INDUSTRY / NEWS A national campaign to legally protect traditional neon signage has been featured on ITV News. The report details findings that show that the craft is in danger of disappearing in the UK, declaring that there are now less than 30 people employed in neon sign-making in the country. Speaking to political correspondent, Líse McNally, MP Yasmin Qureshi, calls for the government to react to the false advertising of LED products as soon as possible. Qureshi says: "We have rightly challenged fake olive oils and falsely labelled meat; we must apply the same standard in this case. Let us not forget the cultural value of neon. It is signage, but it is also art; it evokes memories of cinemas, diners, music venues, and city skylines.” Graphic Warehouse, a trade supplier of wide-format printing and signage, has officially opened the doors of its newly refurbished 20,000sq ft facility. The opening of the facility in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, was marked with an open day event on June 26th, with a number of local schools and stakeholders invited. The open day welcomed students both from the local town of Coatbridge and nearby Glasgow, offering a tour of the production floor, as well as a range of hands-on design activities. The event was designed to showcase career opportunities beyond the traditional academic path. Graphic Warehouse, formerly Matic Media, described the day as being “a bold statement about the future of UK manufacturing and the vital role young people can play in it.” Richard McCombe, founder and managing director of Graphic Warehouse, who was formerly a primary school teacher, says he has seen firsthand the challenges facing young people who don’t find their place in mainstream education. For the past five years, Graphic Warehouse has implemented what it labels as a “grow your own” talent strategy. The company recruits young people through apprenticeship schemes delivered by providers like Print Scotland, training them from the ground up with the goal of providing long-term opportunities for them. McCombe explains: “Hiring experienced staff from the industry doesn’t always mean they’re the right cultural fit. By training young people ourselves, we’ve created a team that reflects our values, understands our systems, and is deeply invested in our success.” The £1.1m investment consists of a fleet of new equipment including a Liyu Platinum Q3 press ITV News reports on protection of neon signage Award launched to celebrate textile printing graduates A new prize has been created by textile merchant, Premier Digital Textiles (PDT), celebrating emerging talent in digital textile printing. The Vibrancy in Print Award was presented to student Beth Lingard, from Leeds Arts University, for her Dusk Till Dawn collection of textile prints. Commenting on the win, the judges for the award said that her designs showed "a strong dedication to colour and details within digital print". The winner received a £500 cash prize, along with £500 worth of PrepRITE fabric and print time from Premier Digital Textiles, enabling them to bring their designs to life. The prize winner also gets ongoing mentoring support from professionals at Premier Digital Textiles. The award was handed out at the 40th edition of New Designers, an annual exhibition taking place at London’s Business Design Centre, that aims to bring together the best graduate design talent from across the UK. The new Vibrancy in Print Award has been created to celebrate fresh ideas in textile printing Monster-Mesh, a UK supplier of construction site branding, has released data revealing a snapshot of business confidence across the UK’s construction sector. The data analyses how much each UK region spent on construction branding over the past year such as advertising hoarding and scaffold banners, aiming to give an indicator of market sentiment, visibility investment, and pipeline confidence. Analysing internal order data from April 2024 to March 2025, the report ranks UK regions by total and per-capita spend on construction branding. The figures show significant contrasts between different parts of the UK. According to the data, Essex leads the nation per capita, spending £14,484 per 100,000 people, while Worcestershire invested just £364 per 100,000 people. Greater London has the highest overall UK construction branding spend, with over £260,000 in the past year. McLennan says: “When you see a £14k spend per 100,000 people in one region and under £400 in another, it’s not just about signage – it’s about confidence, competitiveness, and visibility.” Monster-Mesh claims that the survey shows a potential “confidence crisis” in certain UK regions By Jonathan Pert By Jonathan Pert By Jonathan Pert Graphic Warehouse calls on businesses to inspire next generation Massive disparity in UK construction branding, according to survey The campaign is calling for neon to be legally defined, in order to protect the craft from an influx of cheap LED alternatives 7 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 260 - August / September 2025
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==