When a user walks into a retail outlet, be it of a food brand like Pizza Hut, or that of an electronics shop, they do so with an intent to buy. Our job is to then convert that intent into a cash value transaction. One way to do this is to help them make up their mind the moment they set foot at our entrance. And using a ‘Backlit Gate Arch’ is an excellent way to do this. 

Our printed gate arches are ideal for retail stores and will greet your customers with eye-catching visuals of your products and offers. And your marketing efforts will begin to bear fruit even before your customers step into your store.

Imagine a well designed backlit gate arch that creates an immersive experience. It makes your customers feel great, already. That aligns with the reason why throughout history, kings and monarchs have commissioned imposing and awe-inspiring entrances.

For example,  The Gateway of India, The Arc Du Triomphe in Paris, etc, are all awe-inspiring arches that draw people’s attention. A grand entranceway impresses people. No question about this.

And that’s exactly what a backlit gate arch, commonly referred to as a glow sign gate, will do for your business.

What are the Uses of a Backlit Gate Arch?

Promotional gate arches have a number of uses. They are primarily commissioned by shopkeepers and retail stores trading in consumer durables. But they are also extensively deployed by restaurants, banks, builders at construction sites, and even Ganpati Mandals during Ganesh Chaturthi. Here are is a list of some of the main functions a printed gate arch performs –

• The First Touch-Point of Advertising: As we’ve explained above, it’s great to be able to start advertising to the prospect even before they enter the store. And that too without even deploying a human resource, which can often feel pushy to the prospects.
  These enticing printed gate arches have a multi-focus job;  they make your customer feel great and welcome. And the advertising begins from the moment they set eyes on your shop. In fact, this solution is a classic example of advertising on entrance gates done right.
• Act as a Direction Marker: These promotional metal arches can act as beautiful direction markers. Let us assume that a builder’s construction site is at the end of a narrow lane and a little distance away from the main road. In this case, a gate arch with glowing lights, at the entrance of the lane, can act as a prominent landmark. 
  It directs prospective clients to make a turn from the main road and drive into the lane where the construction site is situated
• As a Unique Means of Communication: Printed gate arches can be very effectively used to inform customers about new product launches or discount schemes. People traditionally use fliers and posters to do this. Retail businessmen also get the interiors of their shop branded.

But if you have a store on a high street seeing a lot of customer footfall, a strategically placed printed entrance arch will work wonders for your promotional efforts. 

For example, a person stepping into a consumer electronics store already knows that fridges are available here. But a prominent gate arch at the entrance can be used to inform them about the availability of a new brand of refrigerator, or perhaps the launch of an exchange offer on the same. This communication helps reinforce buyer behavior in the direction desired by the store owner.

• Gives Character to the Entrance: A printed gate arch is a powerful tool for branding your entrance. Instead of having a nondescript entrance, you can brand your surroundings with these gate arches. When a person approaches your store, these branded gate arches will be an instant head-turner.
• Printed Gate Arches Grab Customer Attention: A backlit gate arch looks absolutely stunning in the evenings and at night. The glowing lights make it difficult to ignore. Additionally, a well-crafted arch lends a very festive atmosphere to its surroundings and ultimately entices people to walk under it. 
  Ganpati Mandals erect not one but multiple ‘kamaans’ all along the lane leading to their ‘pandal’ where the idol is situated. These kamaans display advertisements of the sponsors. They also very gaily light up the entire roadway. All this goes a long way in creating the right kind of celebratory atmosphere for Ganesh Chaturthi.

How is a Printed Gate Arch Made?

A metal gate arch (or just metal arch) is popularly known as a ‘kaman’ or ‘kamaan’ in Marathi. Here is a list of its principal components –

• The Arch: The titular component, often referred to as a ‘kaman’ by locals, is a large 3D structure fabricated out of metal frames. As the name suggests, an arch consists of two tall pillars on the sides with a horizontal beam placed atop them.

The metal frame is generally made of 16 gauge, 0.75 inches thick, metal pipes, welded together. The whole structure is wrapped in printed flex material. Digitally printed flex is nothing but a loose, slightly stretchable banner. This banner is imprinted with your artwork, product images, and marketing messages.

Dimensions of Gate Arches: These vary from site to site, as required. While different clients have different size specifications, a lot of them do ask us for our suggestions on the same. So here is what we recommend.

• For a shop front entrance arch, the pillars on sides need to have a height of at least 8 feet. This will allow people to comfortably walk beneath the structure.
• Further, the beam on top should be at least 10 feet wide, because most fronts have a shutter width of 10 – 12 feet. While these are the minimum sizes we recommend, we can fabricate far larger gate arches if needed.

How to Commission a Backlit Gate Arch from Orchid Digitals?

A gate arch is not a product that we can hand over to our clients across the counter. This heavy metal structure needs to be first fabricated at our end. We then have to transport and install the same at your location. So if you need to create a gate arch in front of your store, we follow the procedure listed below.

• Please share the site address with us. If possible also share a picture of the location where the gate arch has to be installed. 
• Our fabrication team will then come over to your place to check the feasibility of the project.
  • The fitters will check and share the exact measurements of the side pillars and horizontal beam on top.
  • They will also check for any obstructions in erecting the structure at your end. We need a flat surface to put up the pillars. So for example, if there are steps right in front of your store, that needs to be accounted for.
• Finally, once we get the fitter’s site report, you need to share the artwork for the job. Please use the artwork layout, shown above as a reference for the same.
• Once we receive the artwork, it takes us 3 – 4 days to bring the finished job to your place.

2D Gate Arch: An Economical Alternative

One variant to the 3D arch described above is an arch without any depth. This is an economical alternative that is fabricated in two dimensions. Instead of a 3D structure, we use flat metal frames and stretch out printed flex on it, much as we do for a non-lit shop board frame. 

Also, since there is no place to conceal lights, this 2D arch will be front-lit where the sun acts as a source of your light. While a 2D gate arch is significantly cheaper than its 3D backlit counterpart, not many people opt for it.

What Is the Price of a Backlit Gate Arch?

As mentioned above, the price of a backlit gate arch depends upon its dimensions and the conditions at the site where the job has to be installed. We can only give you a final figure, once we do a site visit and get clarity on these parameters.

But to help you with your budgeting here is the estimated price for a backlit gate arch having standard dimensions as mentioned in the table below:

* Please Note:

• The price including transportation and installation of the structure within Pune Municipal Limits
• The above rates attract 18% GST.
• The price includes transportation and installation of the structure within Pune Municipal Limits and its suburbs.

Shipping and Delivery

• Backlit gate arches boards can be delivered anywhere delivered in Pune city and its suburbs.
  Question: Does this product get shipped out of Pune City?
  Answer: No. We are sorry. It does not.

  Here are a couple of reasons why –

1. These structures are pretty large and bulky and require us to hire a tempo or small truck to deliver them to the site.
2. Shipping them over long distances means that our customers will end up paying more for the cost of delivery than the cost of the actual print.

   Considering the efforts and cost required to transport these heavy gate arches, delivering jobs outside Pune doesn’t turn out to be convenient and feasible for both us and our customers. Therefore, if you are stationed out of Pune, it makes sense for you to source the print from your local printer. All you have to do is share/take a print of the above post, show your local printer the material specifications, and commission a similar job from him.