5 Key Developments in Wide-Format Printing Technology

Among the many things proven at last year’s PRINTING United Expo in Orlando, Florida, was that wide-format technology continues to develop — largely driven by efforts to improve quality and throughput, successfully support an increasing range of applications and media products, and do so with equipment that is both highly efficient and easy to use.

To explore this reality, five key trends were taken away from the event, supplemented with input from the equipment OEMs whose systems primarily, for this author, enabled recognition of the trend. For each trend, background is supplied by a company rep, and analysis by Marco Boer, president of I.T. Strategies, who will also serve as the keynote speaker for the annual Wide-Format Summit taking place in Bonita Springs, Florida, (July 27-29).

1| Correction on the Fly

The Canon Colorado XL, which had its global introduction at the Expo, is equipped with a number of innovations that help correct potential errors before they become problems. The first is a system that analyzes each pass of the printheads and makes micro-adjustments to correct any perceived print discrepancies. The unit also has systems to ensure optimum movement of media, so it stays on its intended path, and mitigates any wrinkles or ripples in media before their effects show up on the print.

The development of the Colorado XL was driven by extensive research into customer pain points, as well as a focus on quality, productivity, and reliability. Rich Reamer, senior director, product marketing and planning, Large Format Systems Division at Canon U.S.A., says the development of the XL platform focused on solving common hybrid-associated challenges, such as media misalignment and inconsistent output, all of which directly impact profitability. The XL, he says, has been positioned by Canon as a “next-generation hybrid,” incorporating advanced vision systems and corrective technologies.

By fixing longstanding hybrid limitations, the company aims to enter the category credibly while raising expectations for performance and quality. This being Canon’s first hybrid offering, the product was intentionally designed to differentiate itself by working to address real market needs, rather than simply matching competitors. Reamer says, “Everything is about how much you can print in a day … and you can’t give your customer something that doesn’t have high quality.”

Boer describes this development as, “an evolution of stuff that’s always been there,” and says that what it addresses, “was not a huge problem that everybody was struggling with.” What it’s doing instead, he says, is adding greater consistency to the quality of output. He also says that as the range of substrates continues to expand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve that expected quality. “As people are trying to create more and more applications,” he says, “this type of technology helps them to minimize the first-time problems they might see when trying a new substrate.”

2| Flexibility for Production

Also at PRINTING United Expo, HP unveiled its new Latex R530 printer, which is aimed at an interesting space. The device, which is capable of both roll-to-roll and rigid printing, is marketed not as a hybrid printer, but instead as a whole new space for wide-format — an “all-in-one” printer capable of robust production regardless of whether the media is rigid or rolled.

The HP Latex R530

The R530 printer, says Thomas Giglio, North American latex business lead at HP, was developed to disrupt the sub-$100,000 entry-level flatbed market by introducing a purpose-built, “all-in-one” system. The market, he says, has long been dominated by traditional flatbeds with large footprints and limited flexibility. Over a five-year period, HP focused on designing a compact printer that could fit through standard doors, required minimal power, and could avoid common facility modifications. The result, he says, is a small-footprint system that supports rigid and rolled media, modular workflows, and cut-sheet printing without forcing print service providers (PSPs) to sacrifice the space for finishing equipment, as an example. “We delivered a printer that was an all-in-one,” Giglio says. “A ‘perfect storm’ of small footprint, rigid, roll, and very modular workflow.”

About this development, Boer says the number of PSPs is consolidating, and as that happens, “the little mom and pops are basically slowly fading. So, you’ve got to become far more professional.” He says companies need to invest on an annual basis and keep up with available efficiencies to remain price competitive. Those companies that are growing — and not being consolidated — are doing just that.

They’re moving up to more productive, more capable systems, including the FS70 W. “It’s important for everybody to expand those product lines upwards,” he adds.

3| Increasing Levels of Automation

A strong desire exists in wide-format production to become more efficient, and that often comes down to automation. While part of that desire stems from labor challenges, automation can also improve throughput, enhance product quality, and reduce spoilage and waste. As an integrated system, the Harpeth printer from Vanguard Digital Printing Systems, a subsidiary of Durst, was displayed at PRINTING United Expo in a configuration that linked the flatbed printer to a Colex cutting system to a stacker and a cutting system, thus simplifying workflow.

The Vanguard Harpeth

Jim Peterson, founder and COO of Vanguard, says PSPs are increasingly adopting automated or semi-automated print-to-cut workflows to keep pace with the rapidly rising speeds of wide-format UV printers. As output increases, he says, manual handling can present a production bottleneck, making automation essential for throughput, quality, and achieving acceptable ROI. This trend, he says, is most visible in entry- to mid-level high-end production, where volumes of 60 to 80 boards per hour demand faster, more capable finishing solutions. Partnerships, for instance, like the one between Vanguard and Colex, create integrated systems that support single-person operation and repeatability. He notes that automated finishing is especially critical because errors most often occur there.

Boer echoes Peterson, saying the biggest priority in wide-format today is automating finishing “because that’s where the majority of errors occur. So, if I can automate that to get more consistency and less errors, I win all day long.” He believes the ROI on finishing equipment is significantly faster than that of most other investments companies make, and an investment in automated finishing is a “slam dunk” for most wide-format PSPs. Regarding the Vanguard/Colex setup, Boer believes its success will be application-dependent, noting that in some cases, it could slow a shop’s overall productivity. The finishing, he says, needs to be able to keep up with the printer.

4| A Focus on Ease of Use

In an era where finding qualified employees is an ongoing challenge, and waste created within the process only serves to limit profitability, the need for equipment to be efficient as well as intuitive to operate and service becomes paramount. Recent strides by Epson, on its new S9170 and S8170 printers take this need in stride, presenting a reconsidered approach to how wide-format printers look (and operate). Other OEMs have also taken steps to address these same needs.

The Epson S9170

Epson is prioritizing usability and reduced downtime, aiming to simplify operation for print shops facing constant staff turnover. David Bistrovic, product manager, professional imaging at Epson, explains the company designed these models with a more intuitive 4.3" touchscreen, clearer maintenance prompts, easier media loading, and improved visibility through larger, lighted access areas. These updates, he says, can minimize training time, automate routine upkeep, and help operators get printers running quickly to boost productivity. Further, automatic maintenance features reduce daily manual tasks so shops can focus on output. “As industry pressure grows,” he adds, “the need for simplicity is critical.”

Increased ease of use is key to limiting errors, Boer says, and also limits the level of experience needed for equipment users. He says the average tenure of a print shop operator is “probably less than six months, so you’re continually having to train people. The easier you can make it to use these machines, the better off you are because, unfortunately, we as an industry just can’t pay our operators enough, because there are other industries willing to pay more.” So, OEMs need make it easier for PSPs to be able to get somebody onto a machine. And, he says, “they need to be able to move people around to run these machines, because if that key operator is out, they can’t deliver their jobs.”

5| Greater Capability at Lower Price Points

For the second year in a row, equipment OEMs including Mimaki and Roland DGA introduced highly affordable, capability-robust systems that add creative possibilities for users at PRINTING United Expo. One such example is Mimaki’s 64" TS200-1600 dye-sublimation printer, which boasts an expanded color set including orange, violet, and fluorescent inks, all for under $11,000.

The Mimaki TS200-1600

Josh Hope, director of marketing at Mimaki USA, says the TS200-1600 is the third model in a series designed for lower-volume users who want features found in the company’s high-production printers. The line, he says, shares a standardized hardware platform — including printheads, transport systems, and common parts — which simplifies manufacturing, service, and maintenance for dealers and users. Hope says this “trickle-down” approach lets Mimaki extend high-end R&D across multiple machines to improve consistency and reduce costs. He says it also meets customer demand for versatility at accessible price points, adding that the units can serve as redundant backups for larger shops, or as specialty machines utilizing light colors, expanded gamut, or fluorescent effects. It can also give users more capability without outsourcing. Hope notes, it’s “the one place where trickle-down economics actually kind of works.”

The reason for this, Boer says, is that “It’s a commodity market. The existing sub-$20,000 wide-format [printer] business has been around for 30 years.” He says this is an example of OEMs working to squeeze out a little extra margin by adding more luxury features — either additional colors or some kind of different chemistry that enables users to create new applications. While the upside is a broader range of possible applications, the challenges come from the expended number of SKUs industry suppliers need to manage and stock.