In 2019, at Grafix, we created the first brief for launching a private brand and online store, with the goal of introducing a series of mass-produced graphic industry products for everyday use.

We identified a critical lack of well-designed functional graphics amid the sea of low-quality mass-produced Chinese goods, which were disconnected from the spirit of our culture. For this project, we used a powerful creative approach to develop everyday functional items that would carry the spirit of our region in the culture we live in today. The launch of the 21st product with an ethnic aesthetic marked the initial assortment of the UrbanEtno program. Targeting both traditionalist and younger, more modern groups, we aimed to find a new expression and aesthetic. The products were beautifully artistically directed by our own design team, Darko Torgašev and Emina Radnović.

Within the brand, a desire, but also a need, arose to address the ethnic theme while respecting authenticity as much as possible. The initial guideline for this project was provided by the book Serbian Folk Motifs from 1936, edited by drawing professor V. Stevanović. In the introduction, the professor says:

“Our old folk motifs are disappearing, and their places are being taken by modern, foreign motifs that are unsuitable for our people. Allowing this folk treasure to perish would be a great loss for the enlightenment of our people.”

Nearly 100 years later, the professor’s words have a new task for contemporary Serbian designers. Professor Stevanović, through his book, has provided us with precise instructions for using old motifs and creating new ones. A particularly interesting section is where the professor talks about colors:

“The strongest effect is achieved by harmonizing three primary colors in this order: red, blue, and yellow. The effect is excellent when gold replaces yellow. Further, a good combination can be made from these three colors: red (purple), prussian blue, and yellow. Orange, green, and purple. White can also be used here as a separator or integral part of these colors, and ultramarine blue could replace purple…”

Our job was not only to master the language of folk motifs but also to recognize their application in objects we use today. Working on this theme was a great pleasure for us, and so far, we’ve developed 21 products and a large number of variations. Researching and immersing ourselves in the fairy-tale atmosphere of past times created magic and transported us to a period when harmony and balance with nature first gave birth to these ornaments, placing them into colors, and for all time, recording the cultural codes of an ancient people who knew how to stylize natural phenomena.

If we conclude this text in the spirit of Professor Stevanović, we can add that this work encourages pleasure and interest, ultimately leading to the development of imagination and a sense of beauty.

Our collection primarily speaks to the “aesthetically educated eye” and the “spiritually rooted soul.”

For any business, like ours, which has been operating for 30 years, the question of adaptation and changing the way we work arises. In the post-pandemic period, we had to react quickly, adopt new technologies, and adjust to new circumstances. Despite all of this, we have built a stronger and more resilient team.

We would like to express our gratitude to each team member for their dedication, flexibility, and commitment during these challenging times. Your energy and faith in our company have been a key factor in our success.

We also want to extend our thanks to every client who has recognized our values, especially those who trust us year after year and confirm Grafix as a reliable partner.

Looking forward, we believe we are ready to face any challenges that come our way. Our vision remains unchanged – to stay leaders in our industry and continue providing top-tier service to our clients.

More than anything, we are working to restore dignity to work and joy to our encounters.

In a world where AI is a threat to many, we are proving our uniqueness and ensuring a safe workspace for future generations.

Although AI brings many innovations and changes globally, there are several reasons why we believe this will not be the case for us.

Creativity and Human Interpretation, AI can generate graphics or even imitate artists’ styles, but it lacks the ability to create original ideas and the creative expression that has always been the hallmark of Grafix. We believe that, especially in the future, human interpretation, emotions, and creative processes will remain irreplaceable.

Quality and Detail, Although AI can generate graphics, it often lacks the ability to understand context, emotions, and complex client requirements. Our training enables us to understand our clients’ needs and create graphics and products that precisely reflect their needs and vision—something inherently human.

Personalization and Customization, Personalization, which often reflects graphic design within a project, is one of the specific demands of clients. Our task has always been, and we believe it will continue to be, to provide unique, customized solutions that reflect the individuality of each client.

Quality of Interaction and Communication, Graphic designers are typically in communication with clients, understanding their tasks, offering advice, and suggesting improvements, which is always a guarantee of a better final result.

Inspiration and Intuition are perhaps the most important comparative advantage of human work is inspiration and intuition. These aspects of the creative process are difficult to replicate or replace with AI.

We believe and respect that while AI can be a powerful tool to speed up certain processes and offer additional support to designers, human creativity, interpretation, and interaction remain irreplaceable elements in the graphic industry.

 

Large Format Digital Printing or LED Screens in Advertising

In the wine industry, the glass plays a significant role, or more precisely, the shape of the glass. Wine connoisseurs know that every wine requires a specific type of glass to shine and express its full potential.

But does information require the same level of consideration when it comes to the medium through which it is consumed?

The advancement of technology and digitalization in the printing and advertising industries has brought its “likes” and “dislikes.” Technological progress in production is undoubtedly a “like,” in terms of enhancing quality, speed, and, most importantly, possibilities. However, digital advertising, on the other hand, has questionable popularity among advertisers. We are witnessing numerous examples of information being displayed through screens in retail and outdoor advertising. Positive user experiences are the goal of every innovation. Since this phenomenon is still young, it has not yet received a true public judgment in terms of evaluation. I believe the time has come for this evaluation to emerge, as one of the key questions: What is the future of large-format digital printing and the graphic industry?

Fast food chains are increasingly adopting digital price tags via screens. Betting shops, drugstores, supermarkets, and outdoor advertisers are increasingly placing LED screens on building facades. Chains are implementing this, and it seems that LED screens are the natural replacement for print media.

But is this really the case?

Since the early 2000s, advertisers have embraced LED screens enthusiastically, with screens programmed to perform all kinds of flashy and bizarre tricks to grab the attention of passersby. And in an increasingly digital world where consumer attention is often hard to capture, brands and retailers must pay more attention to this. It seems that buying and installing an LED screen is easy and the right move, expecting that it will simply replace the old, static billboard or poster, and sales will skyrocket for that reason alone.

As printers, we were initially concerned about the competition between print media and the animated, flashy LED screens. However, after the first wave of impact, the experience of the type of information that can be advertised via LED and its influence has led to a completely different line of thought. Under the light of LEDs, printed graphics have taken on a new role and quality. This traditional medium of trust still surpasses its digital counterpart in certain areas.

What is the attraction of LED screens ?

When it comes to digital advertising via LED screens, the key factor is that they can be easily changed, allowing one location to display multiple messages, thus maximizing its potential in terms of generating revenue. If the information is presented in video form, success is almost guaranteed.

But are LED screens too “noisy” and distracting?

LED screens require a “strong” current to operate 24/7, 365 days a year—especially in the midst of a global energy crisis that is teaching everyone the importance of energy conservation.

The user in retail has experience with these devices and the way of communication from excitement to health problems. How many times have you stood in line at the counter of a Fast Food chain with the desire to order something, but the price list on the screen keeps “running away” before you manage to look at what you would order. An LED screen is simply not made to be static. In our conditions, it is again brought to absurdity, and the price lists are presented like an action movie that flashes before your eyes and where you have to be extremely fast to see which hamburger you want to order and how much it costs.

What about all those who suffer from photosensitive epilepsy? Has leaving the house become a health threat for them?

In the printing industry, awareness of the impact of printing and printing ink on the world around us has existed for decades. A great effort was made to make the colors and materials green. Information about the influence of digital media ie. LED screens on the mental and physical health of people and the environment are almost non-existent. In spaces with a strong influence of these bodies, we feel bad. Headache, irritability are just some of the consequences. The movement, Led Free Shops, Street and HORECA are new but powerful protests against the screening of the space in which we live.

In our area, we are not yet consciously sensitive to garbage, but that will change here as well. Older LED displays are now being replaced by new, “greener” displays, but the limitations of what can be easily recycled in older displays are a concern. Where will that digital waste end up?

Although there is no regulation in our country, studies in the world have shown a significant increase in traffic accidents near LED screens with animated content or content with strong flashing light that distracts the driver. I think we are all aware of the problem of digital green crosses for pharmacies, which are usually located just behind the traffic lights at intersections and the driver approaching the intersection can hardly decide if the “red light” is “on” or if it is “just” a pharmacy nearby. Not to mention drug store windows, which are usually “turned to the maximum” in terms of light intensity and almost always illuminate the street better than public lighting. Here, I would not bypass the betting shops, which have all accepted the trend of “the bigger, the more colorful and the brighter the flash”! For these reasons, in many countries in the West, animated LED advertisements are regulated and prohibited on city streets and next to roads with traffic.

Cities, especially ours, are becoming a dumping ground for light pollution from these types of media. That can be a turn-off for brands that focus on the environment. In fact, some governments are planning to introduce new regulations restricting the use of digital media at night.

The graphic medium has clear and final information, it does not last for an average of 10-15 seconds, where the goal is to make it as attractive as possible with as much data as possible with all visual effects. Because right after it comes the next advertisement from another brand. Which densely packed information one after another is most like “babble”.

Do you manage to see the information in that short time?

If you paid for this medium, are you satisfied with how many people saw and understood the message?

The advertisement on the billboard is visible 24 hours a day. In the campaign, you can see the same information in a larger number of locations, which makes the model by which a person learns: I see, I recognize, I know applicable. Namely, if we know that a person needs to see the same content 3 times in order to learn, then it is clear why good campaigns on billboards are the ones we still remember today, while the new fashion makes us not even know what we saw.

As always alternative in our work, we see the value of the screen. Done right, Digital Signage can enhance advertising messaging capabilities by providing video demonstrations of product usage as well as additional information with touchscreens. For this reason, screens are considered the best choice in certain environments and situations where print could only offer limited information. Examples of this include hospitals and shopping malls, hotels and restaurants and places with high traffic such as airports – could you imagine going to the gate at the airport without checking your departure information on a digital screen?

Printed types of signs will survive in all cases where both the seller and the buyer need more time for certain content, while with digital screens, they tend to just throw information out and have limited time for the consumer to consume it all.

For a good example of printed signage in action, you only need to look at the floor graphics that helped us navigate safely during the pandemic. Although they only provided very simple messages such as “Line of movement” or “Keep a distance of 2m”, these highly influential signs were a vital weapon in the fight against Covid-19 and because of their location under our feet, inside and outside, meant that print was the only way to convey important information.

Certain markings, such as floor graphics, are only possible with print.

Advertising on vehicles, whether light delivery vehicles or large tow trucks, cannot yet be digital, even though in our country, with a tradition of more than 20 years, even printed advertising on vehicles has not yet used its full potential.

Printed tags can also be placed in a number of locations without having to consider access to electricity. If there was a power outage and the generators were not installed, the screen would be useless. On the other hand, with print, as long as there is some source of light – whether natural or artificial – the message will remain.

These examples send a comforting message to those concerned about the future role of print in signage and advertising. Simply put, there will always be some type of print element in the advertising and signage industry.

Yes, digital may be taking some parts of the market and print is marginalized in certain applications, but this should also be the point where all those in the graphics sector who want to use their technology come up with new and innovative ways to offer the client something interesting and attractive.

The story of the demise of large format digital printing has been greatly exaggerated … again.

In the spirit of the beginning of the text, the question of whether we are witnessing innovations in the approach to marketing information, their accidental or deliberate mistakes or something else, we tried to make a point with this text. Just as no carbonated drink will ever be able to replace wine, digital information will have its own speed and effect, but clear and definitive information will continue to belong to the material world of the graphic industry.

The young know phenomena that change, the elderly know what does not change.

Siniša Radnović

How many times have you encountered a wall of limitations in your creative work?
How many times were you just one step away from realizing a major—or at least significant—idea, only to be held back by technical limitations?

If you work in any field where print is part of your artistic expression—or even better, if you create in areas where you’ve never explored the possibilities of modern digital printing—this contest may be the challenge you’ve been waiting for.

Where most contests are designed with limitations in mind, we invite you to do the opposite: explore both your limits and ours.
Beauty lies in the imagination of the artist, and when that imagination can be realized, then beauty lies also in the absence of limits.

To celebrate our 30th anniversary, Grafix is looking ahead—toward new artistic visions—and joining forces with creators to push the boundaries of what’s possible. We are searching for creative challenges. That’s why we’re inviting artists from across a wide range of visual and applied arts to think about how they could create in ways that go beyond known limits.

The beauty of possibility and scale will, this time, walk hand in hand with the beauty of creative ambition.

Join the world of Grafix art!

Grafix Large Format Art Contest

IN CELEBRATION OF 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS

 

For three decades, we’ve been printing on a wide range of materials using the latest large-format digital printing techniques. To mark this major anniversary, we want to help bring your ideas to life.

 

– We’ve been in digital printing for 30 years.

– Our technology includes large-format digital printers and cutters.

– Our materials include a wide spectrum of roll-based and rigid substrates.

– Our capabilities combine materials, design, printing techniques, and graphic effects.

 

Presenting the aesthetic of new technologies to the public is not just a call to operate machines and software—it’s an invitation to artists to show how 21st-century innovation has redefined beauty.

What was once only possible in the imagination—such as achieving a 3D or woodcut-like effect through printing—is now within reach. It’s up to us to give these possibilities their best functional and creative expression.

Brands have brought their communication with the user through commercial graphics to perfection, and in some cases to art. Many campaigns are remembered for their creative reach and the impact they had on the general public and consumers. Many brands have looked to art and artists as spokespeople for their product. For more than three decades, graphics have been an indispensable part of every campaign, launch and activation.

In countless ways, the product was promoted through this technique. With this project, we wish to put the commercial product in the background and, above all, materialize the work of art through the aesthetics of digital printing and large format. Our goal is to point out the beauty we know, next to which we live and on which we based our work.

We invite you to use our materials, technologies, and design possibilities in unexpected ways—through experimentation that creates new forms and layers. Challenge us with your vision—we love a good challenge!

Throughout the process, we’ll be fully available to collaborate with you to bring artistic works to life that truly push creative boundaries.

We’re placing the full breadth of our capabilities in service of creativity and art.

The contest is open from December 8, 2022 to January 20, 2023.

We invite all artists, as well as doctoral students of art faculties, who perform their activities in the field of fine and applied arts to apply for the competition.

If you are interested in participating in the competition, send us your artistic biography and up to two of your works to the e-mail address: grafix.jubilej@grafix.rs

On February 3, the selected candidates will join a guided tour through the Grafix printing house, where we will present to you what our possibilities are and what materials and techniques we have at our disposal.

After the guided tour, you will receive a work kit with examples and print options that will hopefully serve as inspiration for your work.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION OF SELECTED CANDIDATES

 

– The conceptual solution with a short written explanation is attached to the competition.

– Papers should be submitted in PDF format.

– Along with the visual solution of the work, it is possible to submit accompanying documentation that would help in more detail in understanding the way of implementation.

– Conceptual solutions should be sent no later than March 3, 2023

All works selected for exhibition will be produced by the Grafix printing house.

The competition is of the purchase type. Awarded works will be printed in two copies, one of which goes to the artist and one of which is kept by Grafix to form the collection.

The maximum suggested size of the realized printed work is 3×3 m.

Preparation of works selected by the commission can be realized in CorelDraw, Adobe Paket, Affinity Suite or Procreate programs.

PRIZE FUND

 

Grafix and the expert jury will award the following cash/buyout prizes:

 

I prize of 300,000 dinars

II prize 180,000 dinars

III prize 120,000 dinars

IV prize 80,000 dinars

V prize 50,000 dinars

 

The final results of the competition will be published no later than March 12, 2023.

The exhibition of selected works, lasting two weeks, will be held during September 2023 in an adequate gallery space.

During that period, the exhibition activity will be accompanied by a catalog, as well as an accompanying media campaign

 

Belgrade, December 8, 2022

Dear artists and distinguished guests, I would like to greet you and introduce today’s hosts, who will give the opening speech, familiarize you with our technologies, and at the end of the presentation, answer your questions: meet Darko, Velibor, Jadranka, Miodrag, Ljuba, and Dušan. I will introduce our collective entity, Grafix, as briefly as possible, because we have worked together, have experience, and know each other well.

Emina

Aside from the longevity that our anniversary reflects, we can describe ourselves as pioneers of digital graphics and large-format printing in Serbia. The company was founded amidst the transitional changes of 1993.
What we have experienced from that distant 1993 to 2023 is: When nothing in the surrounding environment is encouraging, dive into your work—it will keep you afloat. In our case, once we dived in, we never had the chance to resurface. Whether that was due to various social and ecological pollution, or because our world was much better, it’s hard to say.
There were, however, brief and occasional moments of resurfacing, like today.
Thirty years later, graphics remain our passion—applications and technologies may change, but the need for communication remains:

Our Thinking Behind the Project, What Did We Want? Our “Peace of Mind”

The idea of creating an exhibition has its roots in the phenomenon that is part of the process of our work. That process basically has product thinking. Which material will best convey the idea, which technology will give the best detail and connection, what kind of presentation will it be, what kind of communication with the customer will be…

That daily consideration of what, how, parts, whole, details and connections, layers, created a side effect that grew.

That side effect is experience and wealth of details gained and problems solved. Experience as the mentioned phenomenon is what we approach each subsequent work with. However, there are some very valuable solutions that are used only once and never again. Awareness of this became the root of the idea of an exhibition for which we would open the content of our records and recipes to the most creative ones and guide them through technologies to create something valuable and timeless.

First, we divided ourselves into teams, each artist was assigned a specialist for preparation, a production specialist, a coordinator, and an artistic collaborator.
We assessed the works both based on personal preferences and the technical characteristics, as well as our experience working with certain techniques.
We spent a lot of time discussing among ourselves how each of us perceived the work and preparing for meetings with the artists.

Jovanka Mladenović – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Darko

Vladimir Kovač – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Milan

Jelena Jelača – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Sanja

Nikola Radosavljević – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Milan

Lidija Živković – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Sanja

Leonora Vekić – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Darko

Miša Obradović – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Sanja

Zdravko Joksimović – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Milan

Ivana Živić – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Sanja

Vladimir Lalić (online) – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Darko

Anita Milić – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Milan

Miško Pavlović – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Sanja

Mića Stajčić – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Darko

Martin Erdeš – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Milan

Dragana B Stevanović – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Milan

Marina Marković – Emina, Siniša, Ljuba, Darko

Miško Pavlović – Emina, Siniša, Matrak, Milan

Lea Embeli – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Darko

Mira Odić – Emina, Siniša, Velja, Sanja

Eleonora’s team: Miodrag, Darko, Ana, and Emina. We had our first meeting. The work was displayed on the screen. We listened to the artist’s philosophy behind the work. The artist spoke, and we listened. Then, the roles reversed – we spoke, and the artist listened. If, after the first two steps, we recognized a mutual understanding, we would move on to the third step. Sometimes we would get stuck, or misunderstand each other. But we kept moving forward…

Vladimir’s team: Darko, Matrak, Siniša, and Emina. Vladimir had been in London for a long time, and he only came to see the prototype of the work just before the exhibition. At that point, we had to consider how many changes he had in mind and how much time we had left to implement everything he wanted.

In order to ensure that we would achieve the desired results, we created samples for all the artists’ works. These were scaled-down versions of the pieces, most often at a 1:10 ratio, but using the actual materials and printing techniques that would be used for the final works.This allowed us to thoroughly examine the characteristics of the materials, the printing parameters, and the finishing techniques. It also enabled us to collaborate closely with the artists to determine the best way to present their work in its full glory.Some of the pieces required multiple iterations before we arrived at the optimal solution.

The 20 recipes of selected works for the exhibition involved almost every technology at our disposal in the production, roll to roll, flatbed.
What lifted us all up was the complexity of the artworks. Using the maximum potential of people and technical capabilities of equipment. The process of technological review of the recipe, planning, coordination and execution were, in the first place, mental tension individually and as a team. The bigger the challenge, the more she stepped up, asked us for a higher level and brought some new experiences:
How the used materials behave in printing, combining several types of materials, challenges in joining different materials, new technologies for gluing, new technologies for printing white color and varnish on non-standard materials…

For this project, we used 32 different materials, which, although familiar, were approached and applied in entirely new ways.
For the first time, we performed double-sided, multi-layer printing on large and heavy acrylic pieces. We used a new method to print metallic materials with white ink and lacquer, laser-cut wood, printed and combined it on multiple layers, combined acrylic and transparent film with printing, and bent aluminum composite materials in multiple directions…
The experiences gained with these materials are invaluable for future projects!

Joining Parts

The more complex works had many or large parts to be joined. Joining parts is a non-digital process and therefore requires significant experience and knowledge of material properties. In addition to our colleagues from the workshop who provided lightboxes, frames, and supports, laser cutting of wood, our colleagues from printing and finishing gained new experiences in choosing adhesives, gluing, laminating materials, cutting, bending, drilling, stapling, and assembling. I believe we all advanced in new skills, precision, and the quality of the final product.

Quality Control

In commercial work, we often talk about “production quality,” which is a compromise between speed and print quality.
For this project, only the highest quality was acceptable, so quality control was a “nightmare” in production. If any anomaly was detected on the material, it was replaced. If there were printing errors, scratches, or defects, the print would be redone. Naturally, such things happen in live production, but thanks to our experience, the design and printing teams managed to keep these issues to a minimum! Finally, we are satisfied with the results.

How Many Meetings Did We Have?

83? 183? In order to get to the final work, it was necessary to go through: selection of works, defining, making samples, correcting samples, preparing for printing, printing, cutting, assembly and control!
The project is conceived as more monthly, specifically 6 months for development and production. Although there was enough time, it is still about twenty unique complex recipes.
We had meetings daily, weekly, and if necessary several times a day in various formations.
Keyword management. The project asked us to apply all the experience from the commercial organization to the project in full. We reduce the thinking of 2000 pieces to 20.
I think it is important to point out that the whole project ran in a natural rhythm without crises and that problems were solved quickly and efficiently. Of course, we will quickly forget those problems, remain richer for valuable experience and remember only successful and efficient realizations!

We began the first trial on paper. In our own space, we laid out all the works at their planned dimensions.
The gallery installation started with a test of the overall sizing—each piece needed to be considered in relation to the others.
That test confirmed that the works conceived at maximum size appeared monumental even on paper, which validated their readiness for execution in final materials.However, some works that were initially conceived as smaller “gallery format” pieces stood out during the trial and called for rethinking their scale.The second level of testing focused on color. After months of viewing the works on screens, we had to determine whether their printed, 1:1 versions held up in terms of color fidelity, sharpness, and detail?

The third level dealt with positioning—how each work related to the next. Every piece carried its own unique tone, atmosphere, and palette. Many had distinct textures, with specific reliefs and material layering. Each precious element needed to be placed thoughtfully within the space.

For some artists, the work on the work continued in the gallery after the installation.
Nicole’s work had 74 special elements. While we were thinking about transportation, it became clear that there is no sufficiently safe packaging and transport vehicle that would transport such fragile work to the location without the risk of breakage. Nikola had to apply the final layer on site in the gallery. He was one of us that day. That dedication to work made an impression on the people at Grafix.

Mića Stajčić, Simonida, Miša Pavlović, combined illuminated-illuminated, only illuminated and only illuminated. While we were thinking about the works, we did not take into account the exhibition and its important factor lighting, however, the space allowed us to freely combine lighting and lighting for each work as needed.

The Beauty of Large Format — an exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of Grafix.

The exhibition presented 20 works by contemporary artists, each having their special moment to sign their piece — the final act completing the artwork.

A shortlist of five pieces was selected as those that best reflected the spirit of the competition:

First place Jovanka Mladenović, Second place Nikola Radisavljević, Third place Lidija Živković, Fourth place Zdravko Joksimović, Fifth place Vladimir Lalić

Together with friends, collaborators, and lovers of contemporary art, we spent an unforgettable evening.

A night to remember, filled with the energy of a sparkling and radiant world brought together by art, excellence, and — above all — the desire to help shape the kind of world we want to live in.

Behind it all stood a serious and precise team, one that carried everything out with lightness and simplicity. Each person fulfilled their role with full dedication and gave the very best of themselves — earning the name “Dream Team.”

THANK YOU, in Large Format!

“At the beginning of the project, we weren’t sure whether the techniques we use in commercial graphics could generate value in artistic creation. But then we met the artists. With them, there was no doubt. Over six months, there was a process of thinking, research, and testing, and as you can see, in most cases, we managed to create something that compels you to love the work. To lose yourself in it, and most importantly, not want to part with it. With this project, Grafiks has started its endowment, a collection of modern Serbian art in large digital formats. Our mission is to empower and support artists who want to create in this format.”

Siniša Radnović

The exhibition “The Beauty of Large Format” took place at the Salon of the Museum of the City of Belgrade and was an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the artistic and technical diversity of the works. The artistic diversity captivated the audience, giving them a chance to explore different styles and techniques. The media didn’t remain indifferent to the event, with well-known television stations and newspapers, including RTS, Novosti, and Nova.rs, highlighting this exhibition as one of the significant cultural events in the city. All the visitors to the exhibition, as well as those who followed it through the media, would agree that it was a spectacular event that enriched the cultural scene of Belgrade. The exhibition “The Beauty of Large Format” attracted attention from both television and the press, and its success promises a bright future for the arts and culture in our city.

Rad je raison d’être firme Grafix.

We always strive to work by respecting the process and every individual within it. Work should reflect the highest ethical standards — honoring the principles of ethics that humanity has recognized and developed over centuries. We dream of a form of modern capitalism with strong ancient roots, where profit is made without harm or offense to anyone, and where a portion is dedicated to initiatives that can truly make a difference in people’s lives and in the community we live in — for education, religion, and the preservation of cultural heritage.

We believe in a humanistically grounded company –  one created for people, with people, and around their need to structure and connect their work. For 25 years, we have pursued the goal of making Grafix an organization where everyone is motivated to contribute — a place that inspires people to fulfill themselves through their work. Work that uplifts human dignity and provides emotional satisfaction.

Our aspiration is for the driving force behind all our activities to be the common good — which, when truly such, must always be a guiding force behind thoughtful and courageous action.

Years of experience have brought us simplicity. We work striving to lead normal lives, we keep reasonable working hours because we want to rediscover value in all things.

Our core values are: Knowledge, Skill, Capability, Personal Example, Personal Growth, Commitment to Solutions, and Cost Awareness.

Convinced that a peaceful and beautiful environment strengthens creativity and builds a community of shared values, Grafix has developed a modern facility as a space for the development of ideas. We believe that the realized spirit of unity is the measure of an organization’s strength. Every square meter serves the purpose of graphic exploration — a laboratory for experimentation and innovation. Offices and production are located within an open industrial space. Connection, accessibility, and transparency are expressed in their purest form — with glass walls, raw finishes, designer graphics, and wooden furniture.

Simplicity and beauty, as the aesthetic of this place, arise from the refined goals formed over 25 years of dedication to aesthetics, science, and technology. The space exudes deep harmony and peace, imbued with the spirit of every experience that has transformed us.
Everyone who works with us becomes part of our company’s life — no matter what their role is. Everyone knows their work is a key part of the bigger picture.

Our quality is the result of the inner quality of every employee.

By combining “old-fashioned” and modern goals and human needs, the company has created an innovative approach and become a model of the modern economy.

Over time, the number of employees has grown — and so have the changes.
Years of work have brought collaboration with the largest number of companies in the region. Few can say they have never needed our products or services.
The size and quality of our client portfolio have grown to the point where listing them would render the font unreadable on an A4 page — and the portfolio, in that sense, unnecessary.This, our work has evolved into the continuous building of our own name — our brand — as a synonym for the work we do and know exceptionally well. That mission has remained unchanged for years: to provide solutions and meet client needs with high-quality, fast service and simple communication.

At Grafix, every year is one to remember — we’ve successfully avoided stagnant years or years devoured by “locusts.” We’ve learned not just to observe the years, but to shape them.

Our years of professionalism speak in a clear and precise language.
We’ve counted nearly “Ripley’s-believe-it-or-not” figures: more than 15,000 clients, 220,000 completed projects, and 3.5 million printed square meters — impressive data for some, but for us, axioms of success.

Now, from the distance of 25 years, we can finally see the whole picture — and yet, we are only a small part of a field of human endeavor where people, upon learning what we do, often say: That’s a truly beautiful profession. And — they’re right.

After 25 years of work, we no longer need to list everything we’ve done.

The company name — our signature — has become a synonym in itself.

We endure, continually seeking inspiration and strength in ourselves and in work as the reason for our existence.

With the establishment of Grafix, 25 years ago, we started our story in which we wanted to create a complete system for providing production services in the field of commercial graphics, based on knowledge, professional organization and market orientation. It is a story created from many “for the first time in our country” chapters that were both a business challenge and the happiness of creation.

93 | 95 … INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS AND BEGINNINGS

We have been working since our student days, “impressing” clients with conceptual solutions made on then rarely used computers. The pioneering but extensive business of branding city buses in Belgrade led to the founding of our own company – Grafix.

96 | 99 … KNOWING AND KNOWLEDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH US

In the mid-1990s, the period of high inflation was fading away, and the market for commercial graphics was developing. That was the period when in our country companies started to accept trends from abroad, and more and more of them wanted the product to communicate at the point of sale with large photos, promotional and presentational means of commercial graphics. We followed them and developed production and “know how” at Grafix.

One of the most significant, ground-breaking jobs at that time was the branding of the Sport Café in Belgrade with the largest graphics in the interior at that time.

The wall with Serbian athletes occupied a space of 12×4 m. (printing lasted 10 days, 16 hours a day).

Another technology is 3M Scotchprint

We were chosen and trained by the best, then undisputed American 3M. At that time, the best American technology provided products of excellent quality, previously unseen on our market.

We followed trends and technologies, and brought them to Serbia soon after they appeared.

Our story thus became unique.

In October 1998, for the first time in our country, we produced an autograph in full color (do we need to mention that we came up with this coin?) – it was a Peugeot Partner for Sector watches.

For the first time, we made illuminated advertisements in full color with photographs. For the first time, advertising banners could be photographs and not be limited to text in one or two colors… This is how our story gained institutional importance.

00 | 04 NEW MILLENIUM FROM “LARGE” TO “WIDE”

The beginning of the new millennium brings an acceleration and growth of ambition in the size of the format and the speed of production. The American technology that inherits from 3M is Vutek. New technological progress catapults us into the sphere of industrial production. We are moving the production headquarters to BIGZ’s building, at that time the only industrial facility for printing.

We were the first to produce MEGA graphics, over entire buildings, where the Slavija Hotel in Belgrade proved to be the right medium, i.e. a suitable object for a 600m2 mesh.

There is an expansion of the use of commercial graphics “in door” in retail spaces, as well as “out door” on vehicles, billboards… Given that we are licensed manufacturers of 3M commercial graphics from the very beginning, we get jobs for the entire car fleets of companies such as Pepsi, Knjaz Miloš, Coca Cola… At that time, even 9 out of 10 vehicles you saw on the street came from Grafix.

In 2003, Grafix marked 10 years of existence with large-format graphics at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. The very next year, in 2004, we complete the Vutek printing division with 7 large format printing machines.

05 | 08 … NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND NEW BUILDING

And then in 2005, we conquer UV technology. Printing starts directly on plate materials. With this, we expanded our portfolio of services and products, at the same time making products that were technologically impossible to make until then.

In 2008, we started work on the project of our office building – a specialized factory for the production of commercial graphics.

09 | 12 … GETTING OUT OF THE WORLD CRISIS AND IMMIGRATION

In 2009, we broke another record: in 6 days we printed and finished 12,000 m2 of banners for the “Zavala” project in Montenegro. A dramaturgical moment exists in every story, so it didn’t pass by ours either. The world crisis spilled over into our country, here of course with its own specifics, including the fact that it will last longer than at the place of origin.

Nevertheless, already in 2012, we are recording growth again. That year, we moved into our office building of over 5,000 m2, a kind of center for the development of ideas.

13 | 18 … NEW ERA AND NEW REQUIREMENTS

In the new age, technological development and client expectations were no longer the main challenges. We marked the 20th anniversary – with the project “People in large format” and the slogans “20 years – only graphics without politics”.

New equipment belonged to the new factory. From 2014 to 2017, we completely renovated all printing machines, printers and finishing machines. Our new printing capacities are 471 m2/h, correspondingly 11,000 m2/day, 250,000 m2/month…, many times more than the market demands and enough for every “peak”.

In addition, both high resolution and large format are no longer basic requirements. The resolution has reached the photographic level. Top organization has become a new, additional challenge. That’s why we introduced EN ISO 9001, OHSAS 180001, Fogra PSD standards.

(UN)FAIR COMPETITION.

OR HOW TO STAY CONSISTENT

Competition” appeared on the margins of our story, which, unfortunately, brought about a drastic drop in quality. Both in billboard printing and in other segments of commercial graphics. By selling the “same quality for a lower price”, they deliver a much lower quality. That trend is maintained and the lower price has become imperative in the choice of suppliers. Honor to the exceptions, but the price is the dominant criterion. For this reason, we are now all witnessing actually “anti-advertising” on delivery vehicles, billboards or all other types of commercial graphics. With its many years of work, Grafix has positioned itself as someone who provides uncompromising quality – our clients know this and that is why they have been cooperating with us for many years to mutual satisfaction.

TODAY

COMPLETE AND ORDERED SYSTEM

Today we are arranged. We have systems, standards and procedures. Organization. Our showroom is a place where we solve problems with clients with the speed of ready-made solutions. Our sales room leads clients through quick and simple communication, with daily control of incoming and outgoing business. Our warehouses are tidy and regularly supplied with the necessary material. Our logistics is our support in mechanization and transport. Our production is planned and controlled. Our story is complete today.

The story of Grafix is also the story of commercial graphics in this area. A story full of people, products, services, clients, work, success… the story we write

for 25 years, it seems like it’s just getting started.

 

Are you a part of it or are you yet to become one?

Your GRAFIX.

Both image and opportunity.

To round off, celebrate, and reflect on our second decade of business, we connected with people through the project “PEOPLE OF LARGE FORMAT”, which focused on the theme of goodness and featured conversations with remarkable individuals of our time who are important to us. These conversations resulted in 12 interviews, each one — and all together — offering a reflection of the time in which we lived and created.

As we approached our 10-year anniversary, we felt ready to mark the milestone through social engagement. It happened that in the same year, the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP) received a new building, and both sides had a need for promotion and outfitting. This led to the idea of an exhibition showcasing the theatre’s history. The exhibition featured monumental graphics with documentary images from both the historical and contemporary periods of the theatre. The donation was accompanied by a celebration of Theatre Day on April 3, 2004, with the grand opening of the exhibition titled “LARGE FORMAT.” The exhibition consisted of portraits of significant figures from the world of theatre — renowned personalities of JDP selected by an expert team and theatre collaborators. Large-format digital graphics showcased photographs of directors, actors, authors, and many other influential individuals who have shaped the history and contemporary production of the theatre.