Know the Details of Large Format Printing

Large format printing also known as wide format printing is widely used in the advertising and marketing industry to attract customers. This printing needs special printing equipment that can acquire bigger than normal prints dimensional.
  • What are the categories of large format print materials?

Large Format Refers To:

  • Window posters
  • Wall posters
  • Event announcement
  • Displays of stores
  • Growth charts of kids
  • Standees and banners 
Large Format Printing
Large Format Printing
  • What types of printers are used for large format printing?
Inkjet printers with printing widths between 1.3 m and 5 m are preferably used. In extreme cases, the print width is twelve and the length is up to 50 meters. In some areas, they are the technical successors of plotters.
  • What can be printed in large format?
  • A wide format printer is a printer with the ability to print on sheets of “wide” formats, such as A0, A1, A2, and A3, which are two or more times larger than the most used A4.
  • Some sources suggest that printers should be considered as such for printing on sheets over 24 inches wide. Some individual models can print on sheets up to five meters wide.
  • Textiles, self-adhesive films, PVC tarpaulins or poster paper, and rigid materials such as Plexiglas, rigid PVC foam boards or aluminum composite panels can be used in large format printing.
  • The latter three are also processed on so-called flatbed printers (UV direct printers).
  • The materials must have a surface suitable for inkjet-based large format printing. The only exception is currently UV direct printing, where it is possible to print almost all materials (including wood/glass, etc.).

Large Format Printing Technique:

Generally, in large format, a distinction must be made between five printing processes:
  • Continuous inkjet: the ink is circulated in the print head and only electrostatically deflected onto the print material as needed.
  • Drop on Demand (DOD): the ink is static in the print head and is ejected as required (as in bubble jet printing), the first printer based on DOD was the Siemens PT-80.
  • Thermal transfer printing: Resin paint is transferred by heat from an intermediate carrier (ribbon) to the printing material.
  • Electrophotography: Toner is picked up on photosensitive, electrically charged drums and transferred to the print material. The print motif is fixed by heat and pressure on the print material.
  • Thermal sublimation: A special position is occupied by the process of thermal sublimation printing. Here, the print motif is first printed mirror-inverted on a transfer material and then ironed with the heat on the substrate to be printed (textiles).
Large Format Printing
Large Format Printing

Inks and Pigments:

In General, for Inks and Pigments a Distinction is Made Between:
  • Solvent inks (based on solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone)
  • Water-based inks
After large format printing, the print media can be prepared for long-term outdoor use. This is done by a transparent coating of the printed material, for planning, by painting, with films by laminating with a protective film, which can be either matt or glossy. Such coatings are usually also UV-resistant and prevent early fading of the colors by exposure to light as well as the immediate damage of the pressure due to mechanical influences.

It can be suggested that there are some excellent companies which excel in large format printing. If you have the need to print large format media, you should get in touch with these. Not only are the rates very reasonable, but these companies also providing a lot of discounts and special offers, especially on bulk orders.

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