A fresh approach to display graphics
with revolutionary alternative.
Curvorama offers flowing curves and ease of use Originally known throughout the display graphics industry for its Picture Wall product, UK based Fresco has turned the popup display on its head with the recent introduction of a revolutionary alternative – Curvorama.
Since the early 1990s, managing director Miles Harris has sought to create a modular display system that offered a vast expanse of image, with no intrusive frames. “A seamless picture was always my goal” he says, “and we’ve always tried to design products for customers that ‘do more’”.
The Curvorama concept makes use of material manufacturer, Soyang’s anti-curl SoFlat pull up banner media coupled to flexible header and base units with magnetic ends. This allows what looks on the face of it to be a standard roller banner display, to morph into a multi-drop, curvy and gapless graphics backdrop. With reusable graphics elements, the system benefits print companies, end users and of course, the environment. “Recycling is good,” says Harris, “but reusing is far, far better.”
Fresco strives to make products that deliver more than just the sum of the parts to its customers. “We create products that are useful, reusable and ‘repurposeable’ – products where we get to work long term with our clients,” explained Harris.
The Curvorama product evolved from evaluating traditional popup displays and seeing how to make them better. With a carriage weight and packed size a fraction of that of a usual popup, it’s easier to manoeuvre and can even be shipped as hand baggage on some aircraft. So innovative is the product that it currently has three patents, but it was a long haul for the company to get the mating of popup and roller banner right.
“We tried many ways to join multiple drops – low tack adhesives, electrostatics, Velcro and others, but they just didn’t do the job. However, we firmly believe that if you can get customers to bring you problems, we can turn them into products,” added Harris.
A key element to the system’s success is its utilisation of the Soyang SoFlat material that Fresco prints on its Mimaki JV33, thus ensuring perfect registration and panel matching tolerance.
 Fresco’s Miles Harris and the company’s Mimaki JV33 |  The portability of Curvorama can be a real benefit when transporting displays |
Fresco is not just about its Curvorama product – but its innovative thread runs through the business with products such as a highly successful educational role play Street Feet road safety training kit, developed in conjunction with Road Safety GB and endorsed by road safety charity, Brake. Making full use of the company’s broad range of print capability and instilling the concept of ‘learning by doing’, the well thought out kits feature non-slip solvent printed heavyweight textile roads and pavements, vibrant dye sub printed hi-vis tabards and felt/rubber waffle floor prints to denote destinations for the school children to travel between. These feature alongside rigid signage & street furniture and it’s all packed in a very neat carry case.
Sold into primary schools, the product has received numerous plaudits and recommendations from users and organisations and delivers a valuable revenue stream for Fresco, alongside its traditional digitally printed range of products for the indoor, outdoor, exhibition, display and signage markets.
Fresco will be demonstrating its Curvorama product alongside other industry suppliers at the inaugural Wide Format Wave event, to be held at Mimaki distributor, Hybrid Services Ltd’s showroom in early February 2013. To book a place on this, free, skills learning event, visit www.wideformatwave.co.uk.
Further details on the Curvorama product can be found by visiting www.curvorama.com, the Street Feet and other interactive kits from the Fresco range are showcased at www.frescointeractives.co.uk and their main site is www.fresco.co.uk.
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