Digital Printing technologies have evolved significantly in the past few years - providing much higher quality and expected outdoor longevity. Traditionally, a digitally printed product would last only a few months outdoors before significant UV fading occurred - however with today's modern inks coupled with new solvent and now UV based technology, digital prints often rival more traditional outdoor screen prints - at much higher apparent resolution.
These advances have opened the door for a far wider spectrum of limited quantity outdoor applications from full colored vehicle (or fleet) graphics, to a variety of diverse indoor or outdoor marketing products such as banners, building or window graphics and wall murals (pictured below).
Digital finishing has come a long way as well. Expensive die cutting setups have traditionally proven cost-prohibitive on small quantity orders, but are now very feasible employing modern digital plotting or laser cutting technology.
Modern laminates are available in a wide variety of thicknesses, texture, and longevity expectation options. Although laminates are now NOT required for UV protection using modern Solvent or UV technology, they prove attractive when additional abrasion resistance, texture or sheen is desired.
Modern Solvent and UV technology boasts the ability to print digitally on a much wider variety of media than previously possible. Traditional ink-jet aqueous printing technology relies heavily on expensive media coatings available only on specific media. Although limitations still exist - a much wider media selection is available for use with today's solvent technology, and digital UV printable media is almost limitless. These new technologies have in no way replaced older aqueous options, rather added to the flexibility of products available to digital customers.
Designer Decal Conference Room Mural (Digitally printed on self-adhesive vinyl)