Sunboard (also known as foam board or PVC foam sheet) is a lightweight yet rigid material with a smooth, matte surface that produces stunning print quality. It is the go-to choice for indoor branding, exhibition panels, point-of-sale displays, and photo mounting. PrintsWallah uses direct UV printing technology to deliver photo-realistic prints on sunboard with vibrant colours and crisp details that elevate your brand presence.
Sunboard, technically known as expanded PVC foam board or Forex board, is a closed-cell polyvinyl chloride sheet that has become the gold standard for indoor signage and display applications across India. Unlike sunpack's hollow fluted structure, sunboard features a solid, uniform foam core with smooth matte surfaces on both sides. This construction provides exceptional rigidity, a premium appearance, and an ideal surface for high-resolution printing. Manufactured through the Celuka process, sunboard sheets achieve a fine, consistent cell structure that resists moisture absorption and provides excellent dimensional stability -crucial for applications where warping would be unacceptable.
The PVC foam board market in India is estimated at ₹800+ crore, driven primarily by the booming retail, hospitality, and exhibition sectors. Major Indian manufacturers include Jindal Composites, Supreme Industries, and Asian Paints (through their Truwood brand), while imported brands like Sintra, Forex, and Komatex command premium segments. Standard sheet sizes are 8×4 feet and 6×4 feet, with thicknesses ranging from 1mm (flexible) to 20mm (structural). For printing applications, 3mm and 5mm sunboard are most popular, offering the ideal balance of rigidity, weight, and cost at ₹25-45 per square foot for full-color UV printed output.
Photo mounting on sunboard has revolutionized how photographs are displayed in India. Wedding photographers, portrait studios, corporate offices, and art galleries use sunboard-mounted prints as a cost-effective alternative to traditional framing. A standard 16×20 inch photo mounted on 5mm sunboard with matte lamination costs ₹300-500 -compared to ₹1,500-3,000 for glass framing. The smooth surface of sunboard ensures zero texture interference with the printed image, while the rigid backing eliminates waving or curling. PrintsWallah offers photo mounting with beveled edges, flush-cut finishing, and optional easel backs for tabletop display.
POP (Point of Purchase) displays represent the fastest-growing application for sunboard printing in India's retail sector. As organized retail expands -projected to reach $230 billion by 2030 -brands increasingly invest in in-store visual merchandising. Sunboard POP displays include counter displays, shelf headers, hanging signs, product standees, and window graphics. A typical retail campaign for a new FMCG product launch involves 500-2,000 sunboard displays distributed across stores, costing ₹50-300 per piece depending on size and complexity. PrintsWallah handles end-to-end POP production for major brands across all 20 cities.
Exhibition and trade show applications utilize sunboard's premium finish and structural rigidity. Unlike sunpack which can flex and appear budget-oriented, sunboard panels maintain perfectly flat surfaces even at larger sizes. Standard exhibition panel configurations include 3×4 ft information boards, 4×6 ft product display panels, and 8×4 ft full-wall backdrops. For trade shows at venues like Auto Expo (Greater Noida), India International Trade Fair (Pragati Maidan), or IITF, PrintsWallah provides complete exhibition panel packages including design, printing, edge finishing, and velcro mounting systems.
Menu boards for restaurants, cafes, and QSR chains represent a steadily growing sunboard application. With the food service industry in India valued at ₹5.99 lakh crore and organized food retail growing at 25% annually, the demand for professional menu displays has surged. Sunboard menu boards offer advantages over paper menus -they're wipeable, durable, and can be updated seasonally. Standard café menu boards on 5mm sunboard with gloss lamination range from ₹200 (A4 size) to ₹800 (2×3 ft), with restaurant chains ordering custom sizes in batches of 50-500 per outlet refresh cycle.
Architectural model making uses thicker sunboard (8mm, 10mm, 12mm) as a structural building material. Architecture firms, interior designers, and engineering colleges use sunboard for creating scale models of buildings, landscapes, and product prototypes. The material cuts cleanly with a craft knife, can be joined with PVC cement or hot glue, and accepts paint and surface treatments. PrintsWallah supplies pre-printed sunboard components for architectural firms who need textured facades, patterned walls, and labeled floor plans incorporated directly into their models.
Quality control in sunboard printing is critical because any surface imperfection is immediately visible on the smooth white surface. PrintsWallah's quality protocol includes incoming material inspection (checking for surface scratches, thickness uniformity, and edge squareness), print head calibration before each batch, color profile verification using X-Rite spectrophotometers, and post-print inspection for banding, nozzle failures, or ink adhesion issues. Each board undergoes visual and dimensional inspection before packaging, ensuring consistent quality across orders of any size.
