A presentation board has a hard life for something that took so long to prepare. It is carried to the client’s office, propped against a meeting-room wall, pointed at, passed around and then taken back to the studio, where it may be pinned up for months as a record of the project. Consultation boards go further still, standing in village halls and libraries while the public leans in to read the small print.
What architects typically print
- Client presentation boards with renders, plans and sections
- Design competition and award submission panels
- Public consultation and planning exhibition boards
- Large-scale project photography for the studio and reception
- Site hoarding visuals produced with the contractor
Fine lines and dark renders
Architectural boards often combine delicate linework with large areas of dense colour in night-time renders and shadowed elevations. Those dark areas show every fingerprint and scuff. A coating protects the surface so boards can be wiped clean after handling. Colourjet, used in Landor Liquid Lamination, protects prints from water, chemicals and abrasion, and its UV inhibitors help guard against premature fading on boards that hang in a sunny studio.
Finish affects legibility. Under strong meeting-room lighting, a high-gloss board can make fine annotations hard to read from an angle. Many practices prefer a lower sheen for drawings and a richer gloss for photography. Our guide to choosing a finish explains the trade-offs, and a small test print is the quickest way to decide.
Mounting and coating order
Boards are usually printed on paper or film and mounted onto foam board or a rigid panel. Where possible, coat before mounting so the print lies flat and the edges are protected. Make sure the ink is properly dry first; see drying before coating. Solvent coatings do not suit every substrate or ink, so test the exact media your plotter uses before coating a full set of competition panels.
In-house or outsourced?
Larger practices often run their own wide-format printer and produce boards to tight deadlines. For occasional coating, an aerosol can be enough; ClearJet aerosol coatings come in gloss and semi-gloss. Studios printing in volume may find a roller or machine-based approach more consistent. If you outsource, ask your print supplier whether they can coat boards before delivery.
Consultation boards displayed in public buildings may need to meet the venue’s own rules on materials. We do not make fire-rating claims, so check any requirements with the board or media manufacturer and the venue.
To talk through the right setup for your practice, from aerosol to coating machine, call us on 01252 624 411 or use the contact page.