Backlit Film: Another Revenue Opportunity for Your Canon or Epson Printer
One of the biggest advantages of owning a large format printer is just how many different applications it can produce. Posters, presentation graphics, photos and signs may be some of the most familiar, but backlit film opens the door to even more possibilities. If you’re printing with a Canon imagePROGRAF or Epson SureColor aqueous printer, you already have the equipment to add illuminated graphics to what you offer. Designed to be viewed with light passing through the printed image, backlit film produces the color density and contrast needed for graphics that really come alive once they’re placed in a lightbox.
The most recognizable applications are the illuminated signs we see every day in restaurants, retail stores, airports, movie theaters and shopping centers. Menu boards, point-of-purchase advertising, kiosks and storefront lightboxes are all common uses, but the possibilities go well beyond traditional signage. Portable LED lightboxes are increasingly used for trade shows and events, where they can become illuminated booth walls, product displays, sponsor graphics or freestanding signs. Museums and galleries use backlit graphics for exhibits, while businesses, hotels and other commercial spaces use them for everything from lobby displays to branded installations.
There are also plenty of applications outside traditional commercial signage. Photographs and artwork can become illuminated displays for galleries, businesses or homes. Schools and universities can create athletic, academic and event graphics. Backlit prints can be used for weddings, graduations, memorials and other special events. Anywhere a traditional printed graphic is being used, there may be an opportunity to make that graphic more noticeable by illuminating it.
Midwest Inkjet offers two aqueous backlit films, with the choice largely coming down to the look and environment of the finished display. Midwest Inkjet 9mil Vivid Backlit Matte has a non-glare matte surface designed to deliver vivid color and strong black density when illuminated. The reduced-reflection finish makes it a versatile choice for menu boards, retail lightboxes, trade show displays, kiosks and other graphics that may be surrounded by bright ambient lighting.
Proof Line Gloss Backlight AQ offers a gloss surface when a more polished presentation is desired. Its high-resolution imaging characteristics make it particularly well suited for premium displays, detailed graphics, photography, artwork and exhibits. Neither finish is inherently better than the other. Matte is generally the better fit when glare and reflections are a concern, while gloss makes sense when it's not fighting with ambient light, like theaters.
Adding a new revenue stream to your business often means investing in another piece of equipment. Backlit printing doesn’t. Your existing aqueous Canon or Epson large format printer already has the production capability. Adding backlit film gives you another product to show existing customers, another solution when the right project comes through the door and another potential source of revenue from equipment you’ve already invested in.
If you have questions about backlit or where it can be used, feel free to call or email us today and help you choose the right solution for your business.
