Wide-format printing will create many more exciting opportunities to explore new markets and offer more to customers. Photo © Dmytro Tolmachov | Dreamstime.com
Working with new materials
With the latest printing equipment, PSPs can now print on a wider range of media with relative ease. This has led to an increase in the amount of signage made with fabric, vinyl, canvas, and foam. Depending on which materials are used, they can be light, flexible, and durable.
Access to a larger variety of materials tends to promote more creativity. This added flexibility helps ensure companies can use the right medium to get their message across, boosting revenue and enhancing their brand’s image. Large-format printing can even be used with illuminated displays and other media, which can make signage and exhibits even more impactful.
More packaging options
Printing in large format also includes producing custom packaging. Recent developments have made personalized packaging materials easier and more affordable to print. Not only can wide-format printing help reduce costs, but it can also do so without sacrificing quality. Further, PSPs can print on a wide range of materials, such as corrugated card and shrink wrap.
However, the benefits of using wide-format printing for packaging do not stop there. Since improvements in technology have allowed printers to produce small runs more affordably, companies can also offer more customization at lower price points. Customized packaging is a potentially powerful marketing tool, helping print companies offer a product which is in high demand from small businesses.
For example, the author’s company has started to offer affordable short-run mailer boxes. Their clients—which consist of sign shops and print resellers—are able to order these boxes without a minimum order quantity, in standard or custom sizes to meet their customers’ needs.
Conclusion
These are just some of the wide-format printing trends sign shops and print companies are likely to see in 2023 and beyond. As more emerge, it is important for PSPs to stay informed, so they can take full advantage and stay ahead of competitors.
Up-and-coming trends will also be driven largely by developments in technology, as well as changes in customer behaviour and preferences. The industry is always looking to improve on the services it can offer, to add flexibility, shorten lead times, and improve quality—even at reduced costs. Technological developments in wide-format printing will also help limit damage to the environment, which will help make products more appealing to consumers.
There will always be new challenges for sign shops and print companies, especially during unstable economic times. However, wide-format printing will create many more exciting opportunities to explore new markets and offer more to customers.
Notes
1 For more information, visit https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/large-format-inkjet-printers-lfp-market-523.html.
2 For more information, visit https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15087-consumers-want-sustainable-products.html.
Brian Meshkati is the vice-president of SinaLite, a trade printer serving North America. He leads marketing, product development, and customer engagement to equip the company’s continued growth. Meshkati enjoys helping printing and packaging companies grow effectively in a competitive market.
