If you’re wondering, “what is a wide format printer, and how can it help my business?” the short answer is that it’s a great way to give your small business considerable power. Large format printing enables your small business to do all of the following and a whole lot more:
- Create attractive printed signage
- Increase exposure
- Put your product front and center
- Print posters and large flyers
- Create banners to announce sales and promotions
Frontier Business Products is always a phone call or a mouse click away when you have any questions about wide-format printing or if you’re looking for ways to streamline and automate operations at your small business. We’ve been partnering with companies for over four decades to provide high-quality office machines, and we’re always interested in helping our clients find ways to tighten their belts. Even if your primary mission isn’t running a large format printing business, you can benefit from wide format printing services in many important ways.
What Is a Wide Format Printer?
Wide-format printing services have become increasingly popular in recent years because they offer a lot of flexibility for small businesses. Business owners were once forced to outsource larger printing jobs to companies with dedicated printing equipment, but running a large format printing business is no longer out of the reach of a small company. Wide-format printing services allow businesses to print larger media such as blueprints, posters, and banners, which only look expensive. Suppose a standard format printer no longer meets your printing needs. In that case, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn how affordable it can be to create eye-catching large format materials in-house that will help you convert new customers.
What Are Some Benefits of Wide Format Printing Services?
If you’re wondering, “what is a wide format printer going to do for me?” the possibilities are virtually limitless. Effective branding is one of the most important ways to create a point of distinction for your product or service. Most businesses have a lot of competitors, and effective printed materials are a big piece of the advertising puzzle. Running a large format printing business will enable you to create materials that will distinguish your company from your competitors and serve as a call to action for prospective customers.
Wide-format printers are very user-friendly. In fact, they use the same basic technology that you’re already familiar with from using an inkjet printer. Your wide format printer offers you the same functionality as any other printer in your office, and it also offers several other exciting benefits.
Scalable Print Clarity
You don’t have to understand all the science behind inkjet printers to use them, but it’s pretty interesting. The inkjets are hundreds of small miniature nozzles that fire ink dots onto the material to form an image. Suppose you have a higher concentration of those dots (pixels) available from your printing equipment. In that case, you will enjoy a much clearer and sharper image. A wide format printer gives you best-in-class image clarity for larger items such as banners and posters. An inkjet printer also allows the ink to bleed more slightly from the nozzle to achieve gradients and other shading effects.
Large format printers are a great option for documents such as blueprints, maps, and technical readouts. They can easily maintain the same precise image clarity and preserve detail as you scale up your document to a larger-sized printed format.
Higher Speed and Efficiency
A wide format printer can print a large image in one pass without visible gaps on the page. It obviates the need to assemble regular-sized pages together to print banners. Many small business owners occasionally want to print off a banner or poster and then give up once they see how much trouble it is to print off a bunch of small pages and tape them together.
Best Available Color Resolution
A large format printer enables more accurate color reproduction by using individual ink cartridges to create different shades and tones. A standard office printer might use a combination ink cartridge that combines your cyan, magenta, and yellow inkjets. You can print higher definition imagery for all of your posters and banners using photo-quality shading and gradient patterns.
More Printing Options
If you’re using a traditional-sized printer, you have more limited options when it comes to printed media. Suppose your printer’s paper tray can only accommodate standard paper sizes such as letter, legal, and ledger size. In that case, you’ll have to assemble pages to create larger documents. Additionally, a large format printer gives you the option to print on different types of media. You can print documents on paper, card stock, canvas, or wallpaper.
More Durable Hardware
A wide format printer is more durable than a conventional printer because it has to be. It has to be large enough to handle larger-sized media. It will need printheads that can handle different types of media. A wide format printer will mean a higher up-front cost for the user. Still, that extra money will be well-spent on equipment that offers improved performance and a longer operational lifespan.
Is Making an Upgrade Worth It?
Even if your printers and copiers are still in working order, it’s always a good idea to make an upgrade every few years. No matter what industry you’re in, having the “latest and greatest” new equipment for your small business enables you to take advantage of all of the advances in technology. The large format printing industry is currently experiencing unprecedented growth and is projected to exceed $12.0 billion in sales by 2026.
There’s never been a better time to invest in a wide format printer, and the good news is that they’re now more affordable than ever before. The modern workplace continues becoming more digital, but having the ability to print quality large format documents in-house gives you another great weapon in your marketing and promotional arsenal. You can also find easy-to-use desktop publishing software to create high-quality printed materials that will grow your brand and tell the story of your business in a compelling way!
Our team at Frontier Business Products believes in creating innovative printing, IT, and workflow solutions customized to your needs. We carry a wide variety of premium quality imaging equipment from all top office machine manufacturers. We can help you select suitable wide format printers for your office, and we love working with budget-conscious companies! We hope you found this introductory look at wide format printers helpful, and we encourage you to contact us at any time you have questions. We will also be happy to discuss a free workflow analysis to help you grow your business at the speed of your data!
