VIBRANT VINYL

Bespoke designs give buildings an identity and those that work within them a feeling of ownership and belonging. Unique designs and graphics can immediately change the atmosphere and ambience of a building, so when a Buckinghamshire school decided to improve the appearance of a number of windows at the building entrance, some of the responsibility for designing the artwork was handed to the students…

It was decided that five large panes of glass should be updated to feature bright colourful graphics but the question was, what should they feature? With pupils clearly the most important part of the school, it was they that were given the opportunity to shape the designs. The students came up with a range of illustrations which were then passed onto renowned local artist Stu McLellan.

McLellan has played a part in a range of other community based projects so was able to work alongside the pupils to come up with a range of bright, vivid and eye-catching artwork. It was then up to The Window Film Company to deliver a way of reproducing the artwork on the glass.

After discussions with the school, it was agreed that the designs would be printed onto a clear vinyl. A long-lasting and durable film, vinyl can be applied to either the internal or external face of the glass and provides the perfect surface for printing onto. As well as delivering a fantastic printed appearance, the film has the advantage of also allowing for a high level of natural light to pass through the glass ensuring that the room within doesn’t feel unnecessarily dark.

The Window Film Company uses state of the art print technology and a number of additional techniques can also be employed to deliver the best possible result. One such technique is a multiple strike print, which sees each part of the element printed several times in one pass, the printer laying down another layer of ink to deliver a brighter, more vibrant image. With the designs created by the pupils featuring such a wide spectrum of colour, it was decided that a double strike print would deliver the best results, reproducing the imagery in the brightest, most vivid colours possible.

Proofs of each of the panels were prepared and passed to the school for approval. Once signed off, the panels were printed and cut at The Window Film Company’s Buckinghamshire Headquarters. By carrying out each print job in-house it is possible to maintain excellent levels of quality control, whilst also being able to deliver against tight deadlines and short turn-round times.

The film was installed by one of The Window Film Company’s fully trained installation teams, the work carried out ahead of a strict deadline and at a time designed to mean the minimum of disruption for the school.

Once installed, the entrance to the school was instantly transformed, with the colourful designs providing a bright and welcoming atmosphere.

For more information on how The Window Film Company can transform your glass with printed graphics, or for details on the range of solar control, safety and security, manifestation and privacy film available, contact one of the team today on 01494 794477.