Bridging the Gap: Digital and Non-Digital Signage

While digital signage has grown rapidly, Rob Fletcher demonstrates that non-digital signage remains relevant and valuable. Companies are increasingly using both types of signage together to create engaging and innovative campaigns. The European Sign Expo 2025 will further explore these developments in the signage industry.

There is no doubt that digital signage has taken the industry by storm, offering all manner of capabilities that static signs cannot, while developers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with this clever and intuitive technology.

However, while some raised concerns that digital screens would completely take over the sign sector, nothing could be further from the truth, with many brands and marketeers opting to combine the two to create all manner of innovative and eye-catching campaigns.

Here, we celebrate some of examples of digital and non-digital signs working hand in hand, showcasing how rather than working against each other, the two forms of signage can co-exist in harmony.

Take the chequered flag

Up first, UK-based Moss recently took on a project to help dress the F1 Exhibition in London. The event ran for several months at Immersive LDN at Excel London, inviting Formula 1 fans from across the UK and further afield to view a whole host of exhibits from the iconic motor-racing series.

Moss’s role was to help dress the venue, producing a wide range of printed materials that were all installed before the event launched last August. These included silicone edged graphic (SEG) fabrics, foamex boards, neon films and detailed kiss-cut vinyls, all of which were integrated with the displays.

Printed applications were installed around digital elements of the exhibition, such as digital screens and large-scale projection areas, to help bring the displays together and create the immersive experience for visitors. Such was the success of this omni-channel project that Moss is now in talks with organisers to provide printed elements as the event moves into Europe and the US.

“We love to work on projects that grab the attention of the public from the very start,” said Matt Phipps, group account director at Moss UK. “Having our graphics and displays as an integral part of this innovative experiential event is just amazing.”

Light up your signs

Meanwhile, in Canada, British Columbia-based extra large-format flexible circuit production specialist TF Massif took on an innovative project that involved a range of elements. The company brought printed graphics life by adding various components such as flexible smart LEDs, ePaper and sensors, which were then programmed to create all manner of effects.

TF Massif integrates accent lights, ePaper and sensors as part of print-based displays

TF Massif was previously integrating smart flexible LEDs and sensors into printed graphics to bring them to life, with this offered via its CAPTIVA Innovations marketing arm. However, for a more recent project, TF Massif partnered with electronic paper (ePaper) specialist EINK to introduce a new offering that deliver the same effects but need only very little power to be activated.
 
“Smart LEDs emit light and have a pinpoint effect,” TF Massif president Judith Stewart said. “ePaper, however, is reflective by nature so it is ultra-low power and allows us to create a sense of movement in a whole new way by activating individual parts or segments of the printed graphics, such as shapes and letters.

“The green circuit production process is automated using the TFMassif Circuit Fabrication Tool mounted on a Zünd cutter and is as convenient as vinyl cutting. The Flex LEDs, ePaper and controllers are simply placed like stickers, and the final product is powered by either a 5V USB cell phone charger or power outlet.”

The company even overcame the troublesome challenge of protecting the circuit on the back of the graphic. This was made even trickier as lamination of the Flex LEDs, sensors and ePaper with standard self-adhesive vinyl would lead to unsightly bubbles. To solve this, it used Drytac SpotOn, which features a dot adhesive pattern, to ensure clean lamination and that the circuit was protected.

“Integrating accent lights, ePaper and sensors into a rollable poster or banner enables myriad new applications in POP, home and corporate wall décor or branding, advertising, and tradeshow promotion,” Stewart said.

“Customers are always amazed by how thin and flexible the circuit is, and how a few LEDs or ePaper segments can bring a graphic to life in such a unique way. Printed graphics can now be active, interactive and even responsive by integrating, smart flexible components.”

Screens on wheels

It is not just stationary signage that benefits from this combined approach. Elevate, which is based in Scotland but works with partners as far afield as Japan, Hong Kong and even the US, linked up with the Marie Curie cancer charity on a highly innovative project that saw a digital screen attached to the side of a double-decker bus.

Vehicle wraps can be used to complement digital signs mounted on the side of vehicles

The campaign was aimed at raising awareness of the charity’s weekly lottery game, where people can win a grand prize £2,000 every week. Taking part helps raise money for Marie Curie and the service the charity provides to people, including trained nurses. While the giant screen on the side was more than enough to catch the eye of passers-by, the bus itself was also decorated with an all-over wrap to fit in with the charity’s brand and message.

Elevate used an HP Latex 335, which it installed in December 2022, to print the colourful design and bring the project to life. The Elevate team the installed the wrap onto the bus, including across its side and back windows, ready for its awareness-raising mission.

Print and sign companies are coming up with increasingly innovative ways of capitalising on the best of what digital and non-digital applications have to offer, and using them together to create stunning pieces. The 2025 European Sign Expo will offer more insight into the worlds of digital and non-print signage, while at the co-located FESPA Global Print Expo 2025, visitors can connect with the world’s leading print manufacturers and suppliers.

Discover the latest innovations in digital signage and non-printed signage at European Sign Expo 2025, Europe's leading signage and visual communications exhibition taking place from 6 – 9 May at Messe Berlin, Germany. It will showcase cutting-edge products, visionary concepts, and transformative developments shaping the future of signage. Register to visit here and use promo code ESEJ501 and only pay 25 euros for your entrance ticket.