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At PressOn, we’ve worked on all kinds of lift graphics projects, for all kinds of brands. We’ve seen a wide range of creative and unusual designs, but when many of our clients get in touch with us, a few key questions come up.
Ordering graphics for an unusual format like lifts can be a challenge, particularly if it’s not something with which you’re familiar. The finer points of the designs – and the information you’ll need to have to hand – might not be immediately obvious, so we thought we’d run through some of the key things to know.
Whether you’re at the very earliest stages of a media campaign, or have sorted the designs and have a plan in place, here are some of the most important things of which to be aware when ordering lift graphics:
Why use lift graphics?
Lifts can be found in all kinds of public buildings, many of which – such as shopping malls, department stores, hospitals, schools, universities and more – receive a large amount of foot traffic. As a marketing and branding opportunity, lift graphics are a fantastic way for a brand or business to make an impression and reach a wide consumer base.
Lift graphics are also a brilliant way to tie a space together, whether that’s an interior branding project for a head office building, or a way of communicating key messages with students at a university or patients in a hospital.
Lift graphics offer a unique format when compared with more traditional marketing options such as billboards, in that they provide a dynamic, 3-dimensional space on which to install graphics. This provides an opportunity for all kinds of creative and memorable designs, which make the most of things like the doors – or the internal walls inside the lift itself.
However, this can also make the process of designing and ordering lift graphics a little daunting. Fortunately, these processes need not be a source of stress:
How to order lift graphics
The process of ordering lift graphics is thankfully very similar to many other marketing, branding and advertising solutions, in that the first – and most important – order of business is finding a qualified print supplier. An experienced and professional print firm will be able to guide you through much of the more complex elements of the process, and so finding a company that ticks these boxes should be your first port of call.
Finding a supplier – such as PressOn – for your lift graphics can be achieved in a number of ways. Referrals from other brands or connections within your network can be a good place to start, as can a simple internet search. The main thing you should be scrutinising suppliers for is the quality of their work, their experience, and their level of service.
Granted, costing and budgets will be important, but the quality of the work should take precedent – there’s a good reason some print suppliers are more expensive than others.
Once you have a few potential suppliers in mind, pay close attention to things like case studies. Which brands and businesses has the supplier worked with? Have they been established for a long time, and do they have plenty of experience with lifts?
Key considerations:
Once you have all of these criteria fulfilled, and you’re happy with the company/companies you’ve found, get in touch and ask them for a quote. To do this, you’ll need to have a bit of information to hand.
Here are some of the things that we end up discussing most frequently with our clients, which can have the biggest impact on the accuracy of the quotes we give – these things will affect cost and turnaround times, so it’s important to think about them early on:
Will both the interior and exterior have graphics?
You may or may not have considered this, but it’s possible to apply graphics to both the inside and the outside of a lift with vinyl. This can open up all kinds of creative possibilities, particularly when it comes to designs that feature in confined spaces. This unique context can take advantage of the unusual viewing distance (both inside and outside the lift), or other features such as mirrors.
It’s worth considering all of these early on, as they will have a big impact on things like the font sizes for logos etc. You’ll need to take note of any obstructions, such as hand-rails or lift controls, which could affect your designs. Decide early on if your designs will feature solely on the doors, or the entire surface of the lift, and let your supplier know.
How long will the project need to last?
Project duration is a more common consideration for marketing and branding campaigns, and it’s definitely something you’ll need to think about for your lift graphics. Often, lift space is provided through a third party, rather than the owner of the building in which the lifts are located, and the campaign will need to be confirmed with/through them. Availability and cost will all be dependent on this duration.
It’s also important for the print supplier to know how long the graphics will need to be installed for, as this will enable them to make accurate decisions about the more technical aspects of the print process, such as choosing the correct materials for the needs of the project.
What are the practical implications of installation?
It’s also vital to bear in mind not only the graphics themselves, but how you’ll get them into place. A good print supplier will offer an installation service, but it’s helpful to think about the process of installation in advance, so you can let them know.
You’ll need to consider access, and whether or not the closure of a lift could cause a safety/accessibility issue. Often, lift graphics installations take place out of hours or even overnight, so it’s useful to think about whether this is a potential option. If you’re not sure, many good print suppliers will offer a site survey service and visit the space to assess the situation.
Are the lifts in good condition?
Another practical element of the process is the condition of the lifts themselves. This might not seem initially something to be concerned about, but the nature of the surface of a lift will have a direct impact on how smooth an installation your supplier may be able to offer. Lifts are used by people nearly every day, and particularly in busy public spaces, they can take a bit of a battering. As a consequence, they can often feature bumps, scratches and more.
This can make an installation challenging, and if there are any imperfections, blemishes, or other issues, you’ll need to have these rectified before print installation can take place. Lift doors and any internal panels need to be in good, clean condition prior to the graphics being installed.
All sorted?
Hopefully, this list will help you get your head around the process, and give you a broad overview of what you’ll need to think about when you’re going about ordering your lift graphics. If you have any other questions, however, feel free to get in touch with us here at PressOn – we’re always happy to discuss a project in more detail, or to answer any queries you may have.
