Business is booming
Banners, billboards, floor and wall graphics, wallpaper, murals,
textiles – the list goes on. If you’ve come across any of these mediums,
you’ve seen the handy work of wide-format print. As the name suggests,
wide-format print is the use of printing technology to produce large and
super-large printed products for a whole hoard of purposes.
You only have to take a walk down a high-street to understand how much
of a lucrative market wide-format print is. From window displays
promoting the latest price slashes, to every non-digital billboard you
pass by. Wide-format print is everywhere and is a crucial tool in any
business’ marketing strategy, meaning it is unlikely to go out of
fashion any time soon.
With new technology being developed all the time, we explore what’s
new in this exciting market, how curious sign-makers can utilise the
latest entry-level equipment to dip their toes into the pool of
wide-format, and speak to some of the industry’s manufacturers to find
out how the market is faring after what can only be described as a
turbulent year.
Stronger than ever
The pandemic saw a sharp rise in a number of markets including online
shopping due to restrictions; home decoration and renovation as people
found themselves at home with more time on their hands; personalisation
as people sought out new ways to stay connected; and a need for
informational signage and graphics as businesses adapted to changing
rules and regulations.
Martin Southworth, reseller account manager at Hybrid Services
(Mimaki distributor for the UK and Ireland), says the boom in
personalisation is no surprise with the production of bespoke wallpaper,
home textiles, floor coverings and other furnishings all lending
themselves to wide-format digital printing.
He says: “We have witnessed customers respond rapidly to fast
changing demands, embrace new opportunities and adapt to shifting
customer requirements, and their use of technology has aided this.
Having flexibility in your wide-format print hardware – and the ability
to use it to quickly introduce new products and services – has seen
businesses thrive in very challenging circumstances.”
Southworth adds that a desire for personalised print has caused
demand for direct-to-object and dye-sublimation print to increase
significantly. “When people can’t be together, a personal and emotional
print – be it a special photo or simply a bespoke message – can make the
world of difference, and consumers have sought this kind of product out
over the last 12 months,” he adds.
Floor graphics and safety signage also saw a big rise, and
companies with solvent and UV hardware have been able to rapidly deliver
high volumes of signage that incorporates branding and colourways.
Mike Lewis, channel account manager at HP says that as a result of
these surges in demand, print-service-providers (PSPs) have become more
versatile and faster. Away from Covid-19, Lewis believes there will be
more emphasis on sustainable production in the wide-format sphere moving
forward. He says: “Many of the world’s largest brands have publicly
stated their intention to go PVC-free, and of course that is an
opportunity for the PSPs that service those brands, particularly as the
movement gathers momentum.
“As end-customers demand greater responsibility in this regard,
PSPs that display sustainable impact will be the ones that win market
share. Smaller brands will then want to follow suit.”
Bobby Grauf, sales manager for UK and Ireland and Inkjet Sales
UKIE, at Agfa, echoes this theory, and says: “It was inspiring to see
how many businesses have successfully adjusted to the many challenges
the pandemic has brought on […] but let’s not forget that we have other
challenges, such as sustainable production and products.
“Agfa has the right solutions to offer maximum flexibility for
sign-makers and PSPs whilst lowering the overall impact on our
environment with Thin Ink Layer technology and LED curing that supports
printing on greener, more ecological substrates.”
A year of product launches
Despite the global pandemic, Epson’s product launch plan remained
undeterred with two of its new products aimed directly at the sign
market. The first is the SureColor SC-R5000 resin printer for general
signage, and the second is the SureColor SC-V7000 UV flatbed for
printing directly to rigid substrates.
In March this year, Agfa launched its latest wide-format press
which it has named “The Beast”. The Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS LED is
described as “representing a new flagship in the Jeti Tauro family”. The
Beast provides Ultra High Speed (UHS) performance, printing media up to
3.3m wide in four or six colours. It is 30% faster than its
predecessors and prints at a speed of up to 600sq m per hour.
Agfa has also continued to develop its UV LED inks and the first of
its upgraded Anapurna LED hybrid UV system with new inks has arrived at
a long-standing Agfa customer, with the system in full production. “The
new ink will be backwards compatible with all Anapurna LED systems
(hybrid, flatbed, and roll-to-roll) and is expected to be fully released
later this year,” Grauf adds.
Over at Hybrid, the firm has just announced availability in the UK
and Ireland for three models in the new Mimaki ‘100 Series’ range –
which Southworth describes as “engineered to deliver high performance at
an entry-level cost”.
Those considering the Mimaki JV100 solvent printer won’t have to
compromise any quality as this printer still has a number of features
found in Mimaki’s higher-end, high production models. For ease of use,
the printer provides the option to load an eight-colour inkset and
achieve high-definition reproduction.
The new 1.6m UJV100-160 uses the latest Mimaki LED UV curing ink
technologies and allows users to print on substrates such as vinyl,
banner, paper, and polyester lightbox material. It can also be used to
produce vibrant window graphics using bright, dense white ink for clear
materials, or for printing to coloured or metallic substrates.
Making up the third member of the new range is the TS100-1600
dye-sublimation printer. According to Southworth, this printer offers an
easy and low-cost route into dye-sublimation. “With increasing demand
and opportunity in this area – thanks in part to a thriving
personalisation and home décor market – the new model offers an
economical printing solution for fashion, soft signage, home and
interior, sportswear, and other sublimated products,” he adds.
The newest addition to the HP wide-format fleet is the HP Latex 700
and 800 series with white ink. Lewis explains: “These new machines
build on our pedigree in latex inks, and in association with our HP
Latex R Series hybrid printer and our HP Stitch Dye-Sublimation
printers, HP can provide customers with an effective solution matched to
their most common production requirements.”
For businesses looking to increase speed and efficiency without
losing out on quality, Roland’s recently launched VersaUV LEC2-330/640
roll-to-roll printer/cutters could be a valuable new addition to a print
room.
These products are designed for both indoor and outdoor
applications so are a good choice for businesses looking to offer a
range of services including exhibition graphics, retail signage, display
visuals, window graphics and more. The range uses new UV-LED lamps and
the latest ECO-UV EUV5 inks which enable quick turnarounds and can be
used with white ink for striking window graphics where you often print
onto a clear substrate.
For a flatbed alternative, the VersaUV LEC2 S-Series can print on
materials up to 230mm thick. This opens the door to a range of
direct-to-object printing capabilities and allows businesses to
capitalise on the popular personalised print market. If you have limited
space and need a specific bed length or belt printer option, Roland
also offers bespoke versions of the S-Series model.
Get a foot in the door
For businesses who have recognised the rate at which markets are
growing and are ready to capitalise on this new business, there are a
whole range of options within the entry-level wide-format print
technology market.
Epson has launched two smaller format dye-sublimation printers
which are ideal for small textiles, rigid objects, and mugs and could be
a good option for sign-makers looking to enter the wide-format market
for the first time and take advantage of the current rising trends. The
first is Epson’s first A4-size unit – the SureColor SC-F100, and the
second is the SureColor SC-F500 which is a roll-fed ‘24-inch (61cm)’
unit.
For less than £3,000, sign-makers can purchase from the HP DesignJet
range of printers which are suitable for the production of in-store
retail displays, posters, popups, roll-ups, and all types of indoor
promotional print.
At Roland, Goleniowski recommends the TrueVIS SG2 series as the
perfect option for getting started in wide-format print. The smallest of
the fleet – the TrueVIS SG2-300 – allows media of up to 76 cm. These
machines are equipped with automated features and allow users to produce
graphics across a range of applications. What’s more, the machine
offers flexibility for first-time buyers and is available in three
sizes.
Southworth recommends Mimaki’s CJV150 Series integrated
printer/cutters as the ideal entry-level solution. The range includes
the CJV150 which is available in four widths from 80cm to 1.6m and
starts at £6,995. The CJV150-75 offers a compact footprint and is ideal
for producing long-lasting coloured graphics on vinyl such as stickers
and decals, as well as vehicle wraps and window graphics.
Helping you to succeed
Maybe you’ve taken note of the opportunity wide-format brings to
enter thriving markets and reach new customers, but you aren’t quite
sure if you’re ready to take the leap. Well, those already operating
within the sphere are certain it is a leap worth taking.
Goleniowski says: “Wide-format print opens a wealth of opportunity
for sign-makers; the range of applications for print is still growing,
meaning the products and services you could offer are practically
limitless. No matter the customer request, from big to small, indoor or
outdoor use, posters and banners, window graphics and even vehicle
liveries, getting into wide-format means that you can do it all, making
you a one-stop-shop for all your customers’ needs.
“What’s more, wide-format printing allows you to create highly
personalised outputs economically, even when the minimum run length is
one and the lead time is now, giving you a highly profitable new income
stream to exploit.”
And if you do decide to make the move, you won’t be left to fend for
yourself as printing workflow solutions firm, Agfa, has partnered with
Profitable Print Relationships (PPR) to offer advice for printers who
have diversified into the wide-format market.
The idea came from a webinar back in December where print buyer,
Matthew Parker from PPR and Agfa advised printers how to maximise
investment in a new field. This was so well received, that the pair
formalised their partnership and are now offering a new service. New
Agfa customers hitting certain criteria and spend with the firm will
receive paid-for sales and marketing coaching and mentoring support from
PPR.
In addition to this, the firm launched a number of new finance
bundles in Autumn last year designed to support UK sign and display
businesses, many of whom have in some way been affected by the pandemic.
“The finance bundles stand apart from UK government grants and loan
schemes, allowing print-service-providers to use all financial support
options available to maximum advantage,” Grauf says.
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