What is a Wide Format Printer?

As far as the ‘what’ goes, Wikipedia defines a ‘Wide Format Printer’ as follows:

Wide Format (aka large format) printers (contrast to vector-rendering "plotters") are generally accepted to be any computer-controlled printing machines (aka "printers") that support a maximum print roll width of between 18" and 100". Printers with capacities over 100" wide are considered Super Wide or Grand format.

In truth, anything bigger than tabloid size (11x17) could be defined as ‘wide format’. These days, however, the accepted standard is generally 24 inches wide. Then again, that isn’t exactly the final word as some manufacturers start around 30.

Why Does My Business Need a Wide Format Printer?

In the end, this is a question that only you can answer. You are in business to make money, so clearly the real answer is a matter of economics. With that said, here are just a few of the advantages provided by wide format printers:

Versatility

We’ve established that a wide format printer is simply a piece of printing equipment that can handle large, time-sensitive projects. They can print hundreds of square feet in less than an hour and they utilize ink types that can print on all sorts of media.

Because of all that, you can use your wide formatting machine for a large variety of projects including:

Since a wide format printer is so versatile, it provides the potential for you to make a significant return on your investment. Depending on your needs, you can be selective when it comes to paying for color options, speed and image quality. Remember to choose the features that you will use the most in order to maximize your potential profits.

You can also cut down on cost by reducing or eliminating the print work you might be sending out to another company. With the ability to do more in-house work you can save on cost and increases productivity while knowing that there won’t be any waiting to get the professional results you need to promote your business effectively.

Speed and Clarity

Another benefit of wide format printing is speed. With multiple printer heads and bi-directional printing control, printing gets done easily and quickly. Most brands, like the HP wide format printer, can print 15 large posters in an hour with great attention to detail.

Along with increased speed, wide Format Printer creates an end result that distinguishes clearly between the graphics and the text. This means that important textual content in your print project won’t get lost in the graphics. You’ll be able to clearly distinguish (and read!) any text included in your document. The text will come through in the finished product, with each line distinguishable and understandable. You may have noticed that many printers seem to read well on photographs and then fail to capture the details of associated text. A wide format laser printer and inkjet printer provide a high level of clarity for both graphics and the text, which translates into professional looking results every time.

Flexibility

If you are reading this article there’s a good chance you already know that RIP doesn’t just stand for an epitaph found on a 19th century tombstone. In fact, you may even be more familiar with raster image processors (RIPs) than you would like to be. The print driver that comes with your printer will take a file that is prepared for print, (for example a PDF file, a PostScript file, an InDesign file or a FrameMaker file), and convert the graphics and the text into the dots that the printing device with then create. Print Drivers allow you to print sure, but you are running a business and most likely you will need the flexibility to manage multiple print jobs and control the output in a more sophisticated manner.

So RIPs help you to manage your workflow effectively. Most RIPs are software that runs on your operating system of choice (for example, Windows, Linux or Mac). There are even those that run on Apple iOS devices (like iPads). There are a host of RIP makers and their products offer a variety of features. An effective RIP will allow you to processes your files faster and more consistently, which will result in quicker turnaround with less toe-tapping while you wait for the finished product. If you have you ever tried to run a large image you know that with a standard print driver the process can be tedious. With an RIP, you have a stand-alone program that is specifically designed to process large files. This makes the task much easier and frees you up to work on other tasks in the meantime. RIPs also store your completed print jobs, which makes reprinting easy and painless. RIPs are generally bundled (or recommended) by your wide format printer manufacturer, but keep in mind that you can shop around to find the one that best suits your business needs.