Inside the Expanding World of Wide-Format Imaging

WIDE-FORMAT digital imaging is one of today’s hottest markets. If you’re sending business outside of your facility because you don’t have the capabilities to fulfill orders, you could be ready to add a wide-format device.

Wide-format digital imaging is taking printers to a whole new level in their product offerings. The technology allows companies to print on more surfaces than ever before and provide greater customization options.

“It’s rewriting what the printing industry can do in terms of full color and variable data,” says Michael Robertson, president and CEO of the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA). “Wide-format digital imaging has really shifted the paradigm from large-run production to the small-run, product variety.”

But before you go out and buy a new wide-format ink-jet printer with all the latest features, take a look at SGIA’s suggestions for entering the wide-format digital imaging arena.

Products Drive the Business Plan

Like most technological applications, everything starts with the product. What end product do you want to offer? It could be indoor signs, presentation graphics, fabric banners for buildings or colorful wraps for a company vehicle. Often, companies that have successfully segued into specialty imaging recognized a gap in their business that could be filled with wide-format digital imaging capabilities.

The product or product mix you decide upon will determine the types of equipment, inks and media along with finishing options you’ll need. Generally, these components are interdependent and selected at the same time.

Wide-format equipment categories include roll-to-roll devices, flatbeds and hybrids, using UV ink-jet, solvent-, water-, and pigment-based inks.

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Roll-to-roll devices print on rolled media such as paper, vinyl, fabrics and thin plastics. Most wide-format printing companies will use these devices to print banners, posters, point-of-purchase displays and other flexible products.

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Flatbed devices print directly on rigid and unrolled media, which range from common materials such as foam board and plastic sheet to more exotic ones such as wood, glass, ceramics and leather. Printing on rigid substrates can eliminate the mounting process that is required for many images printed on roll-based units.

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Hybrid devices offer a great deal of flexibility for companies using a single machine for a variety of products. The machine combines roll-to-roll and flatbed capabilities in one device. But if your production needs focus on a particular substrate, you could find better cost and printing advantages with equipment that specializes in printing on that material.

Ink: The Critical Element

Let’s switch the focus to inks, which are essential in creating prints that have reliable and accurate color, durability and longevity.

“Ink systems are the critical element for achieving print results that your customers will expect, so you want to weigh what characteristics you’ll need most from the print,” says Johnny Shell, SGIA’s vice president of Technical Services.

To review a few, UV inks come to the top of the list for offering high durability in graphics that do not need additional lamination or finishing steps. But these inks, which print on a wide media variety, require specific printing devices and are often more expensive than most ink systems.

Solvent-based inks print on paper-based products, vinyl materials and fabrics, which dry through rapid evaporation. These inks also provide highly durable prints, and are less expensive than UV-curable inks. The solvents in these ink systems may lead to air emissions of volatile organic compounds, which can require proper ventilation systems to protect your workplace from potentially harmful fumes. You can find plenty of resources for effectively managing emissions at SGIA.org.

Water-, dye- and pigmented-based ink systems can provide high-quality prints for indoor signage and short-term outdoor uses. If you want to provide outdoor graphics with these inks, you’ll need to protect them through lamination or another finishing option.

Additionally, there are ink systems that are designed specifically for fabrics and dye-sublimated applications. To access even more information on digital inks, check out SGIA’s comprehensive report at SGIA.org, Keyword: Comprt.

Substrate Selection

As you round out the equipment and consumables that you’ll need, media is another big item on the list. Traditionally, the industry’s substrates of choice have been of the paper and vinyl variety.

Paper-based products often are used to create signage and point-of-purchase applications. Vinyl can be obtained as a self-adhesive, which can become decals or vehicle graphics, or thicker material that is used to produce banners and static-cling decals.

Advancements in the wide-format digital equipment and inks also have allowed for more printing on a greater assortment of materials.

“It’s really in the rigid media that much of the industry’s experimentation and sales growth is taking place,” Robertson notes.

Focus on the Finish Line

Finishing capabilities, which include lamination, grommeting, liquid coatings and mounting, offer added protection and longevity, taking your graphic application from a print to a marketable product. The key to good finishing is making sure this process complements and maximizes your digital print.

(Learn more about finishing options in SGIA’s Special Report at SGIA.org, Keyword: Comprt.)

Lamination has long been the industry’s leader for finishing options because of its easy use and cost-effective method for protecting prints, making them resistant to tears, abrasion, water/moisture, UV light and pollution. Your printed product will be the best indicator of which laminators and laminates will work best.

Other popular finishing processes are cutting and routing systems, which offer product customization that can distinguish an imaging operation.

Laser, routing and integrated cutting equipment provide quick changes for wide-format needs. The same file used in the printing process contains paths for the laser or router to follow. Print shops also can incorporate inexpensive cutting or trimming solutions.

Marguerite Higgins is an editorial associate at the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association. SGIA offers personal assistance to members for setting up a wide-format operation and countless resources on its Web site. Members can access digital equipment evaluations, a referral service and a frequently updated wide-format output device list. SGIA also offers educational workshops and technical support. Learn more at:

www.SGIA.org