Bristol, UK: Northern Ireland’s Signs Express Belfast has turned heads with a series of eye-catching rink side graphics for Elite Ice Hockey League team, the Belfast Giants, using Drytac’s SpotOn White M50 monomeric PVC film.
Part of the Signs Express franchise network since 1999, the Belfast branch has been led by Cathy Johnston since 2006. Building on her father Brendan O’Donnell’s legacy, she continues to deliver high-quality printed and fabricated graphics across a wide range of applications.
Earlier this year, the team was commissioned to produce graphics for Champions Hockey League matches at the Giants’ home arena, the SSE Arena. With the league’s permanent sponsor signage already in place, the challenge was to create overlays that could be installed and removed cleanly without damaging existing graphics.
Cathy explained: “We had two turnaround installations, approximately five to six weeks apart. With over 165 linear metres of graphics to cover, it was vital that the regular season signage remained untouched.”
Signs Express Belfast selected Drytac SpotOn White M50 for the task. The material features a removable dot-pattern adhesive, allowing for quick, clean installation and removal, and its light-blocking properties make it up to 50% more opaque than standard SpotOn White—ideal for overlaying existing graphics. Materials were sourced via Premier GPMI, Drytac’s exclusive stockist in Ireland.
“SpotOn M50 makes these turnarounds simple,” Cathy said. “Installation is straightforward, removal is clean, and the results are consistently high quality.”
All graphics were printed in-house on an Epson SureColor S80600, ensuring accurate colour representation for sponsors, a critical factor for games broadcast live on Sky Television.
Operations Manager James Glover praised the project: “The arena can now be fully installed in under three hours, and removal is just as easy. This saves downtime for our team and ensures the space is ready for other events.”
Signs Express Belfast has been a long-time user of Drytac materials across a range of applications. Cathy highlighted the value of this ongoing partnership: “Drytac continually innovates with practical solutions for real-world applications. Working with Premier GPMI ensures we always have the right products on hand, and I would recommend Drytac to anyone in the event or retail graphics sector.”
