Into The Great Wide Open

Wide-format printers bring a new dimension to your in-plant and allow you to offer customers jobs that are larger than life.

IMAGINE GIVING your customers the option of making anything they want into a poster. Now think about the cost savings you could pass onto them by doing it in-house—not to mention the increased exposure and business for your shop. Many in-plant managers already have made this a reality, and are reaping the benefits of providing wide-format printing in-house.

"In addition to the cost savings from not having to outsource, the in-plant gains greater control over the final print," says Kelli Ramirez, director of marketing for Raster Graphics. "Time is not wasted waiting for color proofs [and] changes can be made quickly to react to market influences, or to customize or regionalize prints."

This is one reason Canon USA recently threw its hat into the wide-format ring, introducing products like the BJ-W7000, says Steve Agostini, product specialist. He feels the cost savings and control of doing wide-format work in-house will draw more shops into investing in the new equipment.

"There is a huge cost savings at performing the work in-house—it becomes cost effective at the first print," Agostini enthuses. "A wide-format print outsourced could cost over $130, while the consumable cost of a in-house BJ-W7000 user could be as low as $6 for the same print."

Wide-format printing is growing in the in-plant market, vendors say. This growth can be attributed to the wide variety of materials in-plants produce for their parent companies.

"More in-plant managers are seeing the benefits of bringing production capability in-house," Ramirez explains. "Companies involved in the retail business, such as department stores and grocery chains, have installed large-format production units to produce their in-store point-of-purchase displays."

"We see the wide-format market growing at an over 20 percent growth area," adds Agostini. "This will be due to the implementation of technology by users from the Fortune 500 market to the local pizza shop down the street."

Getting started outputting wide-format jobs for your customers may take a bit of training, which most vendors will provide. It will also require some background in using color software, and you may need some accessories to go along with your printer.

"Certainly creative capabilities, and also the ability to use the color production software is required," Ramirez notes. "A solid understanding of color and its idiosyncrasies as it relates to large-format printing is a must."

A Wide Selection

The AgfaJet Montana II, available from Agfa, boasts 12-color print head technology and a color management system. The adjustable height printhead assembly allows for heavier weight materials. An integrated dryer is positioned immediately behind the print heads for dust-free drying. The ink delivery system is sealed for quick ink changes and minimal waste. The AgfaJet Montana II prints up to 62˝ wide on a variety of media.

Canon USA has entered the wide-format arena with the debut of the BJ-W7000. It outputs prints up to 36˝ at 360 dpi. The BJ-W7000 can simultaneously support cut sheet and roll media. It has a fast warm-up time of 45 seconds from power-on to standby. An easy-to-replace clean ink cartridge system and a built-in cutter assure continuous production.

DisplayMaker Series XII from ColorSpan features a 12-printhead design for faster printing. Users can print with four, six, eight or 12 colors at 240 square feet per hour. Available in 72˝, 62˝ and 52˝ models, the printer has a motorized take-up spool and heated forced-air dryer for finished prints. An optional second media supply roll lets users change media faster. It uses 600-dpi print heads with an adjustable height for different media.

Cymbolic Sciences recently introduced three new models of its LightJet wide-format photographic printers. Differentiated by maximum output size, the LightJet 5300 images up to 32x50˝; the LightJet 5500 images up to 50x50˝ and the LightJet 5900 images up to 49x97˝. Using lasers to expose conventional photographic media, the LightJet offers true photographic quality at high speeds—imaging a 40x40˝ print in under four minutes. Its 305-dpi resolution is equivalent to 4,000 dpi on an ink-jet printer.

Using MicroBurst technology, the Encad NovaJet 700 prints 600 dpi photo quality images at 56 square feet per hour. The NovaJet 700 is available in 42˝ or 60˝ widths, and offers standard features such as an integrated take-up and dryer system. The 700 media odometer keeps track of the exact amount of media being used, allowing you to print more every day while freeing your operator to do other work. The extended 500-ml ink system insures uninterrupted printing while the dual ink supplies allow the flexibility of switching between inks.

The latest high-speed wide-format printer from Hewlett-Packard is the HP DesignJet 3800CP. It offers a 60 percent increase in speed over previous models. The high-speed print modes are enabled by the printers' Electronics For Imaging (EFI) Fiery X2-CP hardware RIP, which achieves 600 dpi resolution. EFI's new ColorWise Pro Tools application offers downloading and editing of ICC profiles for color matching. The X2-CP RIP allows for remote job management, color editing and plug-and-play connectivity.

The Kodak Professional wide-format 2042 and 2060 printers use extended gamut pigmented inks for indoor or outdoor applications. The 2042 outputs media up to 42˝ wide and the 2060 up to 60˝ wide. The printers also feature extended ink reservoirs and low-maintenance jet nozzles for less downtime.

The new Océ 9600 from Océ Wide Format Printing Systems (formerly Océ Engineering Systems) enables CAD/EDMS users and print providers to customize the printer. The basic unit features a two-roll configuration. To optimize productivity and unattended operation, users can get up to seven media sources online. The system has two optional finishing modules: an online folder, and a print receiving tray for larger, unattended production runs. The unit produces prints from A size to E size and larger.

Phoenix Precision Graphics offers the Phoenix 360e, an electrostatic wide-format printer that costs less that other electrostatics. Production costs are reportedly lower per print than with ink-jet printers, too, and it also yields more prints per day. Disposal of supplies is safer. The printer outputs 400-dpi, UV-resistant color images. It boasts a self-cleaning ink supply, fewer ink and media changes, automated cut sheet output and instantly dry prints. The Phoenix 360e prints in four colors on 36˝ wide rolls of paper or film.

The Arizona Digital Screen Press from Raster Graphics uses new 3M Scotchcal Piezo Ink Jet Inks Series 3700. When used with select 3M vinyl materials, a three-year outdoor warrantee is offered for unlaminated prints. Based on the PiezoPrint 5000, the Arizona is a 309-dpi, 54˝-wide printer with a production speed of 90 square feet per hour.

The Hi-Fi JET from Roland DGA is a wide-format printer capable of 1,440x720 dpi. It uses 64-nozzle MicroPiezo print heads and six long-lasting pigment inks to produce photographic detail with a wide color gamut. Available in 40˝ and 50˝ widths, the Hi-Fi JET ships with Roland's ColorChoice driver level RIP, allowing users to print directly from any graphics application. The Hi-Fi JET is reportedly the first wide-format ink-jet printer to be licensed for Pantone Hexachrome printing technology.

Scitex offers the Pressjet, a digital system with throughput of over 200 square meters per hour. The system saves time by loading a new file while printing, and enabling queuing image overlay and tiling options. It prints in different quality modes according to requirements at resolutions of 220 or 330 dpi including sharp text applications. The Pressjet has the ability to print on standard flexible media like paper, vinyl, PVC banner and window graphics.

The Tektronix Phaser 600 handles roll stock or sheetfed paper with no special ink-jet paper required. It offers Pantone-approved solid color simulations and Adobe PostScript cross-platform compatibility. It prints 34x44˝ in 12 minutes in standard mode or 24 minutes in enhanced mode. The PostScript RIP is built in, so no server or proprietary imaging software are required.

ColorgrafX 54e electrostatic printer from Xerox ColorgrafX Systems is for high production. New head technology uses a separate driver for each writing nib, resulting in higher ink coverage and providing consistent images at speeds of up to 600 square feet per hour at a resolution of 300 dpi. Also available is the Xerox Xpress wide-format digital piezoelectric ink-jet printing system, which includes a 36˝ or 54˝ color ink-jet printer and printing software. It prints full color at 720 or 360 dpi.

What About Consumables?

Consumables are the key to expanding the applications for wide-format output devices. Recent moves in the wide-format consumables segment include the following:

• Agfa recently launched AgfaJet Photograde Media—a substrate coated on both sides, one holding a satin finish, the second a glossy coat. The media is coated with a PE layer that serves as a substrate for ink-receiving layers. The PE prevents the ink from penetrating into the paper base.

• Hewlett-Packard has added a cotton-based, high-gloss canvas for high-quality photo reproduction. Also new is Colorfast Adhesive Vinyl, a short-term signage solution that allows users to create repositionable and removable promotional signage for indoor and outdoor use.

Hewlett-Packard's new media can be imaged on its DesignJet 2500CP printer.

• This month, ColorSpan is releasing a new fabric banner media, which may offer cost savings over paper media since the fabric does not require lamination.

• DuPont offers three new color proofing media: a co-branded commercial gloss, a commercial matte and a publication roll media especially designed for the Stylus Pro 9000.

• Rexam Graphics recently extended its line of resin-coated photobase papers with a new photobase designed for use with Encad and ColorSpan wide-format ink-jet printers. Available in both high-gloss and low-glare versions, the media provides improved whiteness and color gamut, and a smooth surface.

• Encad has launched a new line of photobase media for its NovaJet family of printers. Encad's QIS papers, available in gloss and semi-gloss flavors, allow for fast drying.

• Roland recently announced high ratings in print permanence testing for Concorde Rag fine art paper, a coated paper engineered for wide-format ink-jet printers. Concorde Rag delivers sharp, clear images with excellent black and contrast. It was developed to perform with Roland pigment inks.

• Hunt Digital Imaging introduced Duraweave wet strength media, ideal for prints that need to stand up to inclement weather conditions, and Synthetic Silk fabric media, for textiles, drapable signs, banners and trade show graphics. Also, Hunt's Perfect Color Premium Pigment Gloss and Semi-Gloss paper is designed to work with pigmented inks for producing a glossy look and feel.

• Kodak Professional announced new display materials such as Duratrans, with a translucent base for creating backlit displays; Duraclear, a transparency material; and Duraflex, a tough material coated on nine-mil white-pigmented thick-base polyester.

Wide-format Demand Growing

According to I.T. Strategies, a research firm serving the digital printing market, there were 37,000 wide-format printers shipped in 1998, bringing the total of installations worldwide to 67,000 units. I.T. Strategies predicts that this figure will jump to over 293,000 printers installed by the end of 2003.

The future growth is expected to come from an expansion of the business-to-business "professional" segment, with the Internet driving the demand. The ability to capture the vast array of images on the Web and print them on wide-format media has been found to be a major selling point, the firm says.

I.T. Strategies notes that the variety of inks and media (e.g. canvas, Tyvek, silk) available for wide-format output is expanding its applications. Additionally, the increasing quality, durability, and resolution make wide-format printing a compatible output option in the fine art industry, the firm says.