Ultraflex Wins 3 PRINTING United Alliance 2021 Pinnacle Product Awards.

Posted on October 1, 2021 | by Ultraflex Marketing Team

Riverview, FL – Ultraflex Systems is proud to announce its acceptance of three PRINTING United Alliance 2021 Pinnacle Product Awards. The following products won for each category:

AdventureScapes – Media – Adhesive Back (not vinyl)

DecorFlex Suede – Media – Textile – Upholstery Fabric

EcoVantage 190 – Media – Non-PVC.

The winning entry can be found online at the Pinnacle Product Awards Gallery here.

“The Pinnacle Product Award competition represents the best of the best among commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment,” Weiss said. “Congratulations to all the winners.”

Open to all PRINTING United Alliance supplier members, the Pinnacle Product Award competition evaluates products that are or will be available for sale in 2021. A highly qualified panel of judges from across the printing industry evaluated the annual contest’s 160+ entries in more than 58 categories spanning analog, digital, output and non-output technologies. For more information about the awards and how to participate in future Pinnacle Awards Programs, please visit https://pinnacleawards.printing.org/.

About PRINTING United Alliance

PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, comprised of the vast communities which it represents. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from the leading media company in the industry – NAPCO Media. Now a division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is the global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.

About Ultraflex Systems

For more than 25 years, Ultraflex Systems has been the industry innovator, adding and modifying formulas to offer a wide variety of products. The growth and success of Ultraflex are due to superior technical support and customer service. Ultraflex maintains high stock levels, warranties all products, and provides technical data sheets as well as fire testing results. The knowledgeable sales team and multiple warehouse locations allow customers to do business with ease.

For additional information, please visit www.ultrafleXX.com, or call (973) 627-8608.

Virtual Events – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

Posted on March 8, 2021 | by Kylie | 1 Comment

Virtual Events – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

What We’ve Learned about Virtual Meetings

It’s hard to believe a year has gone by since the beginning of the pandemic in America. During the past months, we’ve had to rethink the way we work, learn, play, and more. We’ve also had to figure out how to keep businesses going – and growing – despite significant obstacles.

Technology has helped us adjust to a new environment. And even though we miss the in-person connections with customers and co-workers, a virtual approach may be our reality for a while longer.

We jumped in with the first Ultraflex virtual trade show in October 2020. Our next one is March 17 – more about that in a moment. Since our first show, we’ve hosted and participated in many virtual trade shows and training sessions. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot.

Lesson 1: Do a Trial Run

Technical glitches can create a major disconnect. We’ve had our fair share and learned early on to devote enough time for a full run-through with technology and presenters. Our advice is to have a backup for anything and everything, such as the loss of an internet connection, a video that lags or won’t play, or a presenter who may or may not have experience with screen-sharing.

Check out this great guide for hosting online events, including options for event technology and platforms, or explore SAE International’s best practice guide for virtual meetings.

Lesson 2: Minimize the Monologue

We’ve all attended a virtual meeting or event where one talking head presents slide after slide. About 45 minutes later, the presenter announces: “Are there any questions?” By that time, many attendees have zoned out.

The challenge is to find ways to engage with participants throughout the event. Yes, it takes some work and creative thinking, but the extra effort will pay off. The best solutions are often born after engaging with customers who talk about their needs or concerns – things you may have never considered before.

If you want to keep participants on high alert during your virtual event, show videos, demonstrations, panel discussions, give them polls to answer and quizzes to take. Here’s a good article on how to keep attendees engaged before, during, and after your event.

Lesson 3: Show Your Customers You Care

Without face-to-face contact, your customers may not realize how much you care about their success. Whenever you engage virtually with customers, make sure they know you are thinking creatively about how to meet their needs.

For example, when businesses began reopening last summer, we helped customers learn how to implement signage, seat covers, wall and floor coverings, and more to help consumers feel safe while navigating seating, directions, and social distancing.

Lesson 4: Take Part in Virtual Trade Shows

We don’t know when we will be together again. In the meantime, virtual events can help us stay productive and allow us to continue inventing new and amazing solutions.

During the past few months, Ultraflex virtual trade shows have given customers a place where they can see, learn, experience, and talk about new applications, trends, and challenges for the industry.

Our next virtual trade show is March 17. We’ll be looking at important market trends, including green initiatives that allow products to evolve in an environmentally friendly way. Learn more and register for the March 17 virtual trade show here.

If you missed our previous virtual trade shows, you can view our archives anytime:

• The October 7, 2020 virtual trade show focused on working with digitally printable textiles.
• The October 21, 2020 virtual trade show focused on the latest innovations in décor solutions.
• The November 4, 2020 show explored how to finish fabrics using Bannerups and SEGDesign.
• The November 18, 2020 show explored a range of décor products and how they are tested for durability and certification.
• The January 13, 2021 show focused on navigating Personal Protective Gear (PPE) and how Ultraflex can assist.
• The January 27, 2021 virtual event showed ways to safely and comfortable invite people back to indoor dining and shopping with proper signage and social distancing signage and barriers.
• The February 24, 2021 event showcased the importance of color management with dye-sublimation.

You can also find us at the virtual ISA Sign Expo April 7 to 9. We’ll showcase the latest products, market trends, and solutions that can help you reach unique audiences and grow your business. Register for the event here.

We’re ready to explore the possibilities with you – on whatever device you choose. For more information about how to get started, email us.

Are You Ready to Wow Your Customers?

Posted on August 14, 2019 | by ksand-support

Most consumers have no idea how difficult it is to achieve the perfect color on soft signage. But print providers understand. Color is complicated, and getting it right involves a whole lot more than pushing a few buttons and sitting back while the magic happens.

Based on our interactions with print providers, we know that optimizing color is an ongoing challenge. Think about your own shop this past year. How many times did you waste money and energy – and jeopardize your reputation – because you had to redo a project that delivered disappointing color results? How many times did a customer say, “I thought the graphics would be clearer,” or “The image is supposed to be orange, not red.”

We get it. We talk to printers all the time and hear the frustration. This is why we developed ColorForce, a training program specifically designed to help our customers deliver show-stopping color graphics with our VorTex materials. We want to help you wow your customers, so they’ll keep coming back and keep depending on you.

The ColorForce program helps print providers implement new materials and test dye-sublimation projects. The program also teaches participants how to create more efficient processes so that projects move forward without interruptions and costly do-overs.

It’s easy.

Here’s how ColorForce works: Our experts analyze your situation and identify the best color-training program to meet the unique needs of your shop.

Armed with that assessment, our global color experts create a tailored, interactive training program using VorTex soft signage media. We conduct the training at your site and during a time that fits your team’s schedule.

It’s affordable.

In fact, for existing customers, there’s no fee for the first ColorForce session. After that, we’ll discuss a fair and affordable fee for future training. We want to do everything we can to help you be successful. Because when you are successful, we are too.

The best part? You’ll get quantifiable results.

Here’s one thing we know based on our research: The majority of dye-sublimation printing customers establish quality through trial and error. Changing their material and processes can change everything for them.
The ColorForce program is proven to increase efficiency and save time, resources and money:

80% of customers save up to 20% or more on ink by having their material properly profiled.
40% save time in job prep and color matching processes.
More than 50% of the time, proper profiling significantly increases a printer’s color gamut.

Are you ready?

With ColorForce, we provide the education and support that cultivates color management expertise that benefits your existing projects and future ones.

We’re ready. Are you? Contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to talking with you about program qualifications.