Wide format printers are specialist ink-jet printers with the capacity to print images up to 2 metres wide and up to fifty meters long. They use solvent or eco-solvent inks to provide a very durable and weather resistant image and are widely used to print banners, posters, image enlargements and general signage. Wide format printers generally use a roll of print material instead of an individual sheet and may incorporate hot-air dryers to prevent prints from sticking as they are produced.
Even though not every household or office may need them, wide format printers are extremely popular today. Wide format printing offers features and are used for specialised printing jobs that no other printer can produce, thus the reason for these printer being so popular.
Like with various other products, wide format printers are available in different types; each of these types produced to meet different requirements and to fulfil different tasks. For instance, one will find ink-jet wide format printers as well as laser wide-format printers. Then there are wide format printers that utilize thermal transfers in prints and there are printers that use electrostatics instead.
If you are interested in wide format printing, you will obviously need to do some research before proceeding. They differ from normal printers and you need to know what the differences are and if you will be able to accommodate them. So, before you make an investment in a wide format printer, you need to ask yourself the following:
- Do I really need this printer? Whether you are buying this printer for personal use or for your business, make sure you actually need it. Will you be able to sustain its requirements for a long period of time? Yes, wide format printing is extremely beneficial to any business, but is it really necessary?
- Are the specialised inks and accessories readily available to you? Will you need to drive a hundred kilometres for a cartridge or is there wholesaler close to you? Many wide format printers use inks and toners with different formulations, making them difficult to find.
- If you need any wide format printing assistance, will it be available to you? What if the printer breaks: will a technician come out especially to fix it for you?
There is a lot you need to consider when it comes to wide format printing, so before going on your “printing-hunt”, do some research: you will find valuable information that will definitely be helpful to your search.
