Evaluating Wide-format Printers

The print quality can range from photographic (no dots in the image) to very good (looks good from three feet away). Printers range in price from just over $1,000 for the smaller versions to over $30,000 for the top end printers. On average, a 60˝ printer will range from $8,000 to $20,000.

We currently use aqueous printers in the FLAAR/Large-format Digital Imaging Lab. We print in-house for students, faculty and departments on campus to assist in our long-term printer evaluations and cover some overhead costs. Much of our printing volume comes from the digital art students who must have an output for their designs on a variety of media. The printing can be anything from fine art reproduction to scientific presentation posters. With vinyl media and lamination, we can produce outdoor signage as well.