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Macy's is probably one of the most recognized retail brands in America. The retailer is known for creating unique merchandise assortments, hosting attention-getting fashion events, and driving innovative campaigns with high profile celebrities. Through ongoing research they are also good at identifying their "core" customers, studying their lifestyles, and striving to mold their merchandise and store experiences around their needs with bold store graphics.
Graphics Go In House
Macy's Midwest is one of two new Macy's, Inc. divisions established in 2006. Based in St. Louis, it operates more than 100 stores across the midsection of the US and produces most of the in store graphics in house. "Our graphics division started in the late '90s in a small room with two inkjet printers and has grown into a full service 20,000 square-foot facility that is now is today," said Hal Deane, graphic designer, Macy's Midwest, Visual Merchandising Department.
Deane, who has been in the graphic arts business since 1996, joined Macy's back in 1999. "Today we have ten full-time employees that work in our full service wide-format printing facility that serves the Midwest division which has over 100 stores. We print utilizing silkscreen, photographic, and inkjet technologies," said Deane.
Among the shop's equipment arsenal are four wide-format inkjet printers, an Océ LightJet 500XL, as well as an AGL laminator and Fotoba trimmer.
They installed the LightJet nearly six months ago. "It has really helped expand our output capabilities," said Deane. "The unit's prints are ideal for oversized projects such as backlit graphics, point of purchase, and fine art signage."
The Visual Merchandising Department provides about 100 percent of regional visual graphics and sales graphics for Macy's Midwest division stores. "Our mainstays are graphics that go in store fixtures. We also produce floor graphics, wall murals, adhesive vinyl graphics, and backlit displays."
Deane has been very happy with the work they are getting off their LightJet. "By using the LightJet, I can get more work produced on it in one day than utilizing three inkjet printers; and the quality is better."
The Lightjet is used to produce signage for uniframe fixtures that sit on counter tops or on floor displays with the mannequins. "We also use it to produce wall murals and various other point-of-purchase graphics. We run Fujifilm Super Type C Matte media and well as their trans materials. We are getting very good results with Fujifilm media."
Deane is blown away by the quality of the LightJet. "We utilize a lot of photographic images of the merchandise we are featuring in the jobs we produce, so details are important. The photographic quality is excellent, you can't beat the quality…it's a solid machine. If our workload continues to increase like this, I might need to add an additional LightJet in the future," he concluded.
author: BY BILL SCHIFFNER