Trade Show Marketing Blog

MODdisplays is pleased to announce the launch of our new graphics upload system, which is 200% faster and much more reliable than our previous system. As always, we are able to process files as large as 2GB through our upload system, and all of our files are reviewed and processed by our team of in-house graphic designers. Unlike many companies, our graphic designers spend their days working with large format trade show graphics, and they specialize in providing quality output for exhibiting systems.

Our new graphics upload system makes use of a server that is specifically formatted to accept large file transfers, which ensures that your file is uploaded quickly and smoothly. If you have questions about our file upload system or our graphics requirements, please call 877.663.3976 and press 2 for graphics, or email graphics@moddisplays.com.

Waveline displays are the most exciting trade show exhibit system to hit the market in a long time. Although they look a lot like popup displays, Waveline booths offer a lot more value for a much lower price. We are excited about the customer feedback we have received so far, and we believe that these displays will help exhibitors make the most of their trade show marketing budget. We are proud to offer a system that offers a number of advantages over traditional trade show displays, such as…

1- Waveline displays are the most affordable 10ft displays available. Purchasing an entire 10ft display with complete graphics for $845 was unheard of until now. Since Waveline units cost less than many tabletop displays, exhibitors are able to move up to bigger and more exciting venues and do more with their marketing budget.

2- The graphics for Waveline displays are produced using the latest technology in large format printing. Every Waveline display is produced using a process called dye sublimation. This process creates a durable, machine-washable fabric graphic that is guaranteed never to wrinkle or fade for as long as you own your exhibit. Dye sublimation graphics are simply better than the graphics you would receive with a traditional popup display.

3-  Setup takes less than 5 minutes. Assembling a Waveline display is very easy. The frame of the display is made from lightweight aluminum tubing that is shock-corded together for easy assembly, and the fabric graphic fits over the frame like a pillow case to create a smooth, curved wall. A sales person working alone could put together then entire exhibit with no stress at all.

As with all of our trade show displays, MODdisplays provides detailed graphic templates that make designing your exhibit a breeze, or you can let us design your exhibit for you at no charge. Every Waveline display comes with detailed setup instructions that are easy to follow, and those can be found on our website as well. If you have any doubts that this is the most exciting new trade show booth to hit the market in years, call our helpful staff at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

MODdisplays now offers dye sub fabric graphics on all banner stands. For only $100, upgrade your banner stand from the traditional vinyl graphic to a full color dye sub print. While the standard vinyl graphic will work well in almost every application, the dye sub fabric is washable, which makes it an especially attractive choice when combined with a banner stand that has removable graphics (such as the Imagine or Barracuda).

Like the standard vinyl option, the dye sub fabric graphic allows you to achieve vibrant, bold colors. There is no additional turnaround time or setup charges associated with upgrading your graphic to the dye sub fabric option, and all the graphic specifications remain the same. If you have any questions about upgrading to dye sub fabric graphics for your banner stands, please call 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

Most trade show displays utilize large format printing in some form. Only the highest quality photographs can be blown up to the size that is required for the backdrop of a trade show display, and we recommend purchasing digital photos from a stock photography website such as www.iStockPhoto.com. When selecting your photo from a stock photography website, choose the largest size option available.

If you want to figure out if your image will work for your trade show display, you will need to know the size of the image (usually listed in pixels or inches) and the resolution of the image (usually listed in DPI or dots-per-inch). In order to avoid pixelation (which is the appearance of fuzziness or blurriness within your image), your image will need to be 100 DPI when it is blown up to actual size.

Image size and resolution are inversely proportional. As image size increases, image resolution decreases. If you magnify an image to twice its original size, the resolution of the image will be cut in half. Suppose your image is 1200 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high (100 pixels = 1 inch, so the image would be 12″ x 12″ when printed), and the resolution is 100 DPI. If you blow up the image to 2400 pixels x 2400 pixels, the resolution would be reduced to 50 DPI. If you shrink the image to 600 pixels x 600 pixels, the resolution would increase to 200 DPI.

With this in mind, the first step in figuring out if your photo will work is to determine what size it will need to be when printed. Suppose you need your photo to cover the entire back wall of your Exhibit One display (70.75″w x 82″h). It is highly unlikely that the image you need will be available in the correct size when you purhcase it, so you will need to blow up the image to the size you need before you can work with it. The largest images on stock photography websites will usually come at a resolution of 300 DPI, and the size of the image will vary. Using the relationship between image resolution and image size, you should be able to quickly determine if the photo will be large enough to remain crisp when it is blown up to the size you need.

You never need to worry about fuzzy images when you work with MODdisplays, because we have checks and balances in place to ensure that low resolution images do not make it to print. Our graphic designers check each file for images that may appear fuzzy when printed, and these problems will be pointed out in your e-proof. We never go to print without our client’s approval, and our e-proofs are very thorough and meticulous. Most resolution issues are fixed at this stage, and the chances of a client receiving a graphic with pixelation are extremely slim.

At MODdisplays, we place all of our emphasis on the final output. We understand what it takes to look great at a trade show, and we work hard to make sure our clients are pleased with the graphics we print.

Graphics are the most important part of any trade show display. Well designed graphics that accurately convey your company’s marketing message can elevate attendees’ perception of your brand, but even the best graphics will lose visual appeal when they are not properly maintained. Dirty, chipped, smudged, scratched, or otherwise damaged graphics reflect poorly on their owners even if the design and marketing message is impeccable.

No matter what type of graphics you purchase for your trade show exhibit, they will be susceptible to damage. Typically your trade show graphics (and your booth hardware as well) will suffer the most damage during dismantling. The goal of dismantling your trade show booth should be to pack it away neatly so it will be ready for your next event, but the combination of exhausted booth staff and the thought that “the next event is a long time from now” usually results in a hasty and careless process. Taking care of your trade show display as you dismantle it can make a big difference when you arrive at your next event.

To clean dirty or smudged inkjet graphics, MODdisplays recommends using a mild cleaner (like Windex) in highly diluted form. Keep moisture away from the edges of the graphics to ensure that it does not seep between the layers of laminate and come in contact with the sensitive photographic paper that is encapsulated inside. Chips or scratches can be repaired with a colored marker that matches the surrounding graphic area in many cases, but large chips and scratches should warrant purchasing new graphics.

MODdisplays uses advanced project management systems to ensure that your trade show display arrives on time and looks exactly as you expected. By repeating the same procedures for every exhibit we produce, we minimize mistakes. Our returning clients are confident in our system because they know exactly what to expect. Trade shows are stressful enough without any contribution from MODdisplays, so we keep our clients informed and in updated about the status of their trade show booth.

Uploading your graphic files is only one aspect of our overall project management system, but despite its simple appearance, our graphics uploader is very advanced when compared with that of other trade show companies. When you upload your graphics to our website, you must include your company’s name, your email address, and your phone number. As soon as your file is processed by our uploader, emails are dispatched to the graphic designer who has been assigned to your project, and your information is dropped directly into our project management system for easy access.

Your graphic files are usually reviewed by one of our graphic designers within an hour, and you’ll receive a customize e-proof to approve that will show you the layout of your graphics and highlight any areas that may cause problems when your exhibit is printed. We never print files until your company has approved our e-proofs, which ensures that no mistakes are made in the printing process. Many of our competitors will print files as they are received, but at MODdisplays our graphic design services are completely free, so we will offer your company design support in any way you need it.

If you have any questions about uploading your graphics or graphic guidelines, please email graphics@moddisplays.com or call 877.MOD.EXPO.

Purchasing replacement graphics for your popup display is easy at MODdisplays. If you own a Standard 10ft Popup Display, replacing your main graphics and end panels costs as little as $1,200, with free graphic design included in the purchase price. This is an incredible value, especially considering that $1,200 will only buy you 3 graphic panels at the industry’s standard price.

We make ordering your new graphic panels simple through the use of our informative website and our integrated graphics uploader. When you upload your artwork into our advanced system, your artwork will be automatically associated with your order. Any color matching details you provide will be included on the work order, which ensures that no information gets lost in the communication process. Your project is immediately assigned to one of our experienced graphic designers, who will check your files for proper resolution, image quality, color correctness, spelling, and sizing to ensure that no mistakes are made in your graphic output.

Our popup display graphics are printed directly on a high-quality PET substrate using inkjet technology. The graphic is then thermally laminated (or “encapsulated”) with a protective film to ensure that your graphics last a long time. We ship our replacement graphics in solid tubes (instead of flimsy cardboard boxes) that are extremely protective to ensure that your graphic is not damaged in shipping or transportation. Please feel free to call 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays with questions about our popup display graphics.

Popup displays are the most popular portable trade show displays on the market today. Since their invention over 30 years ago, exhibitors have found that these exhibits reduce the overall cost associated with exhibiting, but do not require that they sacrifice a professional look and feel. Full graphic popup displays dominate the trade show landscape, reigning as the enduring and undisputed king of portable trade show booths. If you have ever attended or exhibited at a trade show, you probably understand how popup displays work, but this article will answer some common questions about the structure and the graphics of the popup exhibits from MODdisplays.

Why are your popup displays so much cheaper than those sold by other exhibit houses?

This question has two answers:

1- We don’t believe our customers should have to pay for our mistakes. Graphic houses across the country charge outrageous prices for popup display graphics because they need to cover the cost of all the panels that they printed or produced incorrectly. Small printing operations with inexperienced equipment operators make tons of mistakes, and they will often need to reprint your graphics 2 or 3 times before they get it right. Unfortunately, the customer usually eats the cost of those reprints, even though they had nothing to do with the mistake.

2- MODdisplays consciously chooses to make less money per exhibit in order to keep costs down for our network of clients. In order to make any money at all, MODdisplays needs to sell exhibits for more than it costs us to produce them. Many of our competitors will charge their clients  $400 or $500 for a popup display graphic panel when it costs them almost nothing to produce. This is highway robbery, plain and simple. In the 1990’s, popup display graphics legitimately cost much more than they do now, but with new advances in printing technology there is no excuse to charge so much for popup display graphics.

How long will it take me to set up my popup display?

No popup display should ever take more than 30 minutes to set up, even the first time. With practice, you should be able to set up an entire 10ft popup unit in less than 10 minutes. Exhibitors love the quick set up because it allows them to mingle on the show floor with other exhibitors and attendees instead of wasting valuable time setting up their exhibit.

What kind of graphics are used with my popup display?

Popup display graphics are printed on high quality photographic paper, and then thermally laminated. The inkjet printers that produce our popup display graphics are capable of printing at over 1200 DPI, which will result in extremely high quality output. Laminating your graphic panels protects them from scratches or damage during shipping, and helps them to keep their shape even when they are applied to your popup display frame.

What are “magnetic channel bars” and how are they used in the context of my popup display?

Magnetic channel bars attach to the frame of your popup display in order to hold your popup display graphics. You should never buy a popup display that does not offer a direct magnet-to-magnet connection, as magnet-to-metal exhibits will cause your booth graphics to have alignment issues. Our channel bars attach to our popup frame magnetically, which means they can be attached to your exhibit much more quickly than those that need to “snap” into place.

How will my popup display ship?

Your entire exhibit will ship in a durable, rugged shipping case that is specifically designed for popup displays. One compartment within the case is designed to hold the graphics, while the other compartment will hold your hardware. The lights for your popup fit neatly into the lid, which leaves you with plenty of extra room to store literature and other accessories within your case.

Alumalite displays are one of the most popular exhibits on the market today, and MODdisplays offers the widest range of stocked accessories for this system. The structure of Alumalite displays is made from lightweight, durable, and versatile aluminum extrusions, which allows you to add accessories even after the display has been set up. It is now possible to purchase many Alumalite accessories a la carte from our online store. Here are just a few examples of the Alumalite accessories you can purchase:

• Alumalite monitor mount - Holds monitors between 19″ a 21″.
• Replacement Alumalite inkjet graphic - High quality graphic fitted with magnets and ready to hang on your Alumalite booth.
• Free Standing Counter and Fixed Counter
• Round Product Shelf

If you have any questions or need help with ordering your Alumalite accessories, give us a call at 877.663.3976 or email sales@moddisplays.com.

The most important element of your trade show exhibit is the graphics. Well-designed graphics should contain your company’s logo, positioning statement, and memorable imagery that grabs the attention of visitors and attendees. Large format printing is the process by which your design files are transformed into the huge graphics that should be the focal point of your booth. Given the enormous scale of typical trade show display graphics, it’s obvious that producing these graphics requires expensive equipment and experienced professionals.

Two types of large format prints dominate the trade show landscape, and those are thermally laminated inkjet graphics and dye sublimated fabric graphics. Both of these processes have seen numerous advancements over the past five to ten years resulting in much higher print quality, longer lasting prints, and quicker turnaround times. Quality varies greatly in the world of large format printing, but MODdisplays graphics specialists understand what materials and procedures result in the best output, and we choose our vendors accordingly.

Inkjet Graphics

Inkjet graphics are the standard for graphic popup displays and detachable graphics. Inkjet print heads use tiny nozzles to squirt ink onto the paper. These nozzles are thinner than a human hair, allowing the printer to make very small dots that eventually come together as a large image. Printers with smaller, more precise nozzles are able to print at a higher DPI rating (dots-per-inch), which means the image will be more crisp and clear. Many inkjet printers are capable of printing at well over 1200 DPI, although it is often pointed out that the human eye cannot tell the difference between 500 and 600 DPI.

Inkjet graphics are often less expensive than dye sublimated fabric graphics, but this has little to do with the actual quality of the prints (although dye sublimated fabric graphics are capable of a much higher print quality than inkjet printers). Large format inkjet printers are extremely inexpensive, easy to use, and capable of producing high-quality prints, which means that there are literally thousands of small printing operations out there. This is simultaneously a benefit and drawback to consumers. More printing companies obviously means more competition and lower prices, but it also means that there are many unqualified printing companies out there with inexperienced technicians and outdated machines. Because the quality of the paper and ink varies greatly, it can be hard to tell if you’re purchasing a quality product or if the printing company is cutting corners to save money.

For most trade show applications, inkjet prints need to be finished. This is usually accomplished with a thermal laminate, but pressure sensitive laminates are also popular among bargain basement printing companies. Thermal laminates are typically scratch-resistant, and they make your graphics more rigid and durable. For popup displays, your thermally laminated inkjet graphics will need to be finished with hangers, kickers, and magnetic strips so that the graphics can hang from the frame of your exhibit.

Dye Sublimated Fabric Graphics

Dye sublimation is a process by which your image is essentially burned into a durable, washable fabric. Your image is initially printed on a coated transfer paper as a mirror image of your final graphic, and is then transferred to the fabric using a heat press with rollers that operate between 300 and 450 degrees. When passing through the rollers, the ink is heated until it “sublimates” (changes from a solid to a gaseous state without passing through the liquid state). The gas then permeates the fibers of the fabric and solidifies, which permanently dyes the fabric. Because the fabric is permanently dyed, dye sublimated fabric is machine washable.

Dye sublimated fabric graphics can be produced at a much higher quality than inkjet graphics for two reasons. First, inkjet inks are not capable of changing colors. By changing the temperature of the heating elements in the print heads, dye sub printers are able to vary the shade of the colored panels. Inkjet printers simply place dots on paper, so dithering must be used to create the appearance of solid colors. Secondly, inkjet ink is completely opaque, which means that dots cannot be laid over top of one another. Dye sub ink is transparent, which means that colors can be placed on top of one another to create true solid color gradients.

Despite these advantages, there are a few disadvantages associated with dye sublimation printers. First, dye sub printers cannot achieve true black. Inkjet printers are able to print a rich, glossy black color, while dye sub printers cannot. Also, dye sublimation printing companies invest huge amounts of money to be able to print dye sublimated fabric. It may cost upwards of $200,000 to outfit a space with the equipment needed to create high-quality dye sublimated fabric graphics.

Large format printing is an ever-changing field with many variables. It can be difficult to know exactly what type of graphic you’re purchasing without examining a sample of the graphic in person. At MODdisplays, we stake our reputation on our top quality trade show graphics produced by the best graphic houses in the country. We constantly receive compliments on our graphics packages as well as our graphic design department, and we intend to maintain our reputation as an industry leading provider of large format graphics.