G-floor media from Soyang Europe
A revolutionary new product is poised to 'take the European flooring market by storm'.
Marketers have increasingly been drawn to the benefits of using the surface we walk on to promote products and services and also for 'way-finding' purposes.
According to Soyang Europe, they've gradually been waking up to the notion that when visitors and shoppers enter a location for the first time, they often spend a great deal of time looking at the floor as a way of navigating unfamiliar surroundings. And yet traditionally most directional or PoS material is sited on walls.
But printing bespoke graphics and advertising messages on flooring media has historically been problematic. Durability, longevity and practicality have all presented challenges. A clever piece of promotional material for a high profile brand won't be doing much for the brand's reputation if it becomes scratched, scuffed or discoloured in a short space of time.
Wide format media specialists, Soyang Europe say they have the answer, with a 'remarkable' new product called G-Floor, which they are confident will completely change traditional perceptions of what is possible in the field of customised flooring.
The high-tech new media, originally developed in the United States, is based on a high density clear, flexible PVC substrate, capable of being printed to the underside using either UV curable or solvent inks on a grand-format printer.
Because the image is printed beneath the media, the thick wear-layer protects the integrity of the graphic. G-Floor is hygienic, easily installed and repositionable, as well as has 'excellent' load-bearing capability, with low noise and sound absorbing characteristics. A range of different finishes provide a 'safe, effective and hard-wearing' grip surface for a wide variety of retail, business and public space applications. There is also an option of a solid white media, suitable for surface printing in cases where print suppliers only have four colour process capabilities.
Andrew Simmons, Sales Director for SOYANG Europe said: "We believe that the sheer durability and versatility of G-Floor will turn the industry on its head. No other product currently available has such a high level of durability, or is available in such a wide range of finishes or widths. The potential for retail outlets, restaurants, cinemas, vehicle showrooms, fitness centres, hotels, exhibition halls, stages, sporting venues and airports, is genuinely fantastic. This product moves the game on from simply printing floor graphics to being able to produce graphic floors"
Available in widths up to 3m and thicknesses to suit virtually any kind of flatbed, roll to roll or hybrid grand format printer, G-Floor offers 'almost limitless marketing and logistical opportunities'. Simmons says: "This really is a very cost effective product and the speedy installation process coupled with its durability and ease of repositioning make this a far more viable proposition than conventional laminate or tiled flooring alternatives. The scope for this product is so vast and exciting that I think we're barely touching the surface of its potential. What we're really keen to do is nurture creative partnerships with printers, designers and marketers to really develop the full effectiveness of this product."