How are foam and Gatorfoam boards professionally made?
If you are looking to propel your company to the next level by increasing your brand awareness, advertising new products, or minimizing your customer acquisition cost, it is important to look for new marketing venues. To this end, there is one printing technique that is frequently used in almost every industry, but may have been overlooked or underestimated by you: foam boards and Gatorfoam boards (also known as Gatorboards) are both excellent tools for marketing your business.
Given their sturdy and multi-purpose nature, you might want to consider the value that foam boards can have in propelling your company forward through inexpensive and effective advertising. Foam and Gatorfoam boards have a great reputation for performing well in advertising due to their versatile nature, which, combined with their strong construction, produces a popular marketing vessel. In addition, they are generally inexpensive and they can be easily maneuvered or re-positioned to wherever they would best suit the needs of your company at that moment.
Composition of Foam Board Advertising
The two different types of foam boards have some similar central components. For example, both foam and Gatorfoam boards are simply two different types of heavy-duty boards with a foam core in the middle.
However, the two materials do vary in a few key aspects:
Composition: They differ primarily in the materials used for their exterior surfaces, which encase the inner core. Foam boards use a thin cardboard as its outer-facing material, whereas Gatorfoam uses a rigid wood fiber veneer to surround its interior foam core.
Durability: Gatorfoam is renowned for its durability since the wood fiber veneer resists most types of breakage, bends, dents, or warping. On the other hand, the outer-surface material of regular foam boards is not strong enough to resist this kind of damage.
Both types of boards have many different uses. They can be utilized as yard signs, frame backings, poster boards, or art mounts. However, the capacity of Gatorfoam to withstand tougher exterior conditions allows for a wider variety of applications. Apart from being used as signage, it can also be used as set props, to build floats, develop exhibits, or stand out as a Point-Of-Purchase display.
Water Resistance: Gatorfoam boards generally last longer than foam boards, making them slightly more beneficial for advertising in particular instances. The injection of a resin within the wood fiber veneer makes them conveniently water resistant, whereas the foam board’s outer cardboard layer does not allow for that.
Fading: The same high-quality veneer surface that makes your Gatorfoam board water-resistant also works to protect your graphics from sun bleaching, especially if you keep it protected. It will last even longer if you have chosen white Gatorfoam. However, ultraviolet rays do cause the foam to degrade, so it should still not be kept outside unprotected for extended periods of time.
In particular, black Gatorfoam is subject to fading because darker colors absorb ultraviolet rays instead of reflecting them. Warping caused by sun or water damage is also a concern and, while it is minimized through the use of high-quality foam, it is still something that should always be considered.
Professional Signs in Orange County
Foam boards can be used for both digital and screen-printing, making them a great choice for displays, exhibits, kiosks, or as exterior signage. They come in a variety of thicknesses and sizes so that you can create a product that suits your needs as best as possible. In particular, foam boards are great for advertisements that require high-contrast graphics or lots of color, since it generally has a very bright white face that is perfect for printing on.
If you simply take a look around as you run some errands throughout the day, you can see that foam boards are used nearly everywhere from grocery stores and department stores, to television stations, and even in architectural models.
They are also prevalent as a temporary means of marketing, such as during special events, on parade floats, and as posters.
The standard size for foam and Gatorfoam boards is generally 48 inches by 96 inches. Both boards are available in a variety of thicknesses ranging from 3/16 inches to 1 1/2 inches. You should choose the thickness based on how sturdy you need the sign to be and how long you want it to last.
Specialized Gatorfoam Boards
It is also possible to obtain heat-activated Gatorfoam boards, which are specifically designed for use with a heat press, therefore eliminating the need for dry board mounting tissue. This feature makes it great to use for posters or any type of paper-backed graphic print.
These two types of boards are useful in different ways. Regardless of your end goal and where you plan on putting it, either of the two materials can be an effective option for you or your company since they are both foam-based, lightweight surfaces that serve as a great vessel for graphic printing.
