How the Wide Format Printer is Reshaping Office Printing

The wide format printer was once a niche device reserved for printing specialists and enterprises with demanding print environments. However, advances in the printing industry have made these devices more accessible than ever both in terms of cost and ease of use. Having this has allowed them to make their way into the grasp of businesses which may have once outsourced the specialized printing jobs which wide format printers can handle.

Today, a wide format printer is not at all out of place in an office. Here are the many ways which wide format printers have reshaped office printing to the benefit of the company.

What Is Wide Format?

Wide format is fundamentally different from other types of printing because it prints on paper that is not the standard A4 size. In other words, the paper is larger than the typical 8.5 by 11-inch sheets which inundate most offices. A wide format printer is sometimes also referred to as a large format printer.

Beyond this, however, wide format can vary dramatically by exactly how large a device can print. There are some industrial wide format printers on the market that can print on sheets of paper over 12 feet long. Likewise, others are capable of sitting on a desk and printing more modest sizes. Generally, however, if it’s printing on sheets larger than A4, it’s wide format.

What Wide Format Printers Can Do

Wide format printers are incredibly versatile in what they can print. Likewise, clever use of nontraditional paper sizes can open even more avenues for printed material. Additionally, many projects which could be printed out on A4 paper take on a new level of visual delight when printed on larger paper. Some projects which really pop when they’re printed in wide format include (but are not limited to):

• Advertisements
• Blueprints
• Cutouts
• Displays
• Flags
• Maps
• Signage
• Photography
• Presentations
• Vehicle graphics

Wide format lends itself well to things which are meant to grab attention, and projects which benefit from a larger size in order to pack more detail onto the page. However, there’s really no end to it beyond the confines of creativity. For many visual displays, especially ones meant to catch the eye of an audience, bigger often really does mean better.

Why Go Bigger?

A wide format printer in an organization does more than just increase the breadth of what employees can print in the comforts of the office. Going bigger can be the difference which creates a record-breaking month of sales or lands a team a new high-value contract. With that being said, here are five major benefits of wide format printing in an office.

1. Bring outsourced jobs back in-house.

Wide format print jobs are the ones which a company is most likely to outsource constantly because it requires specific printing equipment. However, when these projects are brought back in-house, the company can leverage the increased flexibility and the money they are saving in the long run. Likewise, there’s no more waiting multiple business days for the outsourced printing company to get the job completed. In-house print jobs can occur on demand, no matter how big.

2. Amplify marketing efforts.

A flyer printed in wide format won’t have the same effects as one printed on computer paper – it’ll be much more impactful. Wide format printing unlocks all manner of marketing potential for a company to get creative. Want floor-to-ceiling posters announcing a new product? No problem. Wide format makes it happen in a jiffy.

3. Stun audiences with visual quality.

Wide format printers are often larger machines and therefore can take advantage of more robust color options. Epson, one of Office Technologies’ preferred brands, is particularly well-known for this feature. Dazzling visual quality is essential for the creation of large-scale photographs and visual communications.

4. Leverage increased speed and efficiency.

Just because it’s large doesn’t mean it takes forever to print. In fact, wide format printers are known for being fast and efficient because it’s assumed that the print jobs will be large. A savvy business can leverage this for all manner of projects, spinning out a print job far faster than the central multifunction printer.

5. Print on almost any surface.

Finally, the true versatility of wide format printers shines when it comes to what surfaces these machines can print on. From t-shirt material to metal, wide format printers open the door for creative geniuses to manifest all sorts of unique jobs. The trick is that it’s got to be flat. Beyond that, however, there is almost no restrictions. There’s even a wide format printer designed to print on wood.

The Wide Options of the Wide Format Printer

Offices with demanding print environments, or ones which frequently outsource nontraditional print jobs, should strongly consider a wide format printer. They’re versatile, power and, best of all, accessible to most modern businesses today.

Office Technologies’ has 25 years of helping businesses select the right printer to meet a variety of needs. Contact us today to get started.