Billboard Insider was impressed by a 12,700 square foot vinyl wall project which Circle Graphics executed on behalf of OUTFRONT Dallas.  We talked with Trend Mullet, VP of Operations at Circle Graphics Ohio factory to learn more about the project.

Circle Graphics recently printed a giant Dallas wall vinyl with 2 different creatives. Can you tell us more about this job and how it was produced?

This wall was ordered by and produced for our friends at OUTFRONT–Dallas. This wall unit is identified as DT-W2-1, and it has a finished size of 126’8” (tall) x 99’8” (wide) and weighs around 1,100 lbs.  This job is printed in 7 vertical panels on a state-of-the-art EFI UV printer using 887 linear feet of premium mesh 8 oz. material.  The fabrication of a wall this size is very complex. On this wall in particular there is a requirement for 3,438 feet of radio frequency (RF) welding, 1,255 feet of seatbelt webbing along the perimeter, and 1,746 stainless steel grommets. We print 7 large panels which are then seamed together to create two massive sections.  During the install process, these two sections are laced together using grommets precisely located along the inside edges. We also produce vertical T-pockets are then placed down the center of each of the two sections providing the install crews an additional point to secure these larger sections to the building. OUTFRONT’s DT-W2-1 wall generally takes 1-2 days to complete once the job is approved for print.Here is an excerpt from OUTFRONT’s production specification showing the detail behind the production. OUTFRONT does an excellent job w/ their production specs, and specifically with this complex display.

Where was the vinyl manufactured?

Most of our walls come out of our Circle Graphics facility in Wooster, Ohio, where we have over 30 years of experience.

What are the current challenges in manufacturing and shipping large wall graphics for OOH?

Our customers expect us to deliver a product that looks great, can be installed efficiently with their wall hardware, and will hold up to the tension and weather elements for the length of the ad contract.  The stakes are very high with walls. Permits can be required to close streets. The heavy weight of the wall graphic poses a real safety issue to pedestrians if the wall graphic fails to perform and falls to the ground. Advertisers pay a lot of money for the wall space and credits can be costly for a production delay or compromised production.  First and foremost, you must have relevant expertise. There is no substitute here, and, fortunately, we have been producing wall graphics for over 30 years. Our Ohio facility is led by the industry’s leading expert on wall production, Trent Mullet, our VP of Operations.  Other critical elements for successful wall production include having the right equipment, floor space, and trained staff necessary for this type of work, which is much more involved than producing a flex bulletin wrap.  For this particular job, we had up to 10 employees working to prep, fold, pack, and palletize for shipment. This process requires our post-press finishing teams to work together to move the heavy panels through the various stages of the finishing process, ensuring that all components of the job are color and size matched and remain scuff free.  Of course, we feel like we have the absolute best wall production products and capabilities in the industry – hands down.

That certainly covers the back-end of production, but are there any special requirements with creative on the front end?

Yes, our prepress department has a significant role in our wall production workflow. When a wall order comes in we immediately perform due diligence to see if we have “Circlized” the wall before. What that means is we determine if we have produced for this wall unit id before and whether it has been added to our in-house Spec Library.  A new wall can take some time to set up. Once we have produced a complex job of any type, we want to ensure we have repeatable results in the future whenever another order comes in for this location (regardless of where the order originates). The next time the order lands we pull our overlays onto the new artwork, and we can process that location in minutes. Our goal is to work smart the first time and invest a little more time in locking things in so we can work fast every time after that.

What’s the largest wall vinyl Circle Graphics has ever produced?

So far, our largest wall graphic has been a 170’ x 270’ mesh for a parking garage in Miami, Florida. We’re always up for a chance to break that record!

Who should people contact if they want to learn more about wall vinyl.

Your Circle sales rep is well versed in our wall capabilities and can help out with any specific questions. If you don’t have a rep, please feel free to email us at sales@circlegraphicsonline.com.