Superwide-Format Kit: The Wider Perspective

Superwide-format printing is entering a more mature and multifaceted phase in 2025, where raw size or speed are no longer the only headlines.

One clear trend in this space is the growing demand for automation and unattended production, with more printers integrating in-line quality control, smart media handling, and robotic loading systems. Print providers are also looking for machines that can handle a wider variety of materials, from rigid boards and textiles to heat-sensitive films, driven by a rise in short-run retail graphics, event branding, and interior décor.

With this in mind, we look at a few companies in the superwide space that are innovating in the field, with a particular focus on innovations at this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo and The Print Show to see how market shifts and changing customer desires are reflected in the latest kit.

A Full Revamp

In 2025, superwide-format printing continues to evolve with a focus on practical innovation and enhanced efficiency. The stage for showcasing these latest breakthroughs in Europe, as always, was at this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo.

Held in Berlin from May 6th to 9th, the signage expo drew a wide range of industry leaders and print professionals from around the globe, with over 23,000 visits logged and participation spanning 126 countries, as well as a reported 10.5 % increase in unique attendees compared to the prior year.

At the event, attendees got the chance to see the unveiling of two flagship models from manufacturer Agfa – the Jeti Tauro H3300 XUHS and the Onset Panthera FB3216.

The new 3.3m width H3300 XUHS press adds a further 30% speed increase in comparison to Agfa’s previous UHS model, with a maximum speed of 1280sqm/hr. The hybrid UV LED offers up to 120 Ricoh Gen 5 printheads configured in 12 rows including white, primer, and varnish options.

Speaking to SignLink at FESPA, Mike Horsten, senior press and PR manager at Agfa, said: “This has been part of us revitalising our total lineup in the last three years. Basically, everything we had three years ago has been revamped – made better, made faster, with new inks, better energy consumption, and less waste. It's really the full package.”

Basically everything we had three years ago has been revamped – made better, made faster

Alongside its core superwide-format press options, Agfa offers a range of automation tools to support more efficient production. For example, single or dual rolls up to 700kg and up to 600mm in diameter can be attached to the H3300 XUHS with the manufacturer’s Max Master RTR configuration, which can then be undocked to switch to rigid or sheet printing.

New MAX Bots for the Tauro H3300 have also been recently developed to handle substrate loading and unloading of up to 150 cycles per hour, thereby reducing labour costs and ensuring precision in high-volume printing.

In our FESPA interview, Horsten explained: “We now see much more versatile productions, and that's why we have developed the MAX bots to give additional possibilities for stacking and unstacking. It gives that flexibility that customers need with the new Taro XUHS, which therefore almost doubles the size again on speed.

“This machine is now doing 1,250sq m/h – it's just mindboggling!”

Also released to Europe at FESPA was the Onset Panthera FB3216, which has been dubbed by Agfa as “the only true flatbed high-productivity inkjet printer on the market.” It offers advanced LED curing capability in comparison to previous models, designed for rapid, high-quality prints with strong gloss levels and minimal energy usage.

The FB3216 offers a unique, staged curing approach, with two LED units at the front and one at the rear. The additional drying capabilities have been developed to ensure strong adhesion, a wider colour gamut, and improved high-gloss finishes. Existing Onset printers can be upgraded with this functionality, ensuring its benefits are accessible to everyone.

LED curing also brings additional gains for energy efficiency. Instantaneous activation and deactivation means LED lamps consume no energy during returning passes, load and unload cycles, or while waiting for the next job. This means it uses up to 60% less power than previous Onset printers during printing, and up to 80% less in standby mode, significantly lowering operational costs and reducing the machine’s carbon footprint.

Horsten concluded his interview by saying: “It's our customers that trust us. It's the customers that love what we have been doing.

“Of course, we must thank the R&D teams putting these things together, but making sure everything works and keeping our customers happy is the key message we want to focus on – and that’s not as easy as people think. I'm really proud to work for a company like Agfa, where we really want to help the customer grow.”

New Tech, VUTEk

Not to be outdone, EFI presented a wide array of new press solutions at this year’s FESPA including three of the latest superwide presses in its VUTEk line – namely the M3h hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer, the Q3h XP high-speed hybrid LED printer, and the X3r roll-to-roll LED printer for high-volume production.

Speaking before the show, Todd Zimmerman, senior vice president and general manager of EFI Display Graphics, said: “FESPA is where vision meets possibility, and we’re here to help our customers see what’s next. We’re delivering the versatility, image quality, and production-level performance our customers need to stay competitive and profitable.”

Aiming to provide printers with a major step up in high-volume production printing, the 3.2m EFI VUTEk M3h hybrid flatbed/roll-fed LED printer is designed for print providers looking to reduce costs, take on more jobs, and increase turnover.

The hybrid printer can handle board, sheet, or rolled media up to 5cm in thickness, giving print businesses the opportunity to explore new materials and applications which differentiate their offerings. With a four-colour ink set plus white, multilayer printing up to five layers in a single pass, and an optional clear ink, the press aims to allow printers to produce higher-value applications, helping them to gain new customers, increase volume from existing ones, and improve profitability.

EFI describes the M3h hybrid LED printer by saying: “You’re not just upgrading your capabilities – you’re stepping into a superwide world of opportunities. Higher volumes, lower costs, and faster turnaround times are just the beginning.”

The company’s Pro 30f+ flatbed LED printer builds on the legacy of its predecessor, featuring a 3.05 x 2.04m printable area with bleed printing and media handling up to 10cm thick. Like the M3h, the Pro 30f+ is equipped with EFI’s white ink and allows for up to five-layer printing in a single pass, while utilising EFI’s latest ProGraphics series of UV LED inks.

The presses on show at FESPA joined the company’s expansive range of superwide-format machines, which have found enduring popularity in the UK market.

For example, Signcraft, a third-generation family-owned signage business based in Middlesex, recently purchased an EFI Pro 30h UV LED hybrid printer to boost its operations. The 3.2m wide EFI Pro 30h, which Signcraft purchased from distributor, CMYUK, has reportedly delivered speed improvements and expanded capabilities that have transformed the company’s workflow.

Explaining the impact of the new EFI press, Adam White, sales manager at Signcraft, says: "We were facing significant pressure to match competitor speeds while maintaining quality. The EFI Pro 30h has completely transformed our ability to meet tight deadlines and handle larger volumes efficiently.”

The EFI Pro 30h has completely transformed our ability to meet tight deadlines and handle larger volumes efficiently

Super-Wide Digital, a family-run trade digital print company based in North West England, also recently announced the purchase of a new EFI VUTEk X5r to its arsenal of print solutions.

Supporting media up to 5m wide, the X5r accommodates a wide range of substrates including PVC banners, vinyls, and textiles. Its versatile ink system featuring CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, white, and clear inks, has been developed to allow for creative and dynamic designs.

The roll-to-roll press aims to blend efficiency and quality, with nearly independent operation supported with in-line and offline verification of media roll length and ink tank levels, EFI’s own ‘Wrinkle Analyser’ technology, and mobile operator alerts. Additional technology includes a Nozzle Compensation tool to monitor nozzle health and large and heavy roll media handling solutions for continuous printing.

In its announcement on the machine purchase, Super-Wide Digital made its excitement clear, saying: “We are eagerly looking forward to seeing the EFI VUTEk X5r up and running in the next couple of weeks. This addition will undoubtedly enhance our ability to deliver high-quality applications such as billboards, vehicle wraps, retail signage, and exhibition graphics, with greater efficiency and precision.”

Finishing Strong

For those looking to add finishing solutions which can align well with superwide-format presses, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind. Print and signage providers should be looking not only for reliability, but also media versatility and ease of setup, especially when working with a wide variety of substrates.

Richard Marlow, sales director at Vivid Laminating Technologies, stresses that the chosen solution “should handle the substrates and applications that customers demand, whether that’s banners, textiles, rigid boards, or self-adhesive vinyls, all while minimising waste.”

Speaking in more detail about what to look out for, Marlow continues: “Integration with existing workflows and the ability to scale for future growth are also key factors. Of course, service and support also shouldn’t be overlooked, and backup and training are crucial.”

Vivid’s VeloBlade Nexus range is designed specifically for the superwide-format sector, developed to deliver precision cutting and routing at high speed. The machine can cut a wide variety of materials including dibond, MDF, fabrics, and acrylic.

The Nexus is also compatible with other Vivid solutions such as Velotaper, a fully automated tape applicator, and Veloton, a patented, interchangeable system designed to significantly increase cutting speed. According to Marlow, installs of Veloton have increased customer’s cutting speeds by up to 11 times, part of what he describes as Vivid’s focus on “providing additional precision and versatility.”

Describing the recent trends in wide- and superwide-format finishing, Marlow explains: “Wide-format finishing has moved from manual, labour-intensive processes to automated, precision-driven systems. We’ve seen huge strides in cutting technology with contour cutting, dual-tool heads, and vision systems becoming more accessible.

“There’s also been a shift towards multi-functionality, systems that can cut, crease, route, and finish in one pass. In addition, integration with RIP software now allows jobs to flow seamlessly from design to finished product, reducing turnaround times and human error.”

With this desire for multi-functionality in mind, Vivid has continued to evolve its Easymount range with the Easymount Hybrid, which is touted as the world’s first all-in-one roll-fed laminator and applicator. Amongst the Easymount Hybrid features is its electromagnetic locking capabilities, designed to allow for easy transitioning from roll laminating to application table, with its patented floating rollers saving time and keeping the edges of substrates undamaged.

Speaking about the benefits that Vivid’s customers have found with this new system, Marlow says: “One UK-based signage producer paired our Easymount Hybrid laminator with its 3.2m UV roll-to-roll press, enabling the company to laminate and mount graphics in-house with perfect alignment and minimal waste.”

Marlow mentions another customer which found a strong benefit from utilising the Veloblade, adding: “The customer integrated our VeloBlade solution alongside its flatbed printer, slashing finishing time on POS displays by more than 40%.

“These kinds of partnerships show how the right finishing solution can directly impact turnaround speed, quality, and profitability.”

Alongside an expansive showcase of its solutions at FESPA 2025, Vivid also presented its largest ever stand at this year’s edition of The Print Show, with a 208sq m display on Stand P460.

Speaking of Vivid’s presence at the exhibition, Lewis Evans, commercial director at Vivid, said: “Every year, we aim to bring fresh innovations and expand our ranges, ensuring that everything we develop advances on what our customers are already doing as well as making their lives easier and businesses better.

“The Print Show consistently proves to be a highly valuable event for us. It offers a platform for us to not only engage directly with our existing customers but also connect with potential new customers. This face-to-face interaction is vital, allowing us to showcase our products and answer questions. Each year, the event helps us strengthen relationships, build new ones, and maintain our presence in the industry.”

From the solutions and kit mentioned here, we’ve only skimmed the surface of what is possible and available in the world of superwide-format kit. The next step for those looking to increase production or applications is to seek out vendors and manufacturers to see how a new solution could transform your business.