Large format printing company Sleek Signs is focused on large-scale interior branding assignments. The company used Drytac’s ReTac Clear PET and ReTac Textures Canvas films to overhaul the look of a sales centre inside a historic church, working with the materials to deliver stunning wall murals, interior signage and window graphics.
The project was at the sales centre for ‘The Evergreen on Blackburn’, a landmark development by Windmill Developments in Sandy Hill, Ottawa. Windmill approached Brandsmith, a Calgary-based creative agency that created the overall brand and sales centre experience, for help on the project, which included signage and various other interior pieces.
Brandsmith, a client of Sleek Signs, then contacted the large format print specialist to partner on the project. The focus was to create signage that was purposeful yet reversible, respecting the building and its story. Within the brief were full-size wall murals and interior signage to anchor the space, as well as custom window graphics in the stained-glass spirit of the heritage site, allowing natural light to pass through.
Sleek Signs turned to ND Graphics, the exclusive Canadian distributor for Drytac, to identify the best products for the job. For the feature walls, they selected ReTac Textures in a canvas finish. This embossed, canvas-patterned polymeric film features Drytac’s ReTac permanently peelable adhesive, allowing the graphics to be easily applied, removed, and repositioned, perfectly meeting the project’s needs.
For the window graphics, the company selected Drytac ReTac Clear PET, a printable, clear, PVC-free film ideal for window, wall, and countertop applications. With its ReTac adhesive backing, the film can be applied easily, removed cleanly, and repositioned without damage or residue. Sleek Signs reverse-printed the material, allowing light to pass through the glass to showcase vibrant colour and design while protecting the original heritage glass beneath.
‘The products were chosen because they look permanent when installed but behave like temporary graphics when removed, a critical requirement for this heritage sales centre project,’ said Jason Trudeau, General Manager for Sleek Signs – Calgary. ‘The two materials allowed us to fully brand a 100-year-old church interior and still remove everything cleanly when the sales centre closes in the future.’
Sleek Signs printed all work in-house on its HP Latex 365 and carried out installation on-site at the sales centre. However, given the nature and age of the church building, the project did not come without several other challenges for Sleek Signs.
‘With older architecture, nothing is perfectly square, especially the window frames, so each pane was templated individually to ensure proper alignment,’ Trudeau said. ‘For the mural, our team focused on panel layout and print alignment, so the wall felt integrated rather than applied. We also proofed colour on-site to make certain the window graphics looked correct under both daylight and ambient lighting.’
The project proved to be a huge success; all graphics were installed cleanly and stayed flat with no lifting, while removal tests also confirmed no surface impact. Importantly, both Windmill and the Brandsmith agency felt that the branded space looked intentional rather than temporary.
‘While the wall mural became the focal point of the sales centre, the window graphics added atmosphere without overwhelming the architecture of the church,’ Trudeau said. ‘Crucially, knowing all graphics could be removed without damage gave both the developer and heritage stakeholders peace of mind.’
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