Although 3D printers have been around for a few decades, they are not quite commonplace. When will this technology become more accessible? Some say 2012 is the year and that the manufacturing industry, specifically, cannot ignore this revolution. Lisa Harouni, co-founder of Digital Forming says that “with 3D printing, we can actually create structures that are more intricate than any other manufacturing technology — or, in fact, are impossible to build in any other way.” See her full video on 3D Printing here.

Most current 3D printing applications are not being used to manufacture consumer end products, but most expect that to be the future for this industry. As of now, 3D printing “enables engineers to check the fit of different parts long before they commit to costly production, architects to show detailed and relatively low-cost scale models to their clients, and medical professionals or archaeologists to handle full-size, 3D copies of bones printed from 3D scan data. There are also a wide range of educational uses.” says Christopher Barnatt on his blog “Explaining the Future”. See his detailed explanation of 3D printing here.

For the A/E/C industry, offering fast, affordable 3D printing is one of our specialties. At Thomas Reprographics you can get fast, low-cost 3D printed models directly from your 3D CAD files. From the very first concept development meeting, you can visualize and communicate in 3D. Use physical models to explore concepts and communicate your vision to your clients, without the time and price constraints of hand-made models. It also helps identify form, fit, function, and error of a product. 3D models help clients thoroughly review a product before production begins, saving time and money.

Click here for more information.

As a marketer, are you looking for novel ways to convey your message? Bright graphics and media messages on the ground are starting to catch the eye of more advertisers and consumers than ever. According to Tim Greene, director of wide-format market research at InfoTrends, the North American market for floor graphics will grow at a rate of nearly 12 percent through 2015 (read the full article here). With the variety of media options available for floor graphics now, consumers have many opportunities for ground-level projects. Graphics can be installed on pretty much any floor service, from concrete and vinyl to carpet; outdoor or indoor applications. Make sure your provider is using an anti-skid material and you can really floor your clients! Give a Thomas Reprographics specialist a call, and we can give you several options to consider to begin advertising on the ground-level!

Do you struggle with creative ways to showcase your signage or graphics for your business? Do you have a specific style or look in mind, but don’t know how to make it happen?

See how Thomas Reprographics uses its creativity, experience and relationships with vendors to help firms overcome their signage challenges.

Business owners nationwide are discovering that car wraps and vehicle graphics are the best way to reach customers quickly, effectively and economically. Compared to traditional forms of advertising &emdash; outdoor signs, television, print and radio &emdash; vehicle advertising can reach more consumers at a lower Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) than any other form of outdoor advertising.

Eye-Opening Mobile Advertising Facts

Consider these statistics compiled by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America:

• More than 95% of Americans are reached by media targeting vehicle drivers and passengers.
• One vehicle wrap can generate between 30,000 – 70,000 impressions daily.
• Fleet vehicle advertising boosts name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.
• 30% of mobile outdoor viewers indicate they would base a buying decision on the ad they see.

The Best Return on Your Advertising Investment

The benefits of a vehicle wrap hit home with stunning clarity when you compare its cost to the Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) of other forms of advertising (Statistics courtesy of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America):

• A 30-second prime-time spot in the top 100 television markets cost $17.78 per CPM.
• A 60-second drive-time ad in the top 100 radio markets cost $8.61 per CPM.
• A one-third b/w page ad in the top 100 newspaper markets cost $22.95 per CPM.
• A four-color one-page ad in 23 top magazine publications cost $9.35 per CPM.
• The average for all forms of billboard ads cost $2.18 per CPM.
• Vehicle wraps cost $.77 per CPM.

Turn your vehicles into moving billboards with colorful fleet graphics today! Thomas Reprographics offers decal and full color graphic solutions to make your message stand out from the crowd. Graphics can be applied to any side of your vehicle, including rear roll-up doors. We handle all manufacturing and installation from full vehicle wraps on bobtails, trailers, vans and pick-ups to small vinyl cut logos and lettering. We pride ourselves on professional, local installation and our relationships with installers throughout the U.S. who are all capable of getting the job done right the first time.

Why use Thomas Reprographics?

• Our quality materials have a 3-5 year average lifespan
• Use your custom logos or artwork
• Professional installation available in most U.S. cities
• Quick turn-around

Click here to download a 25% off coupon!

Read the full article here.

Bennigan’s, a valued client of Thomas Reprographics, has honored the company with their “Vendor of the Year” award. Bennigan’s uses the Visualogistix service from Thomas Reprographics, which provides companies with control, customization and availability of marketing material through an online storefront. Franchises can order everything from signs and banners to menus and coupons through a branded online store, which streamlines the ordering process and allows for customization to meet the franchise’s needs. To see the full press release, click here.

Visualogistix brings collateral management into the 21st century. Instead of letting signs, menus, displays and other material get outdated because it’s too hard to make changes, you can quickly and easily make changes, while ensuring high quality and brand consistency. To see more about this service go to www.visualogistix.com.

As a team building exercise following our 2012 National Sales Conference, our Dallas sales team stocked the shelves at the North Texas Food Bank. They all had a great time together, but most importantly were able to prepare pallets that would feed 6,480 people!

They were able to complete:

• 7 pallets of food
• 225 boxes
• 7,774 pounds

Employees from Thomas Reprographics also donated 500 lbs of food which feeds about 417 people.

Thomas Reprographics cares about the community and is proud of the efforts made by the Dallas sales team. See how you can help in North Texas at www.ntfb.org, or check out your local area food bank!

Thomas Reprographics will be exhibiting at the 52nd Annual IFA Convention in Orlando, Florida on February 11-14. Representing the company will be Bryan Thomas, Trevor Hansen, Richard Lira and Mario Erwin. Thomas will be demonstrating Visualogistix® from a newly designed 20’x10’ booth. Over 300 vendors will be exhibiting at this year’s show. Thomas Reprographics has been a Supplier member of the International Franchise Association since 2009.
The keynote speakers at the convention will be:

• Bill O’Reilly from FOX News
• David Novak, Chairman & CEO of YUM! Brands, Inc.
• Guy Kawasaki, author and former chief evangelist of Apple

Thomas Reprographics is participating in the show this year to share with the over 3,000 franchise professionals, from many of the industry’s largest, most iconic franchise brands about the benefits of using Visualogistix®.

For franchisers, Visualogistix® brings their collateral management into the 21st century. Instead of leaving everything to individual franchisees (and worrying about consistent branding) or producing mass quantities of materials (without allowing for local customization) or completing separate jobs for each franchise (which is expensive), they can order what they need when they need it with the ability to enforce branding standards and allow for customization as needed.

Visualogistix® offers:

• All collateral — signs, displays, brochures, posters, flyers, everything — stored electronically
• A customized Web page to order the collateral — with 24/7 access from anywhere in the world
• The ability to establish standards for customization — and consistency — across the organization
• Access for franchisees to order collateral as needed — within your established approval process
• Reduced time — and the associated costs — spent ensuring brand consistency, managing revisions, resolving differences between franchisees, and more.

See all that Visualogistix® has to offer at www.visualogistix.com.

More information on IFA can be found at www.franchise.org. If you are attending the show, stop by and see us in booth #736.

What’s on the horizon for green building in 2012? Experts say it will rebound globally despite continuing economic stresses. Expected at the top of the trends are the transition to LEED 2012 (the newest version of the green building rating system), the adoption of sustainable building practices internationally and an increased focus on greening existing buildings.

See details on top trends here and here.

As a digital print service provider, Thomas Reprographics takes sustainability seriously. From the products and equipment used to employee and customer education, we have adopted sustainability practices to help make a positive impact for future generations. With the digital era, it’s much easier to offer our customers ways to manage and distribute their information without the use of paper. In Digital Publishing Solutions December 2011 issue, Thomas Reprographics is highlighted as an eco-conscious company featuring our sustainable practices (read the full article).

Remember Thomas Reprographics when considering your contribution to green building in 2012!

Happy holidays and good tidings of gingerbread!

Ginger and the Snaps represented A&E – The Graphics Complex well in Saturday’s Gingerbread Build-off competition. They didn’t bring home one of the awards, but at the AIA’s request, their holiday gazebo was chosen to go on display at the ArCH exhibition! The winning structures, along with a few select entries, will be on public display for a week in the ArCH gallery at 315 Capital.

Ginger and the Snaps is so proud of their gazebo; the team really stepped it up a notch from last year and paid a lot of attention to detail. Standing inside the gazebo was a decorated Christmas tree, with little wrapped packages and toys underneath. Snowmen and Santa in his sleigh were close by in the snow, and there was even a gingerbread man fishing in the outdoor pond! Hand painted nutcrackers stood guard at the gazebo steps.

Competition was very stiff this year (most of the winning teams brought in professional pastry chefs to assist them), and some of the entries were unbelievable. Winners included gingerbread interpretations of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Astrodome and Houston’s historic Alabama Theatre. There was a realistic looking pirate ship and a tall tower with Rapunzel’s hair (spaghetti, of course) flowing out of the tower window. This year, the public got to vote on their favorite.

Ginger and the Snaps consisted of Ashley Ford, Ed Stevelman, Debby Joiner and Bettye Guillory. This is their second time in the Gingerbread Build-off. They look forward to next year’s competition!