Do your offices look rather drab? Could you use a bit of color – and light – to brighten things up?
Duratrans printing is a generic term for backlit display prints. It’s short for “Durable Transparency” and you’ve probably seen far more examples than you might think, including:
- Movie posters at theaters
- Menu boards for drive-thrus
- Bus stop ads
- Retail window displays
Any lit up display that you can see at night, as well as during the day, is almost certainly a duratrans lightbox.
What Exactly Is Duratrans?
Duratrans is a flexible, thin translucent film – which means it can be backlit. It has to be specially printed (you can’t simply use a regular home or office printer).
The name “duratrans” was created by Kodak in 1979, and technically, it should only be used by companies that are making use of Kodak’s own Duratrans material and approved processes. This is seen as the industry standard, as it produces high-quality images with bright solid colors, crisp edges, and good durability.
In practice, many companies use the term “Duratrans” or “DuraTrans” to describe any printed media that’s produced for display in a lightbox or other backlit application. You’ll want to double check whether or not they’re using Kodak’s material or a cheaper version.
Keep in mind, too, that duratrans just refers to the image itself (not the lightbox used to display it), or the process of creating the image. You’ll need to purchase lightboxes separately. Of course, these can be used over and over again with fresh images.
Duratrans is designed for the display of large full-color images that are lit up to make them more eye-catching (particularly in dim light conditions).
Where Might You Use Duratrans Printing?
Brands can use duratrans printing in both indoor and outdoor environments, and for a wide variety of purposes. Depending on your business, you might consider it for things like:
- Window display signs
- Menu boards
- Point of purchase displays
- Backlit signs
Duratrans isn’t your only option for backlit prints, though. If you’re printing on a very large lightbox mounted at a distance (e.g. for a large roadside display), then backlit vinyl is a great alternative. This has adhesive, so you can use it like a giant sticker. It can also be laminated to protect it from scratches and from wind and rain.
What Are the Advantages of Duratrans Printing?
Duratrans printing means that you can:
- Create full color-images that look great, both close up and from a distance.
- Create signage and advertising that can be seen in dim light conditions and at night, as well as during the daytime.
- Easily change the images you’re using: since the Durantrans print is simply fixed to a lightbox (or other backlit application), you can remove it and replace it whenever you need to. Compared with, say, a sign that uses light up letters, it’s very simple to change whenever you need to.
- Attract the attention of customers, prospects, and passers-by: lit up signage is eye-catching, easy to read, and often memorable.
Perhaps it could be the perfect fit for what your business needs.
If you’re looking to read more about marketing, particularly if you want to learn how to build a profitable marketing strategy, check out this article.