Margie Dana

Teach me something that I think print customers would benefit from, and I’m happy to write about it. Dan Marx, VP of Markets and Technologies for SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association), did just that two weeks ago.

He wrote to me about something called “graphics installers.” I knew nothing about them and picked up the phone to learn more.

In the last year, SGIA brought a group called PDAA under its wing. PDAA (the Professional Decal Application Alliance) is a group of professional graphics installers. You’ll find them at www.sgia.org/pdaa. Be sure to check out the gallery for lots of great examples while you’re there. (I find the entire SGIA web site to be particularly content-rich. Have a look around.)

What Do Graphics Installers Do?

They wrap cars and other vehicles in digital graphics, and apply graphics to windows and walls, floors and a variety of other surfaces.

In many cases, installers handle the critical, final step in the successful completion of certain graphics projects. Their skills are unique.

Though it never occurred to me that graphics installation is a specialty, it makes perfect sense. All along, I assumed that the firm who designs and manufactures the graphic would handle the entire project, from soup to nuts, including installation.

This does happen. Many graphics producers have their own stable of installers, working with two or three people as their “go-to” specialists, or employing an installer outright.

But in some cases, noted Dan, the end client finds the installers. This is where knowledge about PDAA comes in handy. PDAA is a professional organization of graphics installation companies across the US. Plus, the web site offers a free, searchable online database of installers.

Graphics installers work with substrates that are pressure-sensitive: think giant decals printed onto vinyl. They install these decals onto cars, buses and other vehicles, and install them to windows, construction barricades, floor graphics and a wide variety of other surfaces and objects. The list of applications continues to grow, especially due to advances in digital printing. Development of the materials used for applied graphics are also enhancing the specialty, allowing access to new and exciting applications. One recent example is special films that allow installation to rough surfaces, including brick and rough stone walls.

As more and more products are developed, people are using their ingenuity to realize more markets they can enter.

Master Class of Installers

PDAA also offers Master Certification for installers. This involves rigorous testing created by Rob Ivers, PDAA Certification Director, and administered by the PDAA. Certified installers are “highly proficient in flat, simple curved and complex curved surfaces using a broad range of materials.” By working with a Master Certified professional, you can be confident that this person has the needed skills to get your job done correctly. PDAA is recognized by a majority of media manufacturers; if you’re a certified installer, you are certified to use their materials.

SGIA will host its annual trade show this October 13 – 15 in Las Vegas. It will include a PDAA Graphics Application Zone, where Master Certified installers will be demonstrating their skills using a variety of materials. Sounds like a great place to learn more about this little-known specialty; plus, it’s a “no sales zone”.

You can contact Dan Marx for more information at or at .