Of all the equipment available to print service providers (PSPs), perhaps the most impressive visually are grand-format printers. These huge machines never fail to capture the attention of passers-by at trade shows and industry events, with such printers often taking up more room than your car, van or even minibus in the car park outside.
However, as impressive as they may be, grand-format printers are certainly not a good fit for everyone. First, you need to establish whether you actually need a printer of this size; are the applications you produce big enough for such a machine or will a smaller model do? Then there is the issue of space; will it fit in your facility, or would you need to relocate to new premises? Add in other considerations such as additional staff training and investment in the right finishing equipment to accompany these machines, they may not necessarily be best for your business.
On the flip side, if you already have a grand-format printer in place or are confident that you are ready to make the step up and purchase your first machine in the category, the good news is that you are certainly not short of options. What this does mean, however, is that it can be rather tricky when it comes to nailing down the best solution for your business.
With a whole host of respected manufacturers active in this market – Fujifilm, HP, Mimaki and Agfa to name but a few – where do you even start? Here, LFR will attempt to guide you through some of the more popular and latest solutions in the grand-format market to help with your decision.
Wider and wider
Indeed, when we talk about grand-format or superwide printing, this may differ between companies. For the sake of this article and to spare any further debate, the machines we cover here offer print areas of at least 3.2m wide, near enough the biggest of the big for industrial printing.
As a starting point, let us begin with Fujifilm, one of the leading names in grand-format print. The first machine that comes to mind is the Acuity Ultra R2, which has been on the market for around three years now. Available in either 3.2m-wide or 5.0m-wide formats, this model can print on a range of materials, allowing users to create everything from exhibition graphics, POS displays and high-value graphic art to backlit displays, outdoor displays and exterior signage.
Stand-out features include the ability to print at speeds of up to 400sq m/hr and the benefit of as many as eight channels, with the option of double CMYK. What is more, the machine can be supplied as UV or LED to suit each user’s requirements.
“With quality comparable to leading water-based inkjet systems, the Acuity Ultra R2 can propel your business into the luxury brand market,” Fujifilm says of the machine.
Another grand-format available from Fujifilm is the Acuity Ultra, which, according to the manufacturer, achieves new levels of quality and speed in superwide roll-to-roll printing. Its top speed stands at 236sq m/hr, which, although slower than its Acuity Ultra R2 cousin, is still an impressive rate for print companies looking to turn over high quantities of work. In addition, like the Acuity Ultra R2, it is available in 3.2m and 5.0m setups.
“Acuity Ultra is not only ideal for outdoor applications such as billboards and signage, but also perfect for high-end indoor displays where close viewing requires images to be exceptionally clear and vibrant,” Fujifilm said. “Industrial printheads with a 3.5 picolitre drop size and specially developed UV inks ensure consistent high-quality print.”
The water-based factor
Up next and with sustainability very much on the minds of print service providers (PSPs), they would be well advised to consider the options available with the HP Latex range of printers. All machines within this collection run water-based inks, which have less impact on the environment than other ink types.
Highlighting several machines in particular, let us begin with the HP Latex 2700, which can also be supplied as a white ink option in the HP Latex 2700W. Both devices measure 3.2m wide and have a top colour printing speed of 121sq m/hr in outdoor mode, opening up opportunities such as banner and exterior advertising work.
Also in this collection is the HP Latex 3600, which, with a high speed of 77sq m/hr for indoor-quality printing, can run a single roll of material as heavy as 300kg. Among the applications flagged by HP for this machine are outdoor signage, backlits, soft signage and even vehicle wraps, all of which have been picked out as growth areas in recent times.
Another machine to flag in this range is the HP Latex 1500, which may not be as fast as the HP Latex 3600 printer – with an indoor quality speed of 45sq m/h4 – but still more than packs a punch. Measuring 3.2m wide, highlights include 1200dpi HP Thermal Inkjet printheads, a spectrophotometer for colour consistency and roll handling up to 160kg.
One company that can attest to such qualities is Lichfield-based Coolshock, which purchased a new HP Latex 1500 from Papergraphics back in March. In doing so, the machine has allowed the brand activation company to bring large-format work in house.
“I had been looking at a number of superwide format printers,” Coolshock Managing Director Paul Hulston said. “Given that we and our clients are focused on sustainability, the HP Latex inks allow us to recycle our products much more easily. The curing speed also means we can turn print around much quicker than the solvent machines I looked at, and this was important for me.”
Wild horses anyone?
Elsewhere in this hugely diverse market, another name that stands out as being synonymous with grand-format print is Agfa.
At FESPA this year, we were introduced to the new 3.2 m-wide hybrid Anapurna Ciervo, which boasts a top speed of 209sq m/hr. The machine features a six-colour plus white ink set and UV LED curing, which the manufacturer said makes it ideal for both indoor and outdoor work. What’s more, PSPs in the UK will have the opportunity to see the machine in action in Blighty for the first time at this year’s edition of The Print Show.
“With a redesigned print shuttle and engine, the printer brings significantly enhanced print productivity and quality on both flexible and rigid materials for multiple applications,” Agfa said.
As for more established options within the wider Agfa portfolio, the Anapurna collection also has other hybrid options in the form of the Hybrid Anapurna LED Series. With a printing width from 1.65m to 3.2m for indoor and outdoor applications, the machine of choice for the largest of grand-format jobs is the Anapurna H3200i LED, which can run at up to 19sq m/hr in high-quality mode for those pieces that require extra attention to detail.
There is also the almost mythical-sounding Jeti Tauro H330 – available in three models – which has a maximum width of 3.2m. Speeds vary across each machine in this range, with the Jeti Tauro H330 UHS offering the highest productivity with a top speed of 905sq m/hr. This device can be supplied in setups of six colours, seven colours or two lots of four colours.
Finally from Agfa, the equally as impressive-sounding Jeti Bronco H330. The product information for this printer talks about wild horses roaming free with “grace and agility across vast plains”, with the manufacturer pledging this “indomitable” spirit can be found in the Bronco inkjet printer too. Inviting customers to “saddle up for success”, the 3.3m-wide UV LED inkjet printer can be used on both rigid and flexible media, with a top speed of 248sq m/hr.
Keeping costs low
Switching attention now to Mimaki and while the two following models may perhaps not sound as impressive as their wonderfully-named Agfa counterparts, this does not negate from what they can offer to users.
First up is the Mimaki SWJ-320EA, a 3.2m super wide solvent machine that, until the end of September, is available at a lower price point (£34,995 + VAT) than usual. Stand-out features on this device include the option to print superwide-format or on two rolls simultaneously, at a maximum resolution of 1,200 dpi and at print speeds up to 137sq m/hr.
Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor of Mimaki machinery in the UK and Ireland, said that the printer also delivers a significant reduction in running costs, using Mimaki’s CS100 solvent-based ink that is offered in 2 litre bottles.
“With hardware and ink prices kept low you can be sure to deliver the highest quality prints at the lowest possible operating costs, giving you that critical competitive edge,” Hybrid Services pledges.
Also available from Mimaki is the Mimaki UJV55-320. Another 3.2m super wide printer, but this time a UV machine. It is a tad slower than its sister model at 110sq m/hr but can still print up to 1200dpi on a wide range of materials including textiles for lightboxes, wallpaper, banner and other display media.
“This versatile solution delivers an almost unprecedented range of grand format sign and display applications, from POP displays, fleet wraps and billboards, to exhibition graphics, backlit signage and more,” said the Hybrid Services team.
Weighing up your options
Drawing our analysis to a close is swissQprint, which is well known across the industry for its range of larger printers. One machine that has drawn plenty of plaudits since its launch a few years ago at FESPA 2022 – including being crowned ‘Best flatbed/hybrid printer > 250sq m/hr’ at the EDP Association Awards last year – is the Kudu.
The 3.2m machine has a top speed of 304sq m/hr and incorporating the latest printhead technology, can reach a top resolution of up to 1350dpi, which should certainly appeal to those PSPs on the lookout for solutions for high-end work. UK PSPs can catch the machine in action later this year at The Print Show.
swissQprint also offers two other solutions with similar names but differing attributes: the Nyala 4 and Nyala 4S. Billed by the manufacturer as the European champion among flatbed printers, the Nyala 4 measures in at 3.2m wide and has a top speed of 206sq m/hr, which is slower than the Kudu but can hit the same print quality of 1350dpi.
In contrast, its sister model, the Nyala 4S is much quicker at 370sq m/hr but cannot hit the same heights in terms of output quality, with its maximum print resolution topping out at 1080dpi. As such, swissQprint said it is perhaps more suited to a busier environment with large and faster turnaround.
So, is that enough options for you? Hopefully our round-up will have given you some insight into the many options available in this sector. All of the solutions mentioned here are solid, reliable options for those seeking to expand in the grand-format market. At the end of the day, it is what works best for you and your business; do you need faster turnaround capabilities, high-level print quality, or a mixture of both? Take your time, do your research and speak to your suppliers to find out which machine is best suited to you and your business.
