Normally a regional sign show would not have been of very much interest. With mostly products for small sign and very frugal shops that don't buy higher priced capital equipment very easily, these shows would not normally have exhibitors that we would normally write about. Last month, three shows under one roof filled the convention center in Long Beach, CA. These included not only The Sign Business & Digital Graphics Show, but also The Printwear Show and The Awards & Custom Gifts Show, each roughly one-third of the exhibit area. Because of technology, this show has taken on the feeling of a mini SGIA Expo, with every kind of equipment and supplies from awards and T-shirts to high-end digital printers.

Large-format, roll-to-roll and flatbed printers - especially with UV inks that dry quickly and have outdoor and indoor resiliency - are changing the products and volumes that make for efficient print runs.

Just as narrow-format digital printers now provide significant competition to offset for certain segments of the page-oriented print market, large-format, roll-to-roll and flatbed printers - especially the ones with UV inks that can be dried quickly and have great outdoor as well as indoor resiliency - are changing the types of products and the necessary volumes that can make for efficient print runs. From custom decals to vehicle wraps, from store signs to fancy point of purchase displays, wide-format digital can provide the opportunity to fulfill any designer's fancy competitively for short runs and allow for far greater experimentation and creativity in meeting customer needs.