This course is for commercial printers looking for new outlets for their printed output and looking to learn new ways of offering a wider and more complete range of products to both existing and new customers. Companies that will benefit include those involved with signage, merchandising, printing, photogift; both trade and retail.

Course Syllabus

10:00
Attendees arrive

10:15 - 10:30
Welcome & introductions
Principle of Frame What You Print

After printing, what can do you next? Offer customers three choices:
Level 1: Have the printed output - on paper or canvas - as it comes
Level 2: Have printed output mounted and laminated or finished and stretched, as appropriate
Level 3: Have the mounted and laminated paper print, or finished and stretched canvas print framed in an ‘L Style' frame (very simple, no glass, no mount etc)

This allows attendees to sell:
- A wider range of products
- Higher value products
- A complete product
- To a wider / new customer base

Brief explanation of what Technical Demonstrations attendees will see and take part in
- Technical Demo 1: Over-laminate a paper print and mount onto foam board
- Technical Demo 2: Prepare a printed canvas to be stretched
- Technical Demo 3: Stretch the prepared canvas onto stretcher bars. Finish the stretched canvas with tape, frame bumpers and CWH hangers. Attendees will take part in this.
- Technical Demo 4: Frame both the print on foam board and stretched canvas in L Style Mouldings.
- Business Case: Attendees will get an idea of the equipment they would need, space requirements, skill levels and time taken. This will form that basis of discussions towards the end of the day about costs - capital and product.
- Attendees will keep the two L Style frames to use as future reference and samples.

10:30 - 11:30
Technical Demo 1 - Over laminating and mounting a paper print onto foam board
Jack will demonstrate how to over laminate and then mount a paper image onto foamboard, using the cold roller laminator installed at Antalis. The demo will cover issues such as:
- Cutting substrates to size
- Trimming mounted substrates
- Alignment
- How to avoid common problems such as bubbling and creasing
- Jack will also pass round and explain examples of other styles of mounted product - e.g. Acrylic Face Mounted, Acrylic Sandwich Mounted, Mounted to DiBond; and different ways of hanging the panels.
- Jack will also explain the difference between cold, warm and heated roller laminators and materials

11:30 - 11:45
Tea

11:45 - 12:45
Technical Demo 2 - Preparing a canvas for stretching
- The reasons for using liquid laminates
- How to apply liquid laminates
- Demo will use ‘Satin Coat'

Technical Demo 3 - Stretching a canvas
This is a practical demo where attendees will be shown the technique and then make up their own sample piece. After the demo, each attendee will be able to stretch a pre-prepared canvas. We will supply the tools and stretcher bars.

Areas covered include:
- Different styles of Stretcher Bars, inc lengths and Chop Service
- Stretching and finishing a canvas onto Stretcher Bars
- Finishing with tape, hangers and frame bumpers

12:45 - 1:15
Lunch

1:15 - 1:30
Introduction to framing

Framing serves two purposes:
- Practical - to protect the artwork and provide method for display
- Aesthetic - To enhance to look of the artwork

Examples of different types / styles of framing will be passed round and explained
- As background, there will be a short explanation of traditional-style framing with glass and mount.
- Explanation of types of moulding - wood, polymer, aluminium. Advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Basic issues and principles with constructing the frame, eg. Aluminium and hardware

L Style frames
How do L Styles differ from traditional framing?
- Different shape, no mount or glass.
- Easy assembly, fewer tools etc
- Examples of different L Styles mouldings / frames, including two customers will assemble - Canvas L Style and L Style Floater.

1:30 - 3:15
Technical Demo 4 - Making L Style Frames
This is a practical demo where customers will be shown the technique and then make up their own sample pieces

Assembling a frame with L Style mouldings
- ‘Chop Service' vs ordering moulding in lengths
- How an underpinner works
- Join mitred mouldings on an underpinner

How to fix the Stretched Canvas and Print on Foamboard into the L Style frame
- Canvas L - Fitted with Canvas Offsets and CWH Hanger
- Floater Panel - Glued into back of frame

3:15 - 3:30
Tea

3:30 - 4:00
Markets for Frame What You Print
- Offer existing customers a wider range of products.
- Sell higher value products / services
- Attract new customers with product extensions
- Offer a full service - customers may have to go elsewhere at the moment for these services, or worse go somewhere where they can get the full service

Examples we see:
- Sign Shops stretching canvases, including to public. Photogift market
- Shopfitting and POS specialists offering full service inc framed products

Material Costs for L Style Framing

16" x 20" Stretched Canvas framed in Canvas L Style moulding
- £ 20.50 Moulding (Chop) and Stretcher Bars
- Allow total approx. £25 including printing, canvas, finishing materials

16" x 20" Print on Foamboard framed in L Style Floater
- £ 13.00 Moulding (Chop)
- Allow total approx. £18 including printing, foamboard, mount film, laminate and finishing materials

Resources - time, space, skill and capital

Equipment and tools costs
- Roller laminators
- Underpinner, Inmes IM3 Foot Operated
- Other hand tools for canvas stretching - Stretcher pliers, soft faced hammer, stapler, staple remover

Time considerations
- Much depends on how workflow organised
- Price vs time. Small frames do necessarily cost less in terms of time to produce
- Frame pricing software

Other considerations
- No waste materials when using Moulding Chop Service
- Relatively low skill
- Should fit in existing work space
- Needs clean, dust free environment

Closing questions and answers.

Customers will go away with:
- 2 sample frames - one framed, stretched canvas and one framed, mount and laminated print
- Information how to do this at a practical level
- Detail on the resources needed
- Ideas on opportunities this presents for their business

Course cost - £100 per person - includes lunch & all course materials