From wallpaper to vehicle wraps, wide-format print allows print businesses to add more to their offering and enter lucrative and booming markets. In this feature, we take a look at some of the kit on the market and the ways print service providers are using it to produce exciting and creative projects. According to The Business Research Company, the global large-format printing market size was predicted to hit $9.25bn (£7.51bn) last year. This growth is expected to continue to reach $10.87bn (£8.82bn) by 2026 at a CAGR of 4.13%. Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic hit certain markets and industries hard such as events, retail and hospitality, and other sectors that use a lot of print such as weddings, it is no secret that some areas were able to reconfigure their services and succeed. This was particularly evident in the wide-format print sector with the production of safety and informational signage, graphics, plastic screens, and so on. Various lockdowns also saw the public rethink their own home décor and a rise in demand for interior design products rose which included the production of bespoke wallpapers and printed textiles. With the world opening back up as Covid-19 cases dropped, there was also a renewed need for advertising as industries severely hit by the pandemic needed to try and generate income and interest in their products and services once more. These trends have continued and whilst the wide-format print industry is not a new or novel one, there is now a compelling case to invest in this market if you haven’t already. So, with that in mind, what kit is on offer and how could it add value to your business? Consumer demand FESPA Global Print Expo 2022 was a busy event for one wide-format print manufacturer as it used the space to promote its wide-format range of printers, as well as launching two new machines. This was Fujifilm and its ‘Blueprint’ concept with the launch of two new machines within its Acuity range. The first was the 3.3m Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED which can print on both rigid and flexible substrates, and the second was the Acuity Prime L UV flatbed printer which has a maximum print area of 3.2m x 3.2m and a print speed of 202sq m per hour. Also in the range is the Acuity Ultra R2 which services the superwide market and is capable of printing on a massive industrial scale of up to five metres wide. Industrial printheads with a 3.5 picolitre drop size and specially developed LED UV SPOILT FOR CHOICE With the opportunities for wide-format printed products still remaining strong after the pandemic, what options are there in terms of kit, and what applications could you produce with them? 47 MARKET TRENDS / WIDE-FORMAT PRINT KIT PT.1 Issue 341 - March / April 2023 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Woodlodge Products
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