Three print runs, 8,400 flaps, and the search for the right blue
By Allen Xu, Project Lead at TS Display
On January 24, 2026, Julith Coffee got in touch as they were preparing to open a new café in Sharjah. Their Dubai location already had a blue Split Flap Display made by a US manufacturer. For Sharjah, they wanted to carry over the same deep blue, white lettering, and familiar rhythm of the mechanical flaps. This time, they came to TS Display.
It’s unusual for a client to buy split flap displays from two different manufacturers. Julith knew exactly what they wanted, and we knew they would hold the Sharjah display to the same standard.
Project Information
Client: Julith Coffee
Location: Sharjah, UAE
Grand Opening: November 2, 2026
Application: Café brand messaging
Installation: Local installation with remote technical support from TS Display
Split Flap Specs
Module Size: 15 (H) × 10 (W) × 18 (D) cm
Layout: 7 Rows × 24 Columns
Overall Display Size: 105 (H) × 240 (W) cm / 41.3 (H) × 94.5 (W) in
Flaps per Module: 48 blue flaps, 1 solid white flap, and 1 solid yellow flap
Content per Module: 50 flaps in total, including A–Z, 0–9, punctuation marks, symbols, Julith’s signature eye, wave and star icons, and solid white and yellow flaps
Finish: Custom blue housing and white lettering on the blue flaps
It Started with an Exchange of Samples
By early February, we had sample modules ready, even though Julith hadn’t placed the order yet. The blue was an approximate match based on photos and videos of their Dubai display. We sent the modules on February 23 so they could see the flaps move, hear them run, and inspect the build in person. They sent us a few color swatches to work from.
The sample modules reached Dubai in early March, just before the conflict in the Middle East disrupted flights. When I checked in, Julith told me they had temporarily closed the office. I wrote back to say I hoped everyone and their families were safe. The next day, they got in touch again. They had tested the modules, and everything worked well.
As conditions eased, the order moved forward. We settled on 168 modules in seven rows of 24. The next step was to take the blue from a swatch on our workbench and carry it across an entire wall.
The First Screen-Printed Batch
We sent Julith’s swatches to our print shop. The plan was to have the printer mix the ink, run a few test flaps, and send them back for us to check. But the ink would dry in the two or three days it took for the samples to reach us. Even if the color was right, the printer would have to mix it again for the full run.
We reviewed photos of the test flaps and gave the go-ahead. When the batch arrived, I put the flaps next to Julith’s swatches. The difference was much more obvious in person. We set the entire batch aside.
We Fitted 8,400 Flaps. Then We Took Them Out.
We took an overnight high-speed train to the print shop to settle the color in person. I watched the printer mix the ink, run a test, and hold the freshly printed flaps against the swatch. We repeated that process until we were happy with the blue and headed home.
A week later, the full batch arrived. The blue was a little lighter than the sample we’d approved at the shop. We spent two days fitting all 8,400 flaps into the modules. From a few steps back, the color looked close to Julith’s swatch. We sent them a video of the display running, and they were happy with what they saw.
Standing in front of the display, I still felt the blue hadn’t quite achieved the rich, refined look I had in mind. It had taken us two days to fit those flaps, and redoing the color meant starting over. We told Julith we wanted one more try and asked for a little more time. Then we took all 8,400 flaps out.
Two Weeks of Looking at Blue
For the third run, we switched print shops and moved to high-resolution UV printing. The new shop printed dozens of shades of blue and yellow for me to compare against the swatches Julith had supplied for both colors.
I spent every day staring at those blue and yellow patches. It was driving me crazy. Blue was especially tricky. I’d pick the closest match one day, then look again in different light the next day and think the one beside it was closer. After two weeks, we settled on the blue and yellow that came closest to Julith’s swatches.
When we fitted the third batch and ran the full display, I finally saw what we’d been working toward. The blue had the depth we wanted, the white letters were crisp, and the yellow flaps looked right against the blue. That last run was worth it.
The Blue Display at Julith Coffee, Sharjah
The local team installed the display in Sharjah, and we supported the final commissioning remotely. On November 2, 2026, Julith Coffee celebrated the grand opening of its new café. All 168 modules were in motion, turning over rows of white letters against the deep blue. Julith was happy with the result, and the display became a signature feature of the new space.
Thank you to Julith for trusting us and giving us the time to keep working on the color. Their patience gave us room to test, adjust, and deliver a blue Split Flap Display we were both happy with.
Share your color swatch or typeface reference, along with your wall dimensions. We’ll help you plan a split flap display for the new space.
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