Our Services
As Important as Our Technology Is, It's Our People that Makes Colours the Asset You Can Rely On.
Experience, Knowledge, Skill... No matter the role, you'll be dealing with people that have done this before and understand the importance of your project. We will go the extra mile to deliver the results you need.
Scanning
With high-end Scitex scanners and a BETTERLIGHT STUDIO SCAN, large-format camera back, we can faithfully digitize any artworks up to 48' x 60' and enlarge from there or reproduce at the actual size of the original. COLOURS' top quality color management assures faithful reproduction at any scale, whether it's on fine art textured papers, or on cotton canvas which we can stretch and frame for you as well.
CREO Scitex Flatbed Scanners —
High-resolution digitizing of transparencies, negatives and opaque reflective originals
2000dpi true optical resolution over the entire bed. 6000 dpi maximum interpolated resolution 12"x17" reflective and transmissive bed. Capable of scanning in CMYK, RGB and Greyscale modes
BetterLight Digital large-format Camera Back — high-resolution capture for reproducing large-scale artworks
Betterlight scan backs have been the camera of choice for some of the most successful commercial and archival applications in the photo industry. Gathering infromation for the image in one continuous scan as the light is collected by three individually filtered rows of pixels. No other camera is gathering such a huge population of pixels over such a large format area. Pure, true RGB color, not interpolated color produced by software.
Fast and Efficient
High Quality Document Scanning
High Resolution front and back scanning with large volume capture in mind.
Image Management
Creating visual continuity for the range of output and devices your images will be presented in has become a daunting challenge. We have highly skilled Photoshop users that can go beyond the simple touch up and level balance. Colours can provide you with a library of images that are going to hold their integrity no matter where they are presented.
We focus on color matching so your images work in both RGB and CMYK and then provide a range of resolutions dependent on your needs.
Each image will have distinction whether it's a 4x8 foot panel or or a 80x160 pixel image on a website. Our skills as retouchers and image restoration can be seen in numerous museums, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. Let Colours help you look your best no matter where your images are going to end up.
Fabrication
Not only can we produce stunning visuals, we are well schooled in installing them also. We can hang your banners both indoors and out; no matter the height.We're well versed in laying out and hanging experiential graphics on walls and windows... and we have been mounting exhibits and displays for some of the area's most demanding clients.
Graphic Design
Need visuals with impact? Let our experienced, award-winning design team provide you with anything from a simple layout for your sign or banner to a complete corporate identity, with logo and letterhead system. Our skill-set covers all aspects of exhibits, displays, and experiential graphics, with examples of our work shown in many of the museums and government agencies throughout the DC area.
With over 25 years experience designing for all print and large-scale output media, COLOURS’ design team can give your graphics a unique, clean look that delivers. We can make sure your files work smoothly throughout our output systems to produce a clear and distinctive message for your event, product or business.
Finishing Services
Mounting and Lamination
Output Mounting Services
Quality digital output deserves the finest in physical support, and COLOURS IMAGING is pleased to offer a full line of all popular mounting materials to achieve the very best results. Whether it be simple interior-grade foamcore or virtually indestructible Plexi back-mounting, we can give your graphics the support system they need to withstand the display challenges you require. Both standard and archival Fome-Cor, along with Gatorfoam®, Sintra, Ultramount, Coroplast and Plexiglas make up the foundation of our mounting services, each with its own specific advantages. Tap on the additional tabs to learn more about our most popular substrates.
Mounting on Foamcore
Fome-Cor, the brand used exclusively at COLOURS, is the original graphic arts foam board, and it carries the longest reputation for interior performance. Built from extruded polystyrene foam sandwiched between two sheets of clay-coated slick white paper, it produces flat, crisp edges when cut. It also prints excellently with UV-cured inks on COLOURS’ oversized flatbed press.Its extreme lightness greatly reduces the total weight of both framed works and display systems in which it is used. It works well in POP displays, exhibits, kiosks and for short-term signage. We stock Fome-Cor in 3/16” and 1/2” thicknesses.COLOURS also offers it in a totally archival, acid-free version that uses matte, warm white Crème facing papers, which meet the stringent Library of Congress standards for conservation framing. While a bit more expensive than the regular Fome-Cor, it provides a more permanent and stable framing environment for mounted artworks.
Mounting on Gatorfoam®
COLOURS stocks Gatorfoam®, the industry standard for heavy-duty mount boards for over 30 years, in 3/16” and 1/2” thicknesses in both black and white. Comprised of light-weight extruded polystyrene foam, with highly durable, plastic resin-saturated wood-fiber veneer as its facing material, it is impervious to denting and scratching. This super-resilient substrate works beautifully with direct UV inkjet printing and as rigid support for point of purchase displays, exhibits, kiosks, and signage. Gatorfoam is a very substantial framing support for exhibition prints. It combines the durability of wood with the light weight of foam boards. Intended for interior use only.
Mounting on Ultra Mount Boards
Ultra Mount is a rigid, lightweight structural panel, with polycoated white paper facings and an extruded polystyrene core. It is warp-free and ideal for photo mounting, interior signage, exhibits and point of purchase displays. COLOURS offers 3/16” and ½” black Ultra Mount boards as an economical alternative to other rigid mounting materials.
Mounting on Sintra
Lightweight, yet reasonably rigid, Sintra offers superior scratch and dent resistance in a single polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet of closed-cell foam with a low gloss matte finish. COLOURS stocks it in the 1/8” and 1/4” thicknesses, in both white and black. While not as inflexible as Foam-Cor, Gatorfoam or Ultra Mount, it offers substantial support for artworks and remains far more weather-resistant, so it works well for both indoor and outdoor signage and displays.
Mounting on Coroplast
Coroplast is made of corrugated polypropylene and is great for short-term exterior use. It accepts mounting of digital output, vinyl graphics and UV-cured inkjet direct printing. It can be used in frames or, with its convenient corrugated flutes, mounted on stakes or with step-stakes. COLOURS stocks it in 4mm and 6mm thicknesses in white only. Coroplast is used extensively for indoor and outdoor signage, display panels, real estate postings and election signs.
Back-Mounting on Plexiglass
Acrylic Plexiglas sheeting is produced from a methyl methacrylate monomer and has outstanding physical, mechanical, optical, chemical resistance and thermal properties, making it virtually indestructible. Made from a lightweight, rigid thermoplastic material, it offers excellent outdoor stability.As a back-mounting support, plexi provides the smoothest of surfaces for photo and artwork mounting, reducing the bumpy “orange peeling” effect of other mount boards with glossy-finish graphics. It works effectively for framing, interior and exterior signage, point of purchase materials and display panels. While plexiglass is the most expensive mounting substrate that COLOURS offers, it is also the heaviest weight and densest material, and has a bit more structural flexibility over large surface areas than Gatorfoam, Ultramount or Coroplast.
Lamination Services
COLOURS IMAGING offers a full line of matte, luster and glossy surfaced PVC vinyl overlaminates to seal and protect graphics. Matte films reduce distracting surface reflections, while glossier finishes increase image color punch and contrast. Using flexible vinyl facestocks that allow laminated works to be rolled without tunneling, they create a very versatile graphic for inclusion in collapsible displays or mounted to heavier support boards.A heavy adhesive layer provides an exceptional bond for a flat, blemish-free appearance. Soft, pliable and conformable, COLOURS PVC laminates are less prone to bubbles or edge-lift; and they have excellent weather durability, water and chemical resistance and all are UV-light filtering to lengthen image life, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications. Consider having us laminate your digital output to greatly increase its lifespan and utility whenever wear and tear or light-fading might be an issue. With our SEAL LARGE FORMAT LAMINATOR, we can cover graphics up to 60” wide by virtually any length.
Custom Framing
Custom Framing Services
COLOURS IMAGING offers complete framing services with a myriad of moldings and matting boards available to present your high-quality output in style. We give your work the best preparation and finishing techniques for the materials and output type you have selected, and offer completely archival alternatives for the longest lasting framed pieces, when desired.There are many display types, from traditional wood and metal frames to rear-mounting on Plexiglas, as well as box and float mounts. However you decide to present your fine graphic output, COLOURS can customize virtually any style and conservancy approach to meet your specific needs.
Custom Wood Framing Services
Wood is the most traditional material used to enclose and protect fine artworks. The style selections are vast and range from ornate and conservative, old world motifs to more sleek and minimal, contemporary approaches. COLOURS IMAGING offers a wide variety of custom-cut quality wood moldings from around the world, reflecting this rich wood framing tradition. With our professional joinery, we can tailor the look of any of our moldings to fit the exact size requirements of your specific artwork.
Custom Metal Framing Services
Because of their more contemporary styling, metal frames offer a very seek, modern and often more economical alternative for framed graphics. Available in a wide variety of colors and profiles, from mirror to brush finsh metalics, as well as glossy to matte colors and an array of bevelings, COLOURS’ metal frames are custom-cut to the specific requirements of each output graphic. We carry a particularly wide range of silver and black options, as they often prove to be the most popular choices.
Custom Matting Services
COLOURS IMAGING uses only premium museum core matting boards which are comprised of a 100% virgin cotton rag core and backing. Cotton is naturally acid- and lignin-free as well as being completely renewable and green friendly. This means a longer life for your framed works and less opportunity for color or pigment changes. We have a wide range of colors and finishes available. All COLOURS’ mattes are custom cut to the specific artwork and framing requirements. We can cut single, double or triple mattes as desired.
Rear Mounting on Plexiglas
Rear mounting is the process of laminating the face of a print to the back of a piece of sturdy, transparent material (usually Plexiglas), so that the face of the image is clearly visible through the plexi and well protected from the environment. A special cleat is used for hanging the completed work, which can allow for a dramatic shadow space between the mounted piece and the wall, particularly if the work is hung with a shadow box mounted on the back.COLOURS has eighth-inch, quarter-inch and half-inch thick plexiglass available for face mounting. This allows for rear mounting in very large-scale dimensions as well as more intimate sizes. The visual impact of a face mounted work can be quite striking, as it projects the work very cleanly and simply from the wall.
Box Mounting Services
For this simple and versatile finishing technique, a print is first face-laminated with one of COLOURS’ quality matte or luster protective lamination films. Then it is flush-mounted (edge to edge) directly to a box mount support. These mounts have a black plastic edging and are prefabricated at 1” or 1.5” thicknesses, by standard flat dimensions from 11” x 14” up to 36” x 48”. This is a relatively inexpensive, quick and direct way to present and preserve your output graphics. The image is protected on a sturdy support that has clean, minimized edging.
Float Mounting Services
After laminating a print to any mounting board or printing directly on the board with COLOURS’ UV-cured inks, a one inch floater frame is mounted to the reverse side of the board which invisibly projects the mounted piece forward from the wall, making it appear to float or hover. While simple in construction, the illusion can be quite dramatic as it very cleanly presents just the graphic itself with no added encumbrances.
Installations and Support Materials
On-Site Installation Services
Not only can we produce stunning visuals, we are well schooled in installing them also. We can hang your banners both indoors and out; no matter the height.We're well versed in laying out and hanging experiential graphics on walls and windows... and we have been mounting exhibits and displays for some of the area's most demanding clients.
