Worldwide Graphics and Sign Co.’s Printed Graphics for Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center

Equipment and Materials
Fabric: PhotoTex and PhotoTex EX fabric paper, from PhotoTex Group Inc. (Boardman, OH), (330) 783-0073 or www.phototexgroup.com
Installation: Scissor lift, from JLG (McConnellsburg, PA), (717) 485-5161 or www.jlg.com; Bucket lift, from Elliott Equipment Co. (Omaha, NE), (402) 592-4500 or www.elliottequip.com
Printer: Acuity Select HS X2 dual-function, UV-cure-ink printer, from Fujifilm USA (Valhalla, NY), www.fujifilmusa.com
Software: Thrive 862 workflow software, from Onyx Graphics (Salt Lake City, UT), (801) 568-9900 or www.onyxgfx.com
 

Signage’s role as an environmental graphic has evolved tremendously. No longer do graphics merely provide text-based information about where a visitor, customer or patron is or is heading. Now, they’re more apt to reflect, whether through typeface, color or imagery, the atmosphere of your destination.
We proudly produced such a graphic for Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), which chose to promote its recent expansion, as well as an exhibit of the works of Brazilian multimedia artist Albano Afonso — an expansive, 4,000-sq.-ft. mural that he designed. Here’s the story.

A tall order
In early March, the CAC completed a $1 million renovation of its lobby. Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the CAC’s move to a new location, and this year signifies its 75th anniversary, so the timing for new graphics and décor was appropriate. On the CAC website, director Raphaela Platow said, “When I arrived in Cincinnati in 2007 to become [CAC director], I immediately dreamed of bringing our beautiful space to life. I envisioned a pulsating, welcoming, buzzing place … that invited people to make connections with others and encourages people to connect with the art of our time.”
The renovation included constructing a café that will serve coffee, pastries and beverages to patrons; an updated seating area with lounge chairs, sofas and communal tables; and a revamped, more centrally located store. Also, it features updated signage and wayfinding that direct visitors walking along 6th St. in downtown Cincinnati to use the new entrance next to the CAC’s loading dock.
These renovations undoubtedly added to the CAC’s appeal inside, but it entrusted our shop to produce exterior graphics that would generate a powerful wow factor. Although we’ve worked with the CAC before, we had to go through a bid process.
Afonso, whose exhibits will remain at the CAC until October, designed the wrap. The CAC wanted the wrap to be prominent at street level, and beckon passersby to explore the art inside, so Afonso created a slightly surreal tableau. The exterior mural features a colorful array of windows and doors, and the interior installations feature a brightly colored, complex assemblage of tubes and pipes. He transferred the art to us through a series of five, gargantuan, 5GB .TIF files. Obviously, processing such files and prepping them for production took time – we used Onyx Graphics’ workflow software.
The exterior, protruding façade, a signature facet of CAC architect Zaha Hadid’s modern interpretation of Brutalist architecture, provided a compelling backdrop for the exterior wrap (two more were installed inside). I believe this might be one of the first exterior building wraps installed in downtown Cincinnati.
We prepped the interior surface by simply wiping it down with soap and water. The exterior façade required a more thorough cleaning, because the surface had a rough texture due to constant exposure to the elements.

Method to the madness
To produce the wrap, we printed on approximately 20 rolls of 50-in.-wide strips of PhotoTex fabric paper. For the interior walls, we used standard-grade PhotoTex; for the exterior walls, we used PhotoTex EX, a higher-tack version that contains a 50% stronger adhesive. The company’s representatives greatly assisted us in determining the best products. Because the material is, essentially, a fabric paper, it provides a textile-like feel for the artwork, which Afonso appreciated.
We printed the panels on a Fuji Acuity Select HS X2 UV-cure-ink, dual-function printer, which provides both a larger platen than the base model and an 8 x 10-ft. worktable that improves our productivity. For the interior panels, which would receive the closest scrutiny, we printed on the highest-resolution setting. For the exterior mural’s height and viewing distance, we settled on a medium-high setting. A great attribute of UV-cure inks is their durability; for many projects, such as this one-year installation, lamination isn’t required. We overlapped the approximately 40 panels by 1 in.
To install the interior panels, we used a JLG scissor lift and several levels of scaffolding. Outside, we worked from an Elliott 135-ft.-reach boom lift. Installation required three days; we simply brought as much printed material as we knew we could install on a given day.
The project was particularly challenging because we didn’t have precise measurements for the façade’s configuration – the CAC didn’t possess them – so we referenced Hadid’s architectural renderings and proceeded carefully.
The CAC’s facility provided no straight lines, so design and installation required graphics that bled to the material’s edge. We did a ridiculous amount of measuring to account for the angles, which was one of the job’s biggest challenges. The height of the wall and combating winter’s chill and the elements compounded the angles’ difficulty.
Outside, we had to start with the façade’s angles in the corners. Aligning the panels properly took time. The client had a tight timeframe – when doesn’t that happen? – so we had to significantly plan ahead to make sure we had the right equipment and preparation for installation. Because we were ready, we worked efficiently, and the client was thrilled with the result.
The CAC has been a terrific client for several sign and environmental-graphic projects. They appreciate the use of quality material and workmanship, and are willing to invest in promoting their image.