On Tuesday, Sign and Digital UK will return with a host of exhibitors, a new Green Trail to highlight more sustainable sign-making products, and a range of educational sessions. The importance of learning, beyond watching a couple of minutes of a new printer demonstration, has retained a steady hold at the show, and so it should – as the only dedicated exhibition for the UK sign industry it is important that it leads the way.
Sign and Digital UK 2012 will include the return of the Signmaker's Workshop, an area of the show floor where visitors can learn the basics of sign-making techniques. On each of the three days of the show (March 27th, 28th and 29th) from 10.30am to 12pm, attendees can learn all about vinyl in the Basic Application of Vinyl session. The following slot, between 12.30 and 2pm, offers the Basics of Vehicle Livery, from layout and preparing the vehicle to applying vinyl to the surface and finishing, including tricky door and panel seams. The Basics of Making a Signboard will be the last session of each day, from 2.30 to 4pm, and will approach the different kinds of substrates used for a signboard and how to work with them, frames and sign trays. Each of the sessions will have a hands-on angle with viewers encouraged to try out the relevant techniques, as well as a Q&A portion.
Meanwhile, the popular Adobe Theatre will once again be present. Many of the sessions are standing room only so it's recommended that those serious about taking in the valuable information on offer arrive early. Six topics will be covered, with the schedule repeated on the second and third days of the show (with the exception of the final session in the programme, which won't take place on Thursday owing to the earlier closing time).
The first subject is Photoshop Elements 10, bundled with Premiere Elements 10, and will give advice on editing both still and moving images. Next up is an introduction of 'the underestimated and neglected' Adobe Bridge CS5, followed by a look at the new tools included in the Photoshop CS5.1 software, while the rest of the afternoon will address InDesign, Illustrator and controlling colour – during which soft-proofing will be 'made easy', according to the organiser. The sessions are 45 minutes or an hour long each, which will ensure time for plenty of tips and examples of how to make the most of the software.
Adobe won't have the monopoly on software at Sign and Digital UK, however: Corel will also be presenting an educational scheme on its CorelDraw package including the Wilcom DecoStudio for apparel embroidery. The other sessions, all 45 minutes long, will offer an introduction to the new features of the CorelDraw Graphics Suite, a step-by-step poster project workshop, a lesson in choosing and using colour in CorelDraw and Corel Photo-Paint and creating Color Styles to speed up the workflow, advice on adding CorelDraw graphics to video content produced using Corel VideoStudio Pro, and a look at page layout and fonts. The full programme will run on each of the three days, with slightly different times scheduled for the final afternoon – check at the stand for details.
Official educational schemes aside, Sign and Digital UK is a learning experience in itself, with 2012 featuring more information to absorb than most. This year will see the debut of the Green Trail, a programme designed to showcase all the products on display developed with recyclability and sustainability in mind. Heaps of exhibitors and products will be part of the trail, from wide-format printers running water-based inks to sign systems manufactured from bamboo, and from energy-efficient LED lighting options to recycled substrates. The organisers state that the products in the spotlight have been vetted to ensure they are worthy of the 'green' tag, so it's expected to be an excellent introduction to affordable environmental development in the sign industry for those still thinking sustainability means expense.
This year Sign and Digital will also be celebrating its 1980s roots with the community asked to send in or bring along their memories, be they classic machinery and tools, photos of workplaces or, most importantly, pictures of embarrassing haircuts. It's all done with a sense of humour but it'll also be an informative reminder for those who were there – or history lesson for those rather newer to the sector – about how a very hands-on industry has evolved to include the wide-format printing, digital signage and easy personalisation on show at the NEC.