Tandus Reinvents Carpet Sampling with the Blink Bo
Chicago, IL, June 13, 2006--At the NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago, Tandus, introduced a new version of the traditional carpet sample book.
Building on the success of Tandus' web-based custom sample design program, the blink book applies the advantages of digital sampling to running line products from Monterey, C&A and Crossley, the three brands united by Tandus.
"As we create a new vision for our products to work in unison across our three brands, Tandus has revolutionized sampling by reinventing it to give designers additional freedom in the way they work," said Lee Schilling, senior vice president with Tandus.
Tandus recognized designers' need for removable swatches as an important part of the creative process and developed blink books to enable and encourage it. While the blink book utilizes a feeler swatch for the tactile experience, it replaces traditional carpet color swatches with High Resolution Digital Simulation (HiRezDS) pads. Each pad contains 25 individual HiRezDS sheets. Simply peel off a blink HiRezDS for use on a project board or desktop reference--the blink book remains intact.
Blink HiRezDS are digitally modeled carpet styles matched to the yarns in the physical product. Designed to help narrow down color choices, blink HiRezDS are accurate enough to make an educated decision. As designers move closer to a final color choice and final sign-off, they can request larger physical tufted samples from the mill or Tandus account executive.
In keeping with the intent of blink technology, the blink book is a more environmentally friendly resource. The HiRezDS pads are made with recycled content paper and are 100% recyclable. Although other sample books may be sent to the landfill when their colors become outdated, blink books are designed so depleted pads can easily be replaced, extending the shelf life of the books.
Creating a HiRezDS sample requires 95% fewer resources than producing a carpet sample. And not only does the book weigh less than 50 percent of a traditional architect folder, but it takes up 50 percent less shelf space.
"We estimate saving more than 100,000 yards in swatching material in the first full year of using the blink book," said Schilling. "The resources conserved by not manufacturing this carpet are considerable."
NeoCon also marks the relaunch of the blink by Tandus custom design program. First shown at NeoCon 2005, blink is an integrated web and print program that allows users to create their own virtual custom samples for immediate viewing online and for quick delivery of color accurate, realistic print samples and room scenes.
This digital sampling process allows designers to reduce the number of physical samples ordered and thus avoid unnecessary use of oil, energy and water, as well as unnecessary landfill waste. To date, blink has focused on enabling extensive designer input for custom orders.
This year, blink has been dramatically expanded to include all Tandus solution dyed running-line products. Designers can now tweak a running line style and color or opt to start from scratch using only a grayscale pattern. With these additions, there are now approximately 80 patterns available on blink. In the coming months, running line styles constructed with space-dyed fibers will be added.
"While we feel the blink book concept is potentially patentable, we aren't interested in protecting this system from industry-wide use," said Schilling. "Because of the significant financial impact as well as environmental benefits, Tandus encourages other manufactures to replicate this system of sampling. The impact on the carpet industry, and beyond, could be enormous."
