selling on durability and not concentrating on explaining to their customers that, in fact, the very nature of wide-format ink-jet production means that their jobs can be replaced quickly and easily?

Common sense would decree that, by offering a package of display solutions spread over a period of time, display producers can keep their clients happy by always providing them with fresh print solutions. These new messages will attract more attention than the same tired-looking application which is still doing its job admirably as it should, but which has been viewed time and time over and, thus, has lost its appeal.

Building in too much longevity into an order can also lose the repeat business which benefits both the production house and the end client. There are plenty of materials out there, along with print processes, which make it cost effective to think about the shorter term. It's up to display producers to explain the benefits to their customers, and outline the value of changing graphics to continue to attract the attention of the public.