Featured Project: The One with the ‘Friends’ Wall Graphic

Ontario, Canada-based large-format printing company Global Printing Enterprises recently produced a series of colorful wall graphics for the Toronto edition of the “FRIENDS Experience” event.

Created by Warner Bros. and Superfly X, a brand experience company, the FRIENDS experience is an interactive celebration of the iconic TV show. Thousands of fans of the hit U.S. sitcom can go into the Yorkdale Shopping Centre to visit replica sets of the main characters’ apartments and view official show memorabilia.

To help promote the event, Superfly X reached out to Global Printing Enterprises to print a range of graphics and billboards at Yorkdale Mall.

The eye-catching entrance graphics replicated the famous picture frame installed around the door fisheye in one of the apartments on the show. Other graphics installed outside of the event venue included wayfinding signage, large QR codes that fans could scan to book tickets, and famous quotes and phrases from the show.

In total, the graphics covered an area of more than 15,000 square feet and took the team at Global Printing Enterprises and installation specialist Install Nation five days to print and install.

Wall graphic installation

Global Printing Enterprises used Drytac ReTac Smooth 150 for all the graphics, which it said helped the team overcome a particularly tricky challenge when it came to installing the graphics.

“The base wall had been painted over vinyl graphics, creating a difficult surface to adhere any type of graphics film,” says Global Printing Enterprises President Carlo Toscano. “In consultation with Dennis LeBlanc from Drytac, we decided to use an old-school multi-layer installation technique. When you look at the wall in its entirety, it looks as if we printed the background and graphics at the same time, when in reality, the back black and purple were applied first.”

He continues, “Then came the challenge. Using laser levels, the team at Install Nation installed with precision all the components you see on top of the already installed panels. It’s a longer process, but when done properly and with skilled installers, it makes for a clean and symmetrical image.”

All of the wall graphics were printed on an HP Latex 3100, which meant the company was able to utilize dual roll printing for faster printing speeds.

Toscano adds, “The client was impressed with not only the quality of print and installation but also the solution to use multiple layers, as it offered a cost-effective way to introduce new graphics and elements as required.”