The market is getting more competitive every year, and businesses need to step up to stay visible. Office workflows and tasks constantly evolve as companies try to do more and offer more to their customers. Printers have evolved with the times as well. They’ve gotten even more efficient and provide more functionality in a business environment.

However, sometimes a standard printer model isn’t enough to meet a company’s needs. Businesses can invest in a wide format printer to expand their options. These sturdy devices come in various sizes and price points, from compact models to a half-million-dollar investment that requires its dedicated room.

What Is A Wide Format Printer? Definition & Details

Wide format printers are any printers that work with larger than standard paper and other materials. How wide? Smaller models may handle a few feet, while the largest can print on fifteen-foot sheets of material.

Some people interchangeably use ‘wide format printer’ and ‘wide format plotter,’ but these are different machines. Wide format plotters are a specialized and old fashioned form of printer. They create two and six feet wide documents by writing on paper with a pen attached to an articulating metal arm. These documents, produced from vector files, are incredibly accurate.

However, plotters have some specific limitations that have caused them to drop out of favor. One of the most significant drawbacks was that they were limited by the volume of ink in the pen. The entire piece had to be scrapped if the pen ran out partway into the job. These machines also couldn’t create large, full-color photographs and other such images.

Meanwhile, wide format printers can create a variety of images and texts. They work with either inkjet or laser printer technology. The image size limit is determined by the volume of ink or toner, which is far more than what’s needed to produce a single large page.

The versatility of wide format printers has made them a popular tech choice for businesses in every market. These printers used to lack a plotter’s incredible accuracy, but as the technology evolved, that gap has closed. The right wide format printer can reliably create fully accurate blueprints along with its other functions.

Popular Uses & Applications of An In-House Wide Format Printer

Horsham companies invest in an in-house wide format printer for three main reasons:

  • Fulfilling vital business functions
  • Opening up opportunities for new marketing strategies
  • Establishing a clear and professional brand

Some information cannot be captured on a standard 8.5” by 11” sheet of paper. These include printed items like blueprints and Geographical Information System (GIS) maps. Companies who want to succeed in these fields will need a printer that can handle that size of paper and create highly accurate images.

However, these aren’t the only business functions that might require a larger page size. For instance, some photography studios print their own backdrops for each customer. Meanwhile, complex infographics displayed at a conference may need poster-sized paper to share this information. This is especially true if the company is giving a presentation and wants to reach people in the back row.

Wide format printers can also produce eye-catching advertising for a business. These include colorful and weather-resistant signs, architectural drawings, construction plans, billboards, and vinyl graphics. See the next section for more ideas.

Finally, companies can establish their professional presence in the market with large, printed materials. At a corporate event, the business will be able to create a full complement of banners, awnings, posters, and more. This firmly establishes the brand, unlike rented materials which are designed to be generic and work with a wide variety of customers.

A Low Risk/High Reward Technology Decision

Wide format printers supplement instead of replace your office’s standard printer. However, these innovative pieces of tech are well worth the initial investment. How affordable are they? A smaller model may cost just a few thousand dollars and often fit neatly onto a desk.

This device can last for years with proper operation and maintenance. That gives your company years to experiment with its advanced features and business applications such as:

  • Decorating the showroom with fun life-sized cutouts of your company mascot.
  • Creating large, eye-catching posters and banners for your stall at a trade show.
  • Printing customer merchandise like t-shirts, postcards, and novelty picnic tablecloths.
  • Branding the company car with vinyl decals.
  • Launching innovative marketing campaigns with weatherproof signs.
  • Producing window clings and wall decals for cost-efficient seasonal decorations and sales advertising.

For the small initial investment, your business will have access to printing options that were once only available through a third-party service. Instead of paying expensive contracts with an outside print agency, you can buy materials in bulk and handle tasks in-house. This adds up to considerable savings.

With budget concerns taken care of, your marketing team will be free to experiment with exciting new strategies. They’ll bring brand awareness to a larger base of potential customers while building greater brand loyalty with your existing clients. The team will also be able to establish a more professional image for your company with the high production values wide format printers are capable of.

Open New Business Doors With a Wide Format Printer

Is your standard model of printer holding your company back? Limiting yourself to regular paper sizes restricts your options for marketing, building a professional image, and exceeding customer expectations. Meanwhile, certain business applications and processes require larger paper sizes.

If you want to try out a wide format printer, some models of this tech are both affordable and relatively compact. These let you test out the functionality and get used to the operation before you invest in a larger and more feature-rich machine.

If you’re interested in wide format printing, contact KDI Office Technology today. One of our representatives will be happy to discuss what this technology can do for your Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware business.