A Sign Of Things To Come.

The Sign & Digital Show, held this year at the NEC in Birmingham, showcased the very latest technology that the industry has to offer. We visited on day two of the event; Everywhere we looked, there were eye-catching signs, dazzling digital displays and all sorts of cool tech. Lots of Industry experts were buzzing around, eager to check out the latest technologies in signage, printing, print wear and visual communication. From giant LED screens to funky vinyl wraps, the variety of exhibits were showing off just how creative and versatile signage can be.

New Innovation

Our day was all about discovering the coolest new innovations shaping the future of signage and keeping at the forefront of industry expert’s knowledge. We geeked out over digital gondola ends with one company promising 7 years battery life with Kindle Paperwhite style technology – amazing! Projected signs have also come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, with many retailers like M&S using it to keep their product areas in store flexible to change as and when required. Eye catching moving image across 3D letters also caught our eyes.

In 2023, Aldi, Asda and Lidl all began trials of electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs)- but is this something that we can expect to see roll out across competitors? Innovations like these are making sustainability easier for businesses, and at the Sign & Digital Show we saw first-hand the capabilities of this technology, from reducing paper waste to saving staff hours of manually changing price tickets.

Printing Techniques

Direct to substrate printing and laser etching also caught our eye. The intricacy of their work has come on tenfold in the past few years. We were very interested particularly in the etching on their wood and leather products. Enabling people to effectively add their imagery, logos and branding to a natural product, while retaining the natural feel impressed us.

Promotions 

Running alongside the Sign & Digital show was the Printwear & Promotions Show, so we took a look to see what that had to offer. We were impressed by the developments in the branded clothing industry. Customers now have the option to include smooth gradients in their stitched branding, something that would have been difficult to execute effectively before, but now has a smooth professional appearance. These were all done live with machines on show, they work at an impressive pace, and with even more impressive precision.

Bring on the future!

Both events were very inspiring and sparked our imaginations with new ideas. It’s clear that this industry is constantly evolving and pushing boundaries.