Any fears regarding the effect the economic climate might have on Sign and Digital UK were unfounded, as true to form the show brought large numbers of high quality visitors to the stands of those exhibiting.

With an exhibitor list claiming to bring together one of the largest ranges of leading suppliers, Sign and Digital UK 2009 promises to showcase some stunning products this year. The line-up will, of course, complement the educational content, with seminars available throughout the event, which runs 28 to 30 April at the NEC Birmingham.

Applelec Sign Components will showcase a number of innovative illuminated sign solutions. Products will include the new Soled range of LED edge lit profiles from Co Sign of Belgium. Soled displays feature an aluminium centre piece with various screw fixing slots, allowing side pieces to be adjusted to fit either a five or 10mm thick acrylic panel. Profiles are interchangeable to overcome fixing constraints, making the edge kits ideal for lighting decorative acrylic panels, hanging signs, wall mounted signs and projecting signs.

Perfect for companies who have booked a big exhibition stand but lack the budget for a custom display, the Expand 2000 pop-up from Expand International is designed to provide a cost effective and flexible solution.

Having decided to exhibit at Sign and Digital UK for the first time in over twenty years, Amari Plastics is set to launch a new Direct to Substrate (DTS) media range. Changes in the sign making industry have prompted the company to refine its range of foam PVC, aluminium composites and acrylic sheets, making the line-up more compatible with flat bed UV digital printing. The new DTS range has been designed to offer quality at competitive prices while ensuring products are more environmentally friendly than their predecessors.

Productivity and reliability, combined with a flexible design, ensure the Durst Rho 320 roll-to-roll and Rho 700 flatbed UV inkjet printers can help create new opportunities. Both print on a variety of media with an upgradable design which should grow with the business.

Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT) has teamed up with Amari Plastics to show a range of large format UV, solvent and aqueous printing solutions including the latest products from Dyss Apollo, Mimaki, Epson, GBC, Seal and Shiraz.

Visitors interested in solvent-based or UV hardware, media, or finishing should visit Fujifilm Sericol to learn what the company's Euromedia range has to offer. This dedicated large format printing range provides hundreds of media products for water-based, solvent-based and laminating applications.

Claimed to offer value for money, Neschen's digital wallpapers are available in four finishes: smooth, sand, linen and stucco. They use standard Solvite adhesives and are available in paper-backed form for low-to-medium human traffic areas as well as linen-backed for areas of medium-to-high traffic. All come on 50m rolls of 1300mm width.

Perspex Distribution will use Sign and Digital UK to highlight its Alupanel aluminium composite sheet. The flagship Alupanel white sheet which can be cut, folded and formed has been enhanced with dedicated products for digital print and economical options for flat and single-sided sign applications.

A remote car rally circuit, with mini cars wrapped in Avery Vinyl, will form the basis of the Robert Horne Group stand. Visitors can try their hand at racing with a competition for the fastest lap. The circuit will be made from Foamalux Xtra which contains recycled foam PVC and represents Robert Horne's commitment to closed loop recycling.

Taking centre stage on the Roland DG (UK) stand will be the VersaCAMM print and cut wide format machine. The new Roland workhorse, the VersaART RS-640, and the VersaUV LEC-300 will also be on display. This will be supported by a selection of engravers as well as a range of applications on display, providing users with ideas and inspiration.

One-stop supplier, Spandex, is to exhibit key products from its hardware, materials and sign systems ranges, including the new PerfectApply cast and polymeric films for vehicle wrap, glazing enhance­ment and graphics applications. These cast and polymeric films are designed to facilitate a bubble-free application.

Backed by a long history with lasers, Identify offers a range of materials and substrates for the benefit of all kinds of signmakers and engravers. Epilog lasers are a major part of the company's portfolio, with subli­mation representing a key part of the company's line-up.

Capitalising on advances in fabric printing, Tecna Display is launching a new display system said to combine low cost, image quality, easy transportation, light weight and washability for repeated use.

J-Teck3, together with the UK dealer and subsidiary, Llannelli-based J-Teck3 UK, will be using Sign and Digital to showcase products including disperse dye inks and pigmented dyes.

HP will debut a number of wide format solutions including the Designjet L65500, Scitex FB950 and Scitex XP2750 printers.

Your Embroidery Services (YES) is to showcase a new direct to product ink jet printer from DTG. Targeted at volume production, the Viper is designed to increase the output of table-top equipment by taking numerous printing pallets at one time.

Learning opportunities abound at Fespa Digital 2009. The event, which runs 12 to 14 May in Amsterdam, aims to provide visitors with a programme of knowledge-sharing initiatives to inspire and help printers reach their business goals in challenging economic conditions. 

Cgate has added to its range of rigid panels with CbondF, a light weight rigid panel featuring a corrugated core between two finished aluminium sheets. It has a strong and durable surface finish for exterior wall surfaces. Unlike Cbond, which can be shaped and used for fabrication, rigid CbondF is ideal for temporary construction.

Fujifilm Sericol will show its latest line-up of wide format printers and business solutions. The Inca Onset S20 will be launched at the show. This UV cure inkjet flatbed printer boasts production speeds of 250m2/h and 50 full bed sheets, with the ability to process substrates as thick as 50mm. The higher productivity Onset S70 will also feature on a big screen.

With vehicle wrap demonstrations throughout the show, Hexis is to show an all-new cast film with Hex'Press adhesive technology specially designed for full vehicle wraps.

A selection of digital printing solutions will be presented by HP, including a range of imaging technologies, workflow solutions and partner applications to provide end-to-end systems for print service providers.

Image and print finishing specialist, Seal Graphics, will underline the importance of its strategic alliance with WP Digital by demonstrating new UV-curable liquid laminates with its AquaSeal 60 UV Pro laminator.

With over one million metres squared of stocks held in its UK warehouse for next day delivery, Soyang Group offers a range of grand format digital printing media produced by parent company, Soyang Technologies China. Media for solvent, UV and dye sublimation printing techniques are all avaiable, with material from 0.76 to 5m wide for the outdoor banner, billboard, backdrop and retail graphic markets.

The evolution of the show, which incorporates and builds on Digital Print World (DPW), is in step with the rapid integration of complementary production techniques and processes to maximise added-value services. Most printers are equipped with the machinery to tackle any job, so quantity is no longer an issue. Instead, the emphasis is on the printed product: its price, quality and turnaround speed.

Two new additions to the imagePRESS family will be presented by Canon: the imagePRESS C6000VP, which extends Canon's high volume digital production colour range and the imagePRESS C1+ device, claimed to be the first colour device with clear toner for the light production market.

Marking, coding and signage specialist, Identify, will exhibit various systems for marking rigid and semi rigid materials. This will include a range of A3 and A4 printers which will be printing directly to various substrates, none of which require pre-treatment. The finished print is designed to offer solvent resistance, making it ideal for short run full colour imaging on presentation items such as signs, badges and folders.

Thermal lamination specialist, D&K, will showcase a range of solutions targeting print and  graphics presentation needs.

Specialist finishing manufacturer, Caslon, will highlight its full range of foiling, thermography and card cutting print finishing solutions for the short to medium run market.

Alongside a range of wide format inkjet and toner-based digital presses, Fujifilm will reveal how version 2.0 of its XMF workflow can improve short run printing, irrespective of the printing process.

Encore Machinery will launch a range of high speed PitStop creasers. Ideal for high volume digital and offset users, the new double-headed PitStop operates at 11,000sph with the ability to crease and perforate in one pass. The PitStop FM Speed can be fitted with a punching tool for Wiro binding or two and four hole drilling. These machines handle sheet sizes up to 50 by 70cm and stocks up to 600gsm with a perforating and micro-perforating tool.

The Robert Horne Group claims to offer a complete range of wide format digital solutions for the graphic display sector including print hardware, software and consumables, supported by an in-house team of advisers and technicians who can offer objective advice, backed by demonstration facilities throughout the UK.

Xerox reseller, Xeretec will be promoting Xerox's New Business of Printing philosophy, working with visitors to make more profit out of digital print. The focus will be on having the right business model, the right workflow and the right print technology. From small office desktop printers to large scale, large volume digital colour presses and wide format printers, Xeretec can supply all Xerox equipment.

Roland DG will share a stand with its principal distributor to the commercial print market, The Paper Company (PaperCo). The stand will feature an array of wide format printing technologies including inkjet printers and printer/cutters from Roland. Together the companies aim to help  printers open up new revenue streams, with experts on hand from both companies to discuss the ROI figures that commercial printers can expect to see from their wide format investment.

The show promises a diverse exhibitor profile, with traditional techniques showcased alongside modern advances to create a multi-faceted event. A number of significant names have signed up including Axyz Automation, Daktronics, Grafityp, Spandex, Ashby Trade Signs, Avery Dennison, Canon, Robert Horne and William Smith. A full exhibitor list can be found by visiting the event website.

Specialising in engraving and signmaking materials, plus traditional and laser engraving systems, Identify's stand is designed as an Aladdin's cave of solutions.

Robert Horne Sign and Display will be promoting its website, which enables signmakers and printers to order ancillary signmaking products on-line. Items range from squeegees, tapes and vinyl to high visibility clothing, knives and gloves and even office stationery. Payment is by credit card, in a safe and secure environment, so there is no need to set up an account.

Visitors to The Sign Show not only have the chance to view the latest technologies and innovations, they are given hands-on opportunities to try out sign making techniques, including gold gilding, as demonstrated by Torquay-based, Chapman and Smith. Delegates are encouraged to try their hand at this skill at the show.

Claimed to be the industry's first amalgamated back lighting unit, Applelec Sign Components will launch its LED Light Sheet panel. This comprises a number of high brightness LEDs embedded in an acrylic panel, said to result in a slender profile and lightweight, easy to install design. Various new lighting opportunities will be possible using this flat light source.

Following the success of its Clustarack media storage unit, Atomic Media and Display is set to launch a combination rack for storing two and three inch core materials together. The new Clustarack Combi exhibits the same advantages of the original product, which is designed to store hand rolled media vertically on a flat base. This helps prevent damage to the roll end, which can cause waste and downtime when printhead snags occur.

A range of consumables, vinyl and accessories will be showcased by Doro Tape, which will be celebrating 20 years in the sign and graphics industry during the exhibition.

With over 50 CNC installations in the last 18 months, CNC equipment supplier, Emach, has witnessed great growth in recent times. Developments in both CAD CAM software and C02 laser systems look set to continue the success this year.

Bringing a touch of colour to the exhibition, Grafityp will display both the Grafitack and Graficast range of signmaking vinyls, produced by Grafityp in Belgium. The stand will also showcase Grafiprint media for those with digital printers.

New for 2008, the Hampshire Flag Company will display its Pop-up Event Banners, available in four frame orientations: horizontal, vertical, tower and round. Suitable for use both indoors and out, the company claims the banners can be assembled and displayed in seconds without the need for assistance or tools. A variety of sizes are available and every Pop-up is supplied in a storage bag.

With over three hundred models in its current pen range, trade supplier, The Pen Warehouse is dedicated to the production and sale of promotional writing instruments.

TheMagicTouch digital image transfer process is being adopted by customers as a means to add value for existing and prospective clients.

Throughout the show William Smith will be demonstrating the RollsRoller Flatbed Applicator, together with one of the newest additions to its portfolio, the Mutoh Blizzard inkjet printer.