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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • June 2017 • 71 shops, and with some creative flair and a little technical know-how, they can also be designed to attract customers with a very eye-catching 3D look. Some compa- nies have even created laminates suitable for carpets. Steve Tomas, head of product brand- ing with FLEXcon, a printer and provider of printing films, says the marketing potential for floor graphics is quite com- pelling, with studies showing an increase of $2 per 1,000 shoppers in lift rate, as a result of those floor-mounted images. That's good news for printers. But considering the graphics are also literally victims of foot traffic all day long, proper installation is an especially important skill to learn in order to turn floor graphics into a lucrative sideline. The good news is that adding floor graphics output to your repertoire probably won't necessarily require new equipment, just a few new skills. David Timmerman, West Coast regional tech- nical specialist with Avery Dennison, says the major differentiations with floor graphics mostly come in the wide choice of substrates, and says work is simple to begin, provided you are already set up to do wide-format printing. "Latex, solvent and UV printer tech- nology can all be used for floor graphics, and no special software is needed unless printers are wanting to create more of a 3D shift in their floor graphics," he says. Given that these are images customers will not be expecting to see, creativity is key, he adds. "You do want to make sure it fits the purpose of the project," he says. "Are you advertising a product? Can you read the advertisement while walking over it? Or are you printing a wood grain or tile pat- tern just to change the look of the floor? A customer may not want to invest in the added artwork cost for creating a 3 D graphic, so if you have the talent in your design team, always present both options —and both prices." Design is critical to these pieces, and learning to finesse the details for the specialized work required to create floor graphics can have a bit of a learning curve, according to Holly Coleman, mar- keting development manager with 3 M's Commercial Solutions Division. "A factor some shops should consider is the process of scaling the graphics," Coleman says. "It usually takes designers some practice creating floor graphics that While many floor graphics are smaller jobs, ambitious signmakers can also work with commercial partners to create room-wide floor displays. (Photo courtesy of 3M)