Large Format Printing Takes a Giant Leap Into Advertising

You have a new business and you want to attract customers to your Grand Opening. It is a pretty big town and there are a lot of other businesses like yours that compete for consumer traffic. You know that advertising is one of the best ways to pique interest and increase revenue. But how do you advertise in such a way that makes you unique? Think big!

Large Format Printing, also known as "wide format printing", is a form of printing of large graphics and images designed for businesses and even entrepreneurs. Posters, banners, "large-scale" photos, window and wall graphics, signs and even canvas prints are all examples of advertising printed in a large format. It is cheaper than other printing methods and easier to produce high-quality advertising.

Printers used for Wide Format Printing

Wide-format printer

This is an inkjet printer that uses large sheets or rolls of glossy-coated paper that is 24"-16 feet wide. Examples of items printed by this printer include posters and signs; blueprints for construction or architectural sites; banners; graphics for trade shows; murals for ceilings or walls and wallpaper graphics.

Super-wide format printers are larger (60" to 16 feet wide) and can print onto wood, paper, glass, and metal. These printers are used for oversized displays such as window graphics, boundary wraps (graphics on the boundary of building or construction site) and building wrap (graphics on walls or windows of the building).

These printers are very expensive but produce quality work. There is more than one kind of wide-format printers.

Solvent wide-format printers

These are perfect for outdoor graphics. The inks are durable, more weather-resistant. There are environment-friendly inks available as the solvent inks tend to be hazardous. The solvent ink used is "industry standard" for producing banners, decals and vehicle wraps (graphics applied to vehicles). This ink is more cost-effective.

While printing using solvent inks, it is advisable to have good ventilation as VOC's (volatile organic compounds) can be hazardous, causing health problems if over-exposed.

Aqueous wide-format printers

These are the most common type of wide-format printer. They are of high quality, fast-producing and simple to use. The aqueous ink used in these printers is water-based and is better for the environment. Mediums that are typically printed are indoor applications, such as fine art and photographic-type materials, and some short-term outdoor applications.

UV (ultraviolet) based wide-format printers

These produce high-quality print on tough surfaces, such as plastic, wood, tile, glass, and aluminum. These prints are ready immediately as they do not need time to "gas out" (ventilation time). The UV curable ink in the printers is instantly cured on exposure to UV light, therefore eliminating the need to gas out. The ink is as durable as solvent ink. UV ink prints onto vinyl and fabric and is used for printing labels and vehicle wraps.

There are 2 common brands of wide-format printers, a variant on the type of ink preferred: Epson and HP.

Epson uses piezoelectric inkjet (electric charge and crystals for very fine droplets) and HP uses thermal inkjet (heat-propelled droplets).

The size and type of printer depend on the type of large format printing you are needing. Obviously, large billboards require a larger printer compared to smaller displays. You may want to ask yourself some questions, such as "Where will your graphics be displayed?" Or "What is the visual distance needed for your sign?"

So make your business advertising original and desirable to consumers who are hungry for quality products and good deals. Wrap your building with colorful graphics! Decorate your windows with decals and large print! Announce your deals with billboards and vehicle wraps! With the proper resources, your company's success is at your fingertips.