TEXTILES.ORG
By Mara Whitten
The project. Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., remodeled its former Draft Horse Barn into the Kids’ Barn, a collection of interactive exhibits geared towards children. The park approached a number of equine organizations, universities and businesses to help construct exhibits in each of the barn’s 20 standing stalls.
The companies. Morehead State University, Morehead, Ky., turned to Lynn Imaging’s Monster Color. Based in Lexington, Ky., Monster Color is a manufacturer, printer and installer of large-format signage and advertising graphics.
The task. Create a hands-on, kid-friendly exhibit inside an existing stall. Morehead State decided to explore the topic of equine evolution. “Our graphic artist designed a storybook theme to display each major evolutionary stage,” said Tammy Platt, assistant professor and equine coordinator at the university.
The challenge. As the stalls were constructed from very rough wood, the team at Monster Color had to create a smooth surface for the graphics. A plan to construct dibond walls meant they’d need precise measurements to match the stall’s dimensions. “The most challenging thing was getting the exact measurement of the different areas so the boards could be cut precisely and fit together tightly,” said Shannon Delk, corporate director of color.
The solution. A Zund digital cutter was used to cut the dibond boards. For the 50 linear feet of graphics, the team selected 3M Controltac Cv3 media and a 3M luster lamination. The graphics were printed using a HP 65500 Latex printer and HP latex inks. In total, it took eight hours to print, laminate and cut the boards for the walls. The team spent another eight hours installing the walls and graphics.
The result. Everything went according to plan and the Kids’ Barn opened in early March. Both Monster Color and the client were thrilled with the exhibit’s colorful and attention-grabbing graphics.