Composite Trends

Composites Past and Present - Gen Y is Shaping the Future

Digital Pix offers a variety of composite products designed for the Gen Y population. We understand that you and your organization are unique, which is the reason we offer custom colors for your plaque, mount board, and text.

Digital Pix has been producing composite products since the fall of 2005 in multiple markets at the post high school level. But prior to that, the owners of Digital Pix and their families had a long and rich history in the composite industry. We take credit for the introduction of the highly successful plastic plaques in the early 1970s and for a myriad of innovations still available to our customers today.

At first, composites were made by hand cutting individual photographs into oval and rectangle shapes and affixing them with adhesive to various colored cardboard mount boards. Hand lettered names, titles and headings were applied with erratic results. Some groups chose outdoor group photography in lieu of composites. But the quality of the finished product was always dependent upon the skill in placement of participants, the capture of perfect expressions for everyone at the time of exposure, the ideal conditions for the development process and the vagaries of weather. The results from group photography were highly unreliable and often a great disappointment. Composites rose in popularity as group photography declined, especially at the upper graduate collegiate level.

Photos sizes were standardized with a variety of sizes offered to accommodate both larger and smaller groups. Design aesthetics, membership participation and space requirements determined the sizes of photos used during the construction of group composites. Eventually, composite companies limited photos used to a choice of one or two fixed sizes and developed their “composite bibles” with these fixed sizes in mind.

As composites became more sophisticated and class/group sizes larger, hand cutting of photos (into ovals and rectangles) and other composite elements were eliminated in favor of a die cutting process to make the necessary cuts. Photos were uniformly stamped in consistent sizes and shapes by the die cutter and applied by adhesives to a mount board. Composites were laid out according to instructions contained in the proprietary “Bibles”, which contained a mathematical schematic developed for every size group in each size of photo offered.

Bibles were further customized to accommodate varying preferred heading sizes and shapes with specific officer placements. Thus, the “Bibles” guided officer placement, size and orientation of headings, placement and size of photos, location and placement of names, as well as, top and bottom borders. Bibles further described spacing between rows and columns, the number of photos per row and the number of rows based upon participation on the composite. As always, group preferences for placement of officers (top row or row above heading) were accommodated.

Headings, including crests, school, and organization and chapter names were applied by highly trained calligrapher/artists. Composite construction evolved into a highly labor intensive production process. Premium composites had names and titles applied below the die cut photos by hand using the expert calligrapher/artists. As the process became more and more expensive, alternative production methods were explored.

As technology advanced, calligraphy of individual names and/or titles was replaced by the application of die cut name/title paper rectangles, affixed by adhesive below their corresponding die cut photos. And hand painted/lettered headings were replaced by a combination of photographic crests printed to size, cut out by hand and affixed by adhesive.

The process still wasn’t streamlined enough. Eventually paper plaques were introduced to hold both photo and name/title, but their quality was inferior and inconsistent. They were in vogue for a time but were quickly replaced by injection-molded plastic plaques introduced by Custom Composites, Inc. Our family takes credit for the introduction of this wildly popular style still used today.

The first plaques were black or white, rectangular or oval, and produced in two different sizes called Cameo and Petite. Both plaque shapes came in two styles (1) with name/title included and (2) without name/title included on the plaque, but with the name/title hand applied directly below the plaque. The new plaques (with name/title) contained a place to insert both a die cut pre-printed name and die cut photo, essentially framing both names/titles and portraits. This style continues to be the style of choice for most of our professional customers. Eventually the color selection of plaques was expanded, but colored plaques never became very popular.

The need to produce a composite more quickly and more uniformly pushed the development of a photographic rub down process for names, titles and headings using black and white text. Calligraphers couldn’t maintain the consistency and uniformity of the new rub down process. Thus, premium composites came to be made with die cut photos applied with adhesive to cardboard mount boards or premium leatherette/vinyl mount boards with names/titles applied below the photos and with headings added according to customer specifications. Black and white oval and rectangle plastic plaques containing photos, but without names attached, were applied in the same way.

Digital Pix expanded its range of custom plaques to include double plaques in an unlimited array of colors and gem plaques.

Digital Pix expanded its range of custom plaques to include double plaques in an unlimited array of colors, only limited by a customer’s imagination. As double plaques became increasingly popular, gem plaques, pearl plaques and beaded plaques were added to its popular product line. This line has great appeal to both sororities and professional customers. Digital Pix has added a line of plaques for the fraternity market which includes horseshoes, braided rope and leather wrap. As part of Digital Pix’s continuing commitment to customization, we have a graphic arts department that is on call to make a special plaque, just for your group, free of charge. Just tell them what you want and they will take over from there.

The composites hanging on your walls today were created to the tastes primarily of Baby Boomers, who were expressing their individuality, while at the same time respecting their traditions. You, as members of Generation Y, value individuality and seek to express yourselves and display your uniqueness through all forms of liberating technologies. And you are doing so with custom ring tones, wallpaper, social network site designs and your manner of dress. The opportunities for personal expression are almost limitless. Why be satisfied with the status quo? Doesn’t your group have its own personality?

Digital Pix has introduced a myriad of customizable options in response to customer requests and changing tastes including:

• Personalized minis
• Watermark master composites, separately customizable minis
• Unlimited mount board colors and textures
• Colored Drapes, including: Black, Sapphire, Ruby, Peridot, Amber, Pearl and Pink Topaz
• An ever expanding selection of plaque styles, including Gem Plaques
• Photo products with many customizable options.

Technology has changed the way people can communicate and express themselves. Examples abound everywhere on the web. Social networking websites, such as MySpace and Face Book, allow people to create personalized web pages about themselves to display their interests, likes, dislikes, and overall personalities. Blogs and twitter allow people to continuously communicate their lives minute by minute over the internet to their friends, families, or fans. Everything is customizable on the web today. Backgrounds, colors, photos, messages; all of these can and are being changed to clearly represent the person behind the account.

We challenge you to use our Composite Design Center to build a unique composite for your group, one that reflects the freedom and character of your times. Respect your groups’ traditions, but MAKE YOUR GROUP COMPOSITE virtually SHINE WITH YOUR UNIQUENESS. Give your composite design as much attention as you give to your web space. Afterwards, share the virtual composite you made by emailing it to friends and group members. Remember, you’re a member of Gen Y and proud of it!