Who Needs Large-Format Printers?

Most of us are not that familiar with large-format printers. That is because we do not typically find large-format printers in homes. They are specialized printers used for special purposes, such as in engineering, in art and photography, in advertising, in manufacturing and in other fields.

So who needs large-format printers? Anyone who requires really large prints would find these printers necessary, but here is a short list of them.

1. Advertising agencies.
   Many advertising agencies need large-format printers to create presentations for their clients. They would use it to create samples for advertising campaigns that they can show their clients.
2. Art and photography studios.
   Today, art has made a marriage of convenience with technology. Works of art are now being created using computers. Large-scale art made with computers or at least scanned would naturally need big printers.
3. Museums.
   The scholars working at the museums cannot definitely use an original piece to work with in whatever research or study they are doing. So instead, they recreate these works of art with large-format printers.
4. Schools.
   New technologies are used in teaching kids these days and it is now necessary to create stunning teaching aids with the help of big printers.
5. Real estate firms.
   Real estate firms need to keep the properties they are selling up for display wherever they station themselves. These displays attract customers, sometimes enough for them to snap on a property.
6. The military.
   The military has done away with paper maps and instead print them on fabric using large-format printers. These textile maps are more durable, easier to work with, and do not get easily torn or damaged by creases.
   
7. Law firms.
   Even law firms need large-format printers. Pictures paint a thousand words and lawyers may need big and pretty pictures when they try to convince a jury with graphic evidence to win a case.

There are many reasons why different companies need large-format printers. They are truly special printers for a special purpose, which is why specialized companies need them. But who knows; with the growing versatility of printers these days, it is not impossible to find a large-format printer in the home in the future.

What are wide-format printers?

Though few households and offices actually need them, wide-format printers are specialized printing devices that are in high demand. These wide-format printers address a requirement for special printing jobs that regular printers cannot produce.

Such printing jobs are usually architectural, engineering or artistic in nature. Examples of printing jobs requiring wide-format printers are engineering or architectural drafts and sketches, banners and general signage, posters, picture enlargements and other large prints. Typically, wide-format printers make prints that are 17 to 100 inches wide. The printing materials used for wide-format printers usually come in rolls rather than in individual sheets.

Wide-format printers are not machines commonly found in homes or offices. They are more often found in offices where companies prefer to do their own printing jobs, or in print shops or copy shops. Many people find it more desirable to have their large format printing needs done with a wide-format printer rather than, say, through screen printing because it is more economical to do so.

Different brands of wide-format printers make use of different types of printing technology, based largely on what they are meant to be used for. Some wide-format printers are inkjet printers, while some are laser printers. There are also wide-format printers that use thermal transfers in making prints, and there are some that use electrostatic instead.

There are many manufacturers of wide-format printers, but among the leaders in the industry are Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Kip, Xerox and Oce.