New Vycom Celtec Woodgrain Enables Marketing Company to Provide Client with Rustic Look, Modern Durability

Think Patented put down roots in Miamisburg, Ohio, as a traditional printing company, but has since grown to a full-scale marketing execution proveider, with a wide range of services. It recently added Vycom’s (Booth 7644) Celtec Woodgrain Textured Expanded PVC material to its product lineup to meet a customer’s need for a rustic, yet easy to clean, durable sign.

“To grow our business, we can’t just put ink on paper anymore. We need to add value for the client, and that means having an entire host of tools under one roof,” explains David McNerney, vice president of sales and marketing for Think Patented. “Celtec has always been a reliable substrate for us, and we’re pleased that the new Woodgrain carries the same dependability and features. From our perspective as professional printers, whenever we use textured material it can really add depth or effect to the piece. The Celtec material was no exception. The ink adhered well, the images looked great, and we had no issues with it.”

The Celtec line of signboard solutions is designed for wide-format display applications that demand the highest quality materials. The Woodgrain addition expands the line by giving PSPs and sign makers the ability to offer a wood-looking surface to their clients, with the durability and production ease of using Celtec PVC sheets. It can be used in a wide range of projects, including point of purchase displays, signage, art, storage, store fixtures, exhibits/kiosks, dimensional lettering, and display boards. The lightweight material can be decorated using inkjet or screenprinting processes, and is easy to fabricate, paint, and laminate.

After a round of successful test prints, Jason Schultz, director of strategic accounts at Think Patented, approached McNerney with a new customer challenge:  The World Equestrian Center (WEC) wanted an indoor sign that looked like aged, rustic wood. Because it would be located adjacent to riding facilities where horses regularly clomped through the area, the sign needed to be durable and easy to clean. Celtec Woodgrain was selected as the perfect solution.

WEC provided images of wood in the color and style it liked, as well as the look of aged tin that would be printed on another substrate and attached to the Celtec substrate. Think Patented ran a quarter-scale proof of the concept, and as expected, found the textured substrate brought depth and authenticity to the image.

“It created a very realistic aged-wood look the client loved. We were also able to attach the other substrate to the Celtec material using a simple liquid adhesive, and they were bonded together very soundly,” says Schultz.

Think Patented also achieved the authentic wood sign look by routing the edges of the 1" Celtec on a flatbed cutter to create beveled edges. The team painted the edges to match the color of the wood image using standard wall paint. The entire sign was affixed to the façade of a chapel that resides inside the equestrian center using six, three-inch screws. “The first time the client saw the whole piece completed was when we installed it. They were absolutely blown away,” Schultz adds. “From where it hangs roughly eight feet up, you can’t even tell it’s not real wood.”

McNerney sees many opportunities to use Celtec Woodgrain for its clients, whether the end result is a wood-look product or an image with more depth and texture than flat substrates offer. “This new material continues to meet our expectations for Celtec, and enabled us to differentiate ourselves in delivering a solution to our client,” he says.