Large Format Printing Services: Everything You Need to Know

Written by Large Format Printing

If you’re looking for a better way to draw attention to your company and make people excited about becoming customers, you need to know about large format printing services.

This popular form of marketing is as versatile as its many options are powerful. Once you better understand what they entail, you will be ready to leverage large format printing services to improve profits.

What Are Large Format Printing Services?

It can be tough to accurately define large format printing services as the technology evolves every year. You may also hear these services referred to as “wide format printing” or “grand format printing” services.

The easiest way to define large format printing services is by their results. Like the name suggests, these services are used to create images, text, and graphics that can be as large as 150′ x 16′.

As you can imagine, large format printing services require specific machines. HP makes some of the best large format printers, especially the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Presses and HP Latex 3000 Printers. Another popular model is the Durst Rho 1312 Industrial Press.

In short, if you want powerful marketing materials that can be seen from a distance, you want large format printing services.

What Do Companies Use Large Format Printing Services For?

As popular as large format printing services are, some versions are better suited for specific industries than others. Here are the most common ways companies use this type of printing.

Retail Installations

PATTAYA, THAILAND – FEBRUARY 24, 2016: inside HomePro store. The store provide advice and facilities for installation and maintenance of a wide range of domestic features

There are a number of different ways large format printing can be used for retail purposes. The obvious option is to use a large print inside your store to market your products or show off your brand.

You can also use these services to create banners and other outdoor signage that will help bring these visitors inside in the first place.

Tradeshow Exhibits

Nothing is worse than paying for a booth at a tradeshow, making the trip, getting everything set up, and then spending the entire show being ignored by attendees.

While there are many ways to stand out at a tradeshow, large format printing services will make your sign visible from a distance and pique curiosity in attendees.

Outdoor Signs

Many businesses don’t have storefronts in high-traffic locations. In order to market themselves, they use large format printing services.

Real estate agent signs are just one example of this. A high-quality sign in the right location can do a lot to bring in new business. Plenty of retail stores advertise this way, too, far from their actual, brick-and-mortar presence.

Window Clings

Along the same lines, window clings also work well as outward-facing signs. The other great thing about this type of signage is that it doesn’t hinder the view inside your store.

Wall Murals

3D rendering of a sofa in front of a photo wall mural

Another surefire way to grab attention is with a wall mural. These can be deployed inside or outside a business space and are a fantastic way to fill the empty space on a large, blank wall.

Point of Purchase Signage

bright and fashionable interior of shoe store in modern mall

Point-of-purchase signage is your last chance to sell a customer. Instead of choosing an advertisement that is easy to ignore, use large format printing services to create a sign that wins that last-minute purchase.

Retail Barricades

If you need to direct traffic during busy seasons, retail barricades are the perfect solution. They can also serve as eye-catching marketing opportunities. Create a nice, large graphic that can stretch the length of the barricade and you’ll direct customers where to go and what to buy.

Vehicle Wraps

Vehicle wraps are great investments, as well. They’ll go anywhere your automobile does, greatly increasing the number of people who know about your business.

With the large format printing market growing by 10 to 12%, it’s clear that more and more companies are finding ways to utilize these services. While the above examples represent the most popular reasons businesses invest in this type of printing, that list is definitely growing.

4 Questions You Need to Answer Before Using Large Format Printing Services

Now that you have a better understanding of the benefits of large format printing services, let’s quickly take a moment to reviews questions you should ask prior to creating large signage.

1. Where Are You Going to Display Your Graphics?

This question is important for a number of reasons. It will affect both the materials you choose for your project and what types of text and imaging you use.

While any qualified printer should be able to help with suggestions, you can also reference signs and displays your competitors use or versions from other companies that you admire.

2. What Material Will Best Fit Your Marketing Needs?

Similarly, you have to consider what kinds of materials will give your marketing collateral the best chance of success – both in drawing attention and maintaining its look over time.

Again, a professional printer can help you with everything from picking the right ink for wide-format printing to the substrate for your signage. There’s a big difference between the correct options for a sign that will go in your store compared to the kind that will need to endure the elements outside of it.

3. How Far Away Will the Typical Viewer Be?

Likewise, if you need signage for the inside of your retail store, you’ll require a very different version than the kind that has to draw attention from all the way across a tradeshow floor. Although large format printing services always provide better visibility, don’t take this aspect for granted. Think long and hard about where your viewer will most likely be when they first lay eyes on it.

4. Will You Need Finishing and/or Installation Services?

Finally, the world’s best large format signage isn’t going to do your company any good if you can’t actually implement it. So before you place your order, make sure you can install it on your own or that you’re working with a company that can do so for you.

Interested in Large Format Printing Services?

While this guide should leave you better educated on large print formatting, we understand that you have a unique business with unique needs. If you’d like to learn more about how Printleaf can help you make the most of these services for your company – including taking care of installation – contact us today for a consultation.

Last modified: January 31, 2020

5 Responses to :
Large Format Printing Services: Everything You Need to Know

  1. I never knew that large format prints could be as large as 150’x16′! My husband and I recently started our own business, and we’ve been looking for different advertising options. There are several locations around town where we could post outdoor signs, so we’ll need to do some research about local print shops who could do some large format printing for us. Thanks for the info!

  2. I appreciate you helping me learn more about large format printing. I like how you said these services are good for printing signs for high-traffic locations. I can see how having a big sign can help businesses get noticed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.