Wide Format Printer: Transforming Your Company’s Large-Scale Printing

In a world where almost 25% of businesses fail within their first year, it’s hard to justify big purchases. This rings especially true for office equipment such as wide format printers, which often come with an intimidating price tag.

Sure, dodging that expense might seem like the best decision at a glance. However, it’s shocking to see how quickly those smaller, more frequent expenses add up. For this reason, you may want to consider purchasing a wide-format printer for your company. It’s a big (but worthy) investment that could improve cash flow issues by a mile. Let’s explore wide format printers and how they can transform your company for the better.

Wide Format Printers: The Basics

A wide-format printer is a versatile tool that can transfer large-scale documents onto various materials. While they’re most often used in the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry for large blueprints and maps, their applications extend to all businesses. They’re efficient in producing promotional media like banners, signage, and in-office wall décor, giving you the power to create impactful visuals for your brand.

Understanding the types of wide-format printers is crucial to making an informed purchase that suits your company’s needs. Let’s delve into each type to equip you with the knowledge you need to make the right decision.

Over-Sized, Tabloid, and Super-Tabloid

Oversized printers are a popular choice because of their versatility. They can print on tabloid (11 x 17 inch) and super-tabloid (13 x 19 inch) paper and normal-sized documents, making them ideal for companies that output a large number of print jobs daily. Tabloid printers also include fax, scan, and copy features. Their wide range of functions earned them the nickname “oversized multifunctional printers.”

Wide or Super-Wide Printers

Wide and super-wide printers are considered “professional grade” because they can print media up to 100 inches wide, with the ability to output several hundred feet of material in under an hour. They’re commonly referred to as “grand large format printers” due to their ability to print ultra-wide material.

In addition, super-wide printers are capable of printing on materials of various flexibility levels.

There are three types of wide and super-wide printers:

1. Flatbed: Sheets or boards of material are loaded in one at a time.
2. Roll-fed: Rolls of paper or other materials are loaded into the printer. Eliminates the need to reload after each print.
3. Hybrid: These can accommodate both the flatbed and roll-fed loading methods.

Though wide and super-wide printers are more costly, they’re seen as a worthy investment due to their wide range of capabilities. Some of the most common uses are:

• Signage
• Banners
• Blueprints
• Maps
• Vehicle wraps
• Wallpapers

Industries That May Benefit from an In-Office Wide Format Printer

As mentioned above, the AEC industry isn’t the only one choosing to invest in a wide-format printer. In fact, there are benefits for nearly any type of company. Here’s a list of industries that can benefit from in-house wide-format printers, along with how they’ll benefit each company.

Manufacturing Companies

Manufacturing companies rely heavily on labels and signs to keep their work areas safe. Wide-format printers are more than capable of outputting high-quality safety signage that’ll keep both workflow and safety precautions in check.

Retail Companies

Wide-format printers can print large-scale, eye-catching banners and posters that will draw customers into all sorts of retail businesses.

Event Organization Companies

Event organizations are forever in need of backdrops, tablecloths, and other forms of celebratory décor, which wide-format printers can easily produce.

Marketing Companies

Marketing media is one of the most influential ways to draw in clientele. Wide-format printers can create large banners and outdoor signs to create the best chance of attracting new customers.

Interior Design Companies

An interior design company’s purpose is to brighten up indoor spaces with beautiful, high-quality décor. Wide-format printers can provide you with various wall hangings, wallpapers, and more.

Costs of Outsourced Large Format Printing

Many businesses opt to outsource their large print jobs. As previously mentioned, though, these lower costs are coupled with more frequent payments that eventually add up.

Smaller large-format prints typically range from approximately $30 to $150 each, depending on the printing material and other factors. On the other hand, very large prints may set you back hundreds of dollars.

For this reason, it’s important to analyze how frequently your company sends print jobs off-site. Comparing those numbers with the price of a wide format printer will help you determine whether Pros and Cons of Purchasing a Wide Format Printer</H2>

Now that we’ve learned a bit more about these devices and their uses, let’s weigh out the benefits and drawbacks of investing in one for your company. The benefits far outweigh the negative aspects of purchasing or leasing a wide-format printer, but it’s still important to address each before making such a large investment.

Pros

• Eliminates costs of outsourced print jobs
• Exceptional print quality
• No delay in receiving your prints
• Easily address errors and fix them without delay

Cons

• High upfront cost
• Printer may eventually become outdated
• Responsibility for maintenance and upkeep
• Takes up a large amount of space in your workplace
• Operation needs to be performed by a wide-format printer specialist

Boost Productivity and Workflow

Investing in a wide-format printer for your business may seem like a daunting decision at first. However, the benefits of creating large-scale prints in-house almost always outweigh the detriments. Not only will you receive your documents in-house, but you’ll also save a fortune by not having to outsource large print jobs.

Companies in almost any industry can greatly benefit from investing in a high-quality wide-format printer. Industries like AEC, marketing, manufacturing, and event planning are perfect candidates for this office equipment due to their high demand for large-scale documents and signage.

Company owners looking to buy a wide-format printer in Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown, London, and Paducah should get in touch with the trusted office equipment experts at Duplicator Sales & Service. We’ll be able to guide you in choosing the best model for your business needs and answer any questions you may have on the subject. Look no further than a wide-format printer if you’re in search of a tool that’ll open up endless print possibilities for your business.