Sons of Sylvia Digital

It seems that almost every day, we are making a new digitally printed backdrop for an artist or band.  It is really interesting to see these backdrops in the various stages of construction.  First, the individual panels running through our wide format digital printer.  Then, the panels being matched together and sewn.  And finally, the finished backdrop hanging on our mechanical truss for the final quality control check before being shipped to the client.

Even more exciting, however, is seeing these backdrops actually in use – on stage with the artist or band.  It makes it so much more real – to know that these beautiful pieces went from plain fabric to beautiful scenic backdrop to part of an actual concert! 

One of the backdrops that I have recently seen onstage was a 30′ h x 32′ backdrop that we made earlier this year for Sons of Sylvia, the country music trio of brothers.  Printed on FR Heavy Knit, a durable wrinkle-resistant digital substrate, the backdrop was also topically treated for flame retardancy after printing, meeting National, California and New York City standards for flame retardancy.  Also included on the order was a Tear Away header, which allows the backdrop to function as a kabuki without the need for a solenoid system.

Seeing it in a photo is great, but video footage is even better.  Check out this video on YouTube – the backdrop is certainly a prominent feature in the show!

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Backdrops for Billy Idol

John Rios of GrafixJam strikes again!  Last week, I told you about the incredible artwork that he did for Rod Stewart.  Well, we were also privileged recently to use artwork created by John for a trio of digitally printed backdrops commissioned for the Billy Idol 2010 tour.

The scenic backdrops were made as one center panel, 20′ h x 16′ w, with two reverse and repeat side panels, each at 16′ h x 10′ w.  FR Heavy Knit was selected as the fabric substrate for its durability and resistance to wrinkling (so important for tours!).  After printing, the panels were topically treated for flame retardancy, we did the finish sewing, and off went the pieces to show rehearsals here in California.

Take a look at John’s working drawing:

The tour kicked off in Europe in early June and arrives for the North American leg of the tour in early August.  If you think John’s working drawing is amazing, check out this photo taken at one of the tour’s European shows.  The panels really are even more impressive at full size.

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Flame Retardancy of Digitally Printed Backdrops

For years, many digital printers have felt that, if the substrate manufacturer certifies that the fabric is flame retardancy, the digital printer can feel confident to certify that the digitally printed panel is flame retardant.   Many printers still feel this way.

Unfortunately, we have found that this is not always the case.  Depending on the  type of ink and the type of fabric substrate used, as well as the specific colors and ink saturation of a particular image, the completed digital backdrop may be less flame retardant than the unprinted fabric substrate.  In some cases, the inks (or the specific combination of inks and substrate) may actually cause the digital backdrop to become flammable.

So, what do companies that offer custom digital printing services do, in addition to using flame retardant substrates, to ensure that the backdrops they print are flame retardant?  Can they really test every single backdrop to see if the specific combination of inks and colors and saturation and fabric used for that specific backdrop has retained the flame retardancy of the fabric substrate?  And what do they do if it doesn’t?

Here at Sew What?, we have carefully considered all of these questions.  As you are probably aware, if you are a regular reader of this blog, flame retardancy is of utmost importance to us.  We manufacture custom stage drapes and scenic backdrops for use in public spaces – music tours, schools, churches, theatres, special events.  With very rare exception, every drape that we make must meet flame retardancy standards.

As a result, after extensive research and development, we made the choice to topically treat our digital backdrops for flame retardancy – after printing but before sewing.  Yes, some may think that this is overkill.  In some cases (perhaps with a certain type of ink or colors or low ink saturation or fabric), the backdrop might be flame retardant without the topical treatment.  But we’d rather be safe than sorry.

What are the advantages of this decision to our customers, particularly our music touring customers?  It means that when they arrive at a venue in South Dakota or Sacramento or Boston, they can feel comfortable that the backdrop will pass a field test by the local fire marshal.   No production designer or tour manager wants to be told, a few hours before a show, that the backdrop failed a burn test and they have to either remove it from the venue or find a local company to topically treat it onsite (usually at great expense due to the rush situation and onsite visit).

And even with the decision to topically treat our digital backdrops (and the resulting additional cost to do so), we have found that we are still able to remain competitive from a price standpoint.   Which is important – our customers want a safe product, but they still need to consider the bottom line.  And we can feel satisfied that we have offered our customers a product that is both beautiful and safe.

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Digital Backdrop Tips

So, you’re the manager of an up and coming indie band about to start their first club tour.  Or you have a trade show booth and you want your booth to stand out from the crowd.  Or you are with a church or school about to debut a new production.  You think you want a digitally printed backdrop, but you’re feeling a little intimidated because you don’t know much about the process of purchasing a custom digital backdrop.   Well, I hope this post starts you on the path and relieves that intimidation just a bit!

Substrate

The first thing to consider is how the backdrop will be used, as different fabric substrates work better for different applications.  Will it be frontlit or backlit?  Will you be using it indoors or outdoors?  Do you want it opaque or sheer? Do you plan to use it as a kabuki?  Are you planning to project on it?  Are you looking for a traditional fabric substrate, or something along the lines of a vinyl or vinyl mesh?  Think about these issues, and then discuss your needs with us so that we can recommend the substrate that is most appropriate for your project.

Print Method

There are two basic methods of digital printing – direct print and dye sublimation.  Some factors to consider when choosing between the two methods are: fabric feel (stiffer or softer), maximum seamless width, image resolution, color saturation, and budget.    I’ve posted about the difference between the two in a prior post, so I won’t repeat myself here, but this is definitely a item to consider.

Pricing

Because traditional stage backdrops and custom stage curtains are priced on an individual basis, according to a variety of factors including size, face fabric, lining fabric (if any), fullness, design complexity, and much more, it is difficult (if not impossible) to give a “ballpark” on the price of a stage curtain.  There is not an “average”, because there is no such thing as an “average” theatre drape – there are just too many variables.  

However, digitally printed backdrops tend to have much fewer variables.  Nearly all of them are sewn flat (unpleated), and the number of available substrates is relatively limited.  For that reason, digitally printed backdrops are typically priced by the square foot, based on the substrate and print method.  This allows you to have a rough idea of the price as you make decisions on size and substrate.  

One substrate and/or print method might have a higher price per square foot, whereas another substrate and/or print method might have a lower price per square foot.   If budget is an issue (which I think it is for everyone these days – even though the budget may be higher for some than for others), then you should keep in mind the

Artwork

Other than a small number of “special offer” stock digital backdrops, the custom digital backdrops that we produce are based on print-ready artwork provided by the customer (though we do offer limited graphic services to assist in preparing or repairing your file).  You may purchase the image from a stock image source (there are a number on the Internet), you may create it yourself, or you may utilize the services of a commercial graphic designer.  Keep in mind that, due to copyright laws, you must be the copyright owner (or have permission from the copyright owner) to print an image.

Typically, you will be asked to provide the artwork to Sew What? in a digital file.  At Sew What, we work with Windows PC-based files only (rather than Mac files), and we prefer that files be saved as an EPS or a PSD file, as we work primarily in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.  All files should be in layers, in CMYK color mode.  We can also work with Vector art that is delivered as an EPS or .AI file.  Files may be delivered in a variety of methods, including floppy disk, Zip disk, CD/DVD, e-mail, or FTP, depending on the size of the file.  More detailed information may be found in our File Preparation Guidelines.

Well, I hope this post gives you the information that you need to start planning your digital backdrop.  Feel free to call us with any questions  - we’d be happy to help.

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Digital Printing Portfolio

We’ve been offering wide format digitally printing for quite some time now, but, since we didn’t have a dedicated digital portfolio page on our website, most of our digital project photos were either displayed on one of our other portfolio pages, within the product pages, or in this blog. 

Well, I am excited to say that we now have a digital portfolio page on our website!  There are ten projects highlighted on the page – just a small percentage of the number of digital projects that we have done, but a really good representation of our work.

To mention just a few of the projects featured on the page:

Brooks and Dunn “The Last Rodeo”

This was a recent project that we really enjoyed, that included a main “tour logo” backdrop along with two “cowgirl” backdrops.  For more info, check out my previous blog post.

Great American Food Fest

This was a huge project – dozens of digital backdrops and signage for this Northern California event.  I got so excited with watching the progress of this project that I ended up buying tickets and driving up for the weekend to attend the event.  And guess what?  I took the photos shown on our portfolio (OK, I don’t claim to be an expert photographer, but I think they turned out pretty nice).

Soulja Boy

I blogged about this digital / mixed media awhile back, but at the time I didn’t have a photo to add to my post.  Well, check out the photo on our digital portfolio page – it really is impressive!

Want to see more?  Head over to the Digital Printing Portfolio.

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Backdrops for Tegan and Sara

We worked on a fun digital printing project last month with Benjamin Price, and he recently sent us some great photos that I thought I’d share.

Benjamin was working on the Tegan and Sara tour (if you aren’t familiar with Tegan and Sara, they are a Canadian indie band lead by twin sisters Tegan Quin and Sara Quin).  While looking for a provider of wide format digital printing for a series of custom backdrops for the tour, Benjamin contacted Megan, and we were off and running.

Rather than make one large backdrop, the decision was made to instead print a series of five backdrops, each 24′ h x 6′ w.   Emmy Story’s artwork, composed of a series of diagonal colored lines, is beautiful in and of itself, but the repetition and crossover that occurs when hanging the five panels side by side with space in between, emphasizes the drama of the artwork.

Backdrop Image: Emmy Story; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Price

Lighting also plays a big part in creating a dramatic effect.  The backdrops were backlit using 2 Martin stage bars per panel – one for a short throw and one for a long throw.  During portions of the show, they were also frontlit using a Martin Mac 700 profile with a custom Bar gobo for each panel.  Here’s another photo to show the effect that lighting has one the artwork:

Backdrop Image: Emmy Story; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Price

This really was a fun project to work on – it is so rewarding in our business to have the opportunity to work on digital backdrops, custom stage curtains, and other soft goods for so many talented artists such as Tegan and Sara, and to see our work looking so gorgeous on stage as in these photos.

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Little Big Town

Earlier this month, we were excited to be selected to provide soft goods for the 2010 tour of Little Big Town, the amazing country music group that has been steadily climbing the charts.  The main element of the project was a series of digitally printed backdrop panels and riser skirts. 

John Rios of GrafixJam (whom I have mentioned in past posts) designed the digital artwork, and as usual, John’s work was gorgeous.  He created a “Distressed Fleur de Lis” pattern in black and white that is quite theatrical and dramatic. 

Once we received the artwork files from John, we went to work printing the project using our wide format EFI Vutek QS3200 printer with UV-curable 3M inks.  In order to create a “vintage flocked velvet” appearance, we used a flame retardant specialty fabric substrate that resembles suede/velveteen.  The digital backdrop pieces were made as a series of four panels, each 24′ h x 10′ w, allowing them to be used individually or combined to make one large backdrop of 24′ h x 40′ w.  Riser skirts printed with the same image and fabric tie the set design together.

And once again, the use of lighting techniques allows the panels to appear in their original “black and white” or in a variety of colors.  There is a great photo on the Country Throwdown Photostream that is a perfect illustration of this – check out the “aqua” hanging panels as compared to the black and white riser skirts.  Yes, the hanging panels really are printed in black and white – the aqua color is a result of the stage lighting technique.

Want to see more?  Check out this video on YouTube of Little Big Town at Big Country Throwdown this past weekend.

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Digitals for Brooks & Dunn

Back in 2008, we were excited to be selected by Randy “Baja” Fletcher, tour manager for country music superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, to provide a digitally printed wide-format backdrop for the tour. 

Obviously, the result was successful, because Baja came back to Megan in February 2010 and asked Sew What? to print and manufacture new backdrops for Brooks & Dunn’s “Last Rodeo” 2010 farewell tour.

The project included several different digital backdrops, with artwork provided by graphic artist Mike Swinford and printing and sewing done by Sew What?  Mike’s images really are amazing – I especially love the Cowgirl images:

It is so gratifying to have clients such as Brooks & Dunn return to Sew What? for tour after tour, and to have the opportunity to work with such gorgeous artwork. The tour kicked off on April 29th, and I am pleased to say that the backdrops look great, as evidenced by the photos!  Want to know more about this project?  Check out this article for more information and photos.

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The Big Picture

You may recall the post I did in late December about the terrific backdrop we made for Brian Setzer’s “Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza” tour.  Well, around the same time, Megan was interviewed by The Big Picture, a print and online magazine that focuses on wide format digital printing, and this same backdrop was the focus of the interview.

Recently, we were excited to read the article based on that interview, published in February 2010 and posted online on March 11th.  Check it out to get the story from a different focus – targeted specifically to the wide format digital printing industry.

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Printing for Christmas

We recently completed a 24′ h x 40′ w digitally printed project for Brian Setzer for the current “Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza” tour.  We have worked with this client before and enjoy doing their projects, and in the past have provided everything from traditional textiles to digitally printed backdrops to stage set elements.  But our most favorite time of the year is Christmas – we love to decorate and celebrate – and we always get excited about participating in Christmas shows, so this was a fun print project to tackle.

The project took one week to complete.  We did not design the artwork ourselves – instead it was build by the client’s own graphic artist as a vector file in Adobe Illustrator ®.  This was a cartoon-style graphic – lots of color and bright imagery. 

This type of graphic particularly lends itself to being digitally printed – the blues and bright tones show so well under concert stage lighting.

For this backdrop, we chose a heavy knit for two reasons.  First, in our industry, being flame retardant to national standards (at a minimum) is very important, and this material met the client’s requirements in terms of flame retardancy.  Second, knit type materials are perfect when the client needs to store the pieces folded up – when re-hung, the knit fabric relaxes and the wrinkles tend to hang out fairly well.  As you can imagine, in a stage or concert backdrop, clients don’t want to see wrinkles!

We use exclusively 3M inks with our 120″ Vutek QS3200 printer and use Colorburst for our RIP software.  I think the combination of the inks, the printer, and the software really come together for beautiful colors in the end product. 

For this project, print time took four hours, not including sewing / finishing time.  The piece was finished with webbing, grommets & ties across the top (we use a Jopevi electric grommet machine), which is a traditional backdrop finish.  The sides are durably hemmed (we prefer Consew brand commercial sewing machines) and the bottom is completed with a hidden weight pocket to help the drop hang nicely.

Offering digitally printed textiles in addition to our regular services is a benefit to our clients and allows us to keep the complete show in-house in terms of production.   I tend to post a lot about concert projects we work on – primarily because those are the projects that we can usually get photos of or find videos on YouTube.  However, as a full service sewing shop, we do produce all sorts of textile products for the theatre and stage, including traditional stage draperies, and more and more we are beginning to get request for digitally printed backdrops from schools, churches, and other non-tour customers – they really add a beautiful element to a show, and if the artwork is nice (such as a beautiful snow scene), the drop can be used at the annual holiday show for years to come.

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