ence, offer indoor and outdoor durability, are easy to apply and can be removed without leaving residue, even years later. Other options include eTac Textures, an embossed film available in sand, linen, canvas, woodgrain, and other requestable finishes to offer additional impact. There is also SpotOn Floor 200 monomeric PVC film for short-term, indoor non-slip floor graphics, and Polar Street FX for outdoor floor and wall graphics without the need for lamination. “To ensure floor graphics are appropriate for their setting, invest in the right product,” Broad advises, adding: “When public safety is a priority, it’s not enough to use any self-adhesive graphics media that sticks to the floor – only a product designed specifically for this application should be used. This, partly, is because it will have been tested and rated for its slip resistance.” Consistency for Quality Meanwhile, specialist wide-format media supplier Ultraflex Europe stocks a wide range of solutions for use in this market. Operations director Mark Fisher says while there are some similarities, the wall and floor graphics sectors are somewhat different markets with a view to current demand. “Wall graphics has always been a strong market in the UK and we have now exceeded post-pandemic levels,” Fisher says, adding: “Floor graphics was a new sector for Ultraflex at the start of the pandemic. We saw some limited demand prior to this which obviously increased dramatically during that time. “We expected advertisers to remain in this space after the pandemic and while demand for this type of product has certainly increased, utilisation of floor space as an advertising medium hasn’t been as widespread as predicted, which I find strange given the amount of time I spend looking at my feet or phone when shopping! “There is probably an element of over saturation in terms of material offering as this sector saw a great deal of development during the pandemic. I am however optimistic that this space will continue to expand in terms of demand.” Fisher goes on to say that the two markets are quite different in terms of application as wall graphics are generally used to improve aesthetics while floor graphics are primarily used for messaging, such as directions and marketing. When it comes to producing quality wall graphics, Fisher says this is all about consistency in the surface of the media and colour stability between batches. If a panel needs to be replaced due to damage, he says sign-makers will want the panel to match without replacing the whole installation. “If that material is self-adhesive it goes without saying that an adhesive that is weak enough to make installation easy but strong enough to stay on the wall is key,” he says. In terms of floor graphics, Fisher would advise looking for products that have pendulum test ratings rather than just the R slip rating as this offers a wider viewpoint to users. Switching attention to the solutions available from Ultraflex, Fisher picks out Fabritac, a self-adhesive wallcovering, as a popular choice with customers. The product is a PVC-free, reliable adhesive, and is easy to reposition and highly opaque. Also offered by Ultraflex is Floorscape Once, a one-year clean remove high tac floor vinyl that is fire rated, highly opaque and requires no lamination. It also has a dry PTV of 62 and a wet PTV of 34. Ultraflex also stocks Floorscape laminate, a hard-wearing economical laminate that allows users to use their preferred self-adhesive vinyl as a floor graphics media by providing a dry PTV of 46 and a wet PTV of 21. Undoubtedly an area of tremendous potential and opportunity, those not already involved in wall and floor graphics should perhaps consider a move into this market to take advantage of the huge array of work on offer. For those already active here and looking to take the next step, some of the products and solutions outlined here could help open up even more new work and help inspire both you and your customers to create all manner of applications to draw the attention of consumers. Graphics can be incredibly impactful, changing a room – or even a whole building – with colour and design 69 Issue 248 - August / September 2023 email: news@signlink.co.uk BACK TO BASICS / FLOOR AND WALL GRAPHICS ► Many of Antalis’ new self-adhesive products are more environmentally friendly alternatives to PVC. Pictured: Coala PP Stick being used for wall graphics
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