There has been a surge in demand for bespoke furnishings such as these produced using Mimaki technology
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.
O Factoid: According to ReportLinker, the global wide-format market is set to reach $4bn (£2.9bn) by 2027 O
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.
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”
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.
The Epson SureColour R5000 is one of two new printers launched specifically with sign-makers in mind
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.
The Agfa Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS LED is 30% faster than its predecessors
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.
Wide-format print technology like the new 1.6m Mimaki
UJV100-160 makes producing bespoke wallpaper and other home furnishings
possible
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.”
The HP Latex 800 and 700 series are described as building on HP’s “pedigree in latex inks”
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.
The SureColor SC-F100 is Epson’s first A4-size dye-sublimation 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.
Matthew Parker from PPR will offer Agfa customers looking to enter the wide-format market advice
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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