The last 12 months have been unprecedented times for all of us. The pandemic has been a testing time for many industries over the last 12 months. Industries across the UK and around the world were brought to a halt in a bid to slow down the spread of Coronavirus. The print industry was affected with no need for event signage, POS and the temporary loss of general print requirements due to the lockdown. This soon turned around with the need for COVID-19 related signage detailing new guidelines and health and safety information.
Your Print Specialists remained open for business to support our customers through this strange time. Many of our customers had not turned their large format machines off for long periods and needed shut down advice and service support. As YPS have our own dedicated in-house service team we were able to support our customers remotely. A skeleton staff continued to ensure that orders continued to be fulfilled.
Once the first UK national lockdown was lifted, many rules were put in place. Masks and social distancing became the new normal. Print providers that had previously been quiet were now receiving orders for 2m floor graphics and social distancing signage from their existing customers. The print industry was suddenly busy again as every shop, restaurant and indoor area needed to be COVID-19 safe. Print shops around the UK were ordering in rolls of floor graphic material to keep up with the surge of orders for social distancing floor markers. A year on and the need for social distancing signage is still apparent. As we have been given a provisional date to be back in pubs and shops the orders for updated signage will be rolling in again.
Floor graphic material is not the only consumable that has been in the spotlight over the last 12 months. The development of antimicrobial films has come a long way, Drytac has produced Protac AMP Film With Additional Microban Antimicrobial Protection. The product protects against mould growth & bacterial contamination, making surfaces COVID-19 safe. Health and safety products including bespoke sneeze guards and branded face masks have also seen an increase in sales.
Overall the print industry, like everyone else, has taken a hit through the pandemic, occasions that would usually require signage, events that would require custom garments and campaigns that would require marketing all came to a halt. However, the print market has found its feet with social distancing signage, keeping the public COVID-19 safe. As the UK heads tentatively out of its third and hopefully last lockdown, we can all look forward to an industry that is once again thriving.