Spoilt for choice
From wallpaper to vehicle wraps, wide-format print allows print
businesses to add more to their offering and enter lucrative and booming
markets. In this feature, we take a look at some of the kit on the
market and the ways print service providers are using it to produce
exciting and creative projects.
According to The Business Research Company, the global large-format
printing market size was predicted to hit $9.25bn (£7.51bn) last year.
This growth is expected to continue to reach $10.87bn (£8.82bn) by 2026
at a CAGR of 4.13%.
O Factoid: The wide-format print market is predicted to reach $10.87bn (£8.82bn) by 2026 at a CAGR of 4.13% O
Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic hit certain markets and industries
hard such as events, retail and hospitality, and other sectors that use a
lot of print such as weddings, it is no secret that some areas were
able to reconfigure their services and succeed. This was particularly
evident in the wide-format print sector with the production of safety
and informational signage, graphics, plastic screens, and so on.
Various lockdowns also saw the public rethink their own home décor
and a rise in demand for interior design products rose which included
the production of bespoke wallpapers and printed textiles. With the
world opening back up as Covid-19 cases dropped, there was also a
renewed need for advertising as industries severely hit by the pandemic
needed to try and generate income and interest in their products and
services once more.
These trends have continued and whilst the wide-format print
industry is not a new or novel one, there is now a compelling case to
invest in this market if you haven’t already. So, with that in mind,
what kit is on offer and how could it add value to your business?
Consumer demand
FESPA Global Print Expo 2022 was a busy event for one wide-format
print manufacturer as it used the space to promote its wide-format range
of printers, as well as launching two new machines. This was Fujifilm
and its ‘Blueprint’ concept with the launch of two new machines within
its Acuity range.
The first was the 3.3m Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED which can print on
both rigid and flexible substrates, and the second was the Acuity Prime L
UV flatbed printer which has a maximum print area of 3.2m x 3.2m and a
print speed of 202sq m per hour.
The 3.3m Fujifilm Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED can print on both rigid and flexible substrates
Also in the range is the Acuity Ultra R2 which services the superwide
market and is capable of printing on a massive industrial scale of up to
five metres wide. Industrial printheads with a 3.5 picolitre drop size
and specially developed LED UV inks mean high quality print is achieved
consistently.
Shaun Holdom, marketing manager of Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet
Systems, says you could consider wide-format technology to be mature
with customers more educated than ever about the products available.
“They know what they are looking for and they are leading the market
offering by expressing their requirements and demands, which is in turn
influencing machine design.”
Some of these demands, Holdom says, include an enhanced user
experience and well-designed machines that offer marginal gains and
value for money. He also adds that there is a shift towards
multi-functional hybrid machines that are suitable for use in a variety
of applications, further demonstrating customers’ needs for printers
that deliver on ROI.
As mentioned earlier, the world is now moving on from the
disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and one example of this is
the return of events and exhibitions. According to Holdom, this has
hugely increased demand for exhibition graphics and the same can be said
for the retail sector with physical stores back up and running in full
swing. “As shops try to entice customers, there is an increased need for
eye-catching posters, shop displays, and QR codes,” Holdom says.
Another trend he notes is the need for personalised décor with
printed graphics for walls, floors, tabletops, and splashbacks just some
of the applications that are being customised and printed on demand.
Holdom continues: “For building projects where, for example, town
centres are being regenerated, there is increased demand for mesh and
hoarding. Lastly, we’re seeing a shift towards printing on sustainable
materials such as paper, polyester, and polypropene. For this, machines
that can comfortably deal with handling these new media types, are
required; as are compatible inks.”
We’re seeing a shift towards printing on sustainable materials such
as paper, polyester, and polypropene. For this, machines that can
comfortably deal with handling these new media types, are required; as
are compatible inks”
So, what is there to consider when thinking about adding these
applications to your offering? Many elements, according to Holdom. He
says something that should be explored is the relationship between
costs, speed, and quality with businesses advised to find the balance
and seek machines that can best meet their needs.
Other things to take into account are whether the kit has a
well-designed graphic user interface (GUI) with the capability to record
information about the jobs. Easy maintenance and minimal downtime are
also things that can help businesses to work more efficiently.
Similarly, performance visibility is something Holdom describes as
“key” as it can confirm to the operator and business owners that the
printer is doing what it should do, delivering on its objectives, and
meeting the needs of the business.
The current energy crisis and increased cost of living is causing
companies to assess their usage and this will no doubt be a big factor
to consider when making significant investments into kit. “Print service
providers – large and small – are taking more notice of energy usage as
they strive to reduce their carbon footprints,” Holdom says.
“Additionally, businesses are aware that they can save on costs by opting for a more energy efficient machine.”
Another area that can cost money is media wastage with some machines
taking a large amount of expensive media to set them up. “When it comes
to media, operators should seek a press – and ink – that can print with
high quality and reliably across a vast range of media.
“The precision of the media handling mechanism is important too,
particularly when it comes to quality. A printer’s ink usage is another
factor to consider for keeping costs down.”
Speed and quality
With the 2023 calendar already full of industry events and
exhibitions, businesses from all sorts of sectors will be thinking about
how they can use their place at the event to promote what they do and
draw in new business.
One example is family-owned garden pottery supplier Woodlodge Products
which used its HP Latex R2000 printer to produce a creative and
sustainable exhibition stand for garden and outdoor living tradeshow,
Glee.
The HP Latex R2000 enabled Woodlodge Products to create a sustainable show stand
The company used its HP Latex R2000 printer to produce all the
graphics on its stand prior to the event which took place last summer.
Due to the printer running with water-based HP Latex inks, the machine
offers an eco-friendly print solution.
Using Xanita Fibreboard from Antalis, Woodlodge produced
eye-catching graphics for its 1,300sq m stand in the NEC, Birmingham.
“With such a large space, we needed to ensure that the stand flowed and
that our current and potential customers realised that they were still
on the Woodlodge stand as they explored our products,” Steve Partington,
graphic and print production manager at Woodlodge, says.
He adds: “As such, we needed to ensure that we produced an
impactful stand with a view to minimising cost, but also ensuring a
strong brand message was communicated. Over 1,800sq m of print and cut
material was produced for this event. The speed in which we produced the
stand was amazing; we were certainly up against a tight deadline!”
Having owned the printer for over two years, Woodlodge has
completed a wide range of products via its own in-house graphic and
print department. These projects include point of sale graphics in a
wide range of formats and materials for existing ranges and customers,
as well as developing new ideas and being able to sample these using the
HP Latex machine.
Ready for opportunity
One supplier of wide-format kit that has a wide range of products
in its portfolio is Shrewsbury-based CMYUK. The company stocks a huge
amount of choice when it comes to wide-format print kit, including EFI,
Mimaki, Canon, and Epson.
Watford-based Rocket Graphics utilised this range of machines when
investing in its latest roll-to-roll printer. The company opted for an
EFI VUTEk 5r+ UV LED machine from CMYUK in order to increase production
and respond to increased demand following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The EFI VUTEk 5r+ features a number of new innovations such as a
redesigned platform chassis for improved media advance, higher
robustness, and sustainability. In addition to this, a newly developed
printing algorithm features pulse, temperature, voltage, and frequency
for higher density and quality improvement.
The printer also offers upgraded media handling accessories such as
the 7.6cm metal bar for improved 5m-wide media loading and optional
features such as a Winder Motorised Air Shaft which can handle media
weights of up to 400kg at diameters of up to 50cm.
Not the first EFI purchase for Rocket Graphics, the VUTEk 5r+ joins
an EFI VUTEk LX3 UV LED 3.2m-wide hybrid and an EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i
in-line dye-sublimation printer. The company has worked with CMYUK for
over a decade and it has exclusively supplied all the VUTEk products and
its wide-format materials.
“Our upgraded production capabilities that are in lockstep with our
existing and future eco-friendly initiatives will ensure that our
growth will be underpinned by a compelling and robust competitive edge,”
says Antony Rider, sales director of Rocket Graphics, adding: “We are
ready for the opportunities that 2023 will undoubtedly bring.”
Another example of the way wide-format print kit can be used is by
Get Sticking which recently invested in a Mimaki UCJV300-75 from CMYUK.
The business was founded five years ago by Narendra Nardani who was
originally a wedding photographer but decided to set up his own online
business. Dubbed ‘The World’s cutest wall decorations for children’, Get
Sticking offers self-adhesive wall stickers for children’s spaces for
domestic, public, and commercial environments.
Initially, Nardani outsourced the printing and cutting for his
sticker artwork which featured themes of mermaids, space, unicorns,
fairies, pirates, and animals produced exclusively for the company by
selected designers. However, after sub-letting new premises, he decided
to purchase a print and cut machine and begin producing his own print.
As the business was growing organically, Covid-19 struck with
lockdowns meaning there were a lot of people at home who were using
their own desktop printers to produce their own creations. “I didn’t
want to get lost in this sea of home producers and realised I had to
differentiate myself,” Nardani explains.
“I’d seen some incredible window stickers and found out they had
been printed on a Mimaki and I realised that this technology would allow
me to stand out from the crowd.”
Impressed by the “slick professionalism of CMYUK’s website and its
general marketing activity, Nardani reached out to Sue Hayward, sales
director of equipment at the company. She arranged for him to have a
demo on the printer straight away.
Narendra Nardani, founder of Get Sticking which recently invested in a Mimaki UCJV300-75 from CMYUK
The UCJV300-75 combines printing and cutting in one unit and offers
five print layers which are ideal for strong and vibrant window
stickers. With a small footprint of 800mm wide, the machine can be used
to produce stickers, labels, and point of sale materials. Using the kit,
Nadarni has produced a range of seasonal designs for Halloween and
Christmas, and he is now looking into Valentine’s Day and Easter.
Financial support
David Bunker, director of Compass Business Finance
Compass Business Finance is a specialist finance provider to the
print sector, with an in-depth understanding of the market enabling it
to talk its customers through their options and secure the funding
needed, at the best possible rates.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, it can be necessary to
invest in more technology in order to increase earnings, however, with
the price point of these large pieces of kit not insignificant, we spoke
to David Bunker, director of the company to find out what support is
available, and how to access it.
What financial support options are available for wide-format kit?
Typically, businesses will utilise asset-finance when purchasing
large items of kit, enabling them to secure favourable interest rates,
on either a lease or hire purchase agreement.
When purchasing new equipment, it can also be an opportune time to
review other finance agreements you have in place across the business,
as you may be able to secure a more favourable rate by refinancing and
combining the finance outstanding into one new agreement.
In addition, there are Government support packages, such as the
Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) to help businesses gain finance, and tax
incentives such as First Year Allowances and the Super Deduction to
encourage investment.
How can businesses learn about this support and go about accessing it?
If you’re considering a new investment, or looking at refinance,
the best thing to do is start a conversation with a finance provider
like ourselves. It’s important to know your options and be able to make
informed decisions.
Networking with industry peers and being part of associations such as FESPA UK, BPIF, or IPIA can also prove highly beneficial.
Are there any other considerations to take when investing in this kit?
Before investing in new equipment, you need a well thought-out
business plan in place to ensure it will, in time, pay for itself. If
it’s replacing one or two pieces of existing equipment, this is fairly
straightforward, however, if you’re offering additional services or
planning to grow your customer base to fund it, you need to know where
that business is going to be coming from.
CASE STUDY
One example is Hull-based wide-format trade print company RMC Digital
Print which specialises in graphics for signage, exhibitions, and stage
markets. Post-Covid-19, the company replaced two existing industrial
wide-format printers with one superwide printer, providing the same
printing capacity. RMC saved on support contracts of £56,000 per annum
by paying nothing in the first year then £21,000 onwards.
Nicole Spencer, managing director of RMC Digital Print, explains:
“Only running one printer instead of two saves on electricity costs.
Although we have the HP to pay on the printer, and both other printers
were paid off, the cost savings outweigh the interest cost. We are only
purchasing one set of inks and the new machine uses less ink.”
The company also invested in more print technology to improve
productivity, speed, and save money. Using LED curing, the machine can
be put into sleep mode or shut down, which could not be done with the
former machine.
“As the current machine needs leaving on all the time, the compressor
needs to be on too which uses a lot of energy. Using newer technology
means we will use less ink and have less material waste. The service
contract is cheaper, and we don’t pay for service in the first year,”
Spencer adds.
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