The Wider View: Indicators of Wide-format's Path Forward

In May, I had the pleasure of attending the FESPA World Print Expo in Barcelona, Spain. During my three days exploring the event, it became abundantly clear that wide-format printing continues to evolve, moving toward faster production, smarter workflow, broader applications, and continued connection to adjacent markets. Here are some key impressions I took away from the event.

Dan Marx, content director of Wide-format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from more than three decades working across segments with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.

Automation is Defining Competitive Advantage

Automation had a powerful story to tell. Exhibitors demonstrated how both
mechanical- and software-driven interventions are working together to maximize throughput, change the labor equation, and make output more consistent. For example, HP showed an intelligent feeding system paired with its Latex R2000 Plus Printer, designed to enable long, unattended runs. Also, EFI touted the AI-enhanced workflow capabilities in its EFInsight software. Numerous exhibitors emphasized automation as a needed path to efficiency — not as some sort of premium option.

AI and Software are Becoming Paramount

Increasingly, software has become a key part of how wide-format PSPs chart their futures. Durst, for instance, explained this shift by describing the segment’s movement from craft to engineering to code, and posited the next decade will belong to “industrial intelligence.” Both HP and EFI highlighted AI-driven software innovations, which can be seen as the tip of a very large iceberg. The move toward AI shows that future success may be contingent on the ability of PSPs to connect data and workflows to achieve better-informed decision making.

Industry Convergence Continues to Evolve

Another theme was convergence: the blurring of boundaries between segments. While FESPA’s expo floor was organized into discreet communities (graphics, signs, wraps, corrugated, apparel, and promo) the technologies on display often crossed those lines. Corrugated packaging, to name one, was presented as a meaningful adjacency for wide-format providers seeking new revenue streams. And Roland DG’s move into helical direct-to-object printing highlighted opportunities beyond flat graphics. Further, graphics installers increasingly are applying their skills to architectural surfaces and other
specialty applications.

Finishing is a Growing Area of Innovation

While inkjet devices tend to dominate headlines, the event showed that finishing may be one of the most important areas of advancement. From Summa’s new
F Series Vantage cutting systems, to fabric finishing solutions on display from companies like Hasler and Fastsewn, it becomes clear that finishing increasingly will be automated and integrated. While it has long been a bottleneck in wide-format, the acceptance of automation in finishing technologies demonstrates wide-format PSPs are not OK with that status quo.

Sustainability is Shifting from Concept to Reality

Sustainability was presented not as a side conversation, but instead as a regulatory concern and business opportunity. Exhibitors increasingly tied their messaging toward waste reduction, efficiency, and end-of-life considerations. Sun Chemical, for instance, discussed the complexity of balancing adhesion, durability, and de-inking capabilities in ink development, which reflected the technical balance sustainability gains require. And messaging across booths suggested sustainability considerations have become a part of production decisions.

For many of the FESPA exhibitors — and for a majority of wide-format PSPs in North America — the focus now turns to the 2026 PRINTING United Expo. That massive printing-industry-wide event takes place Sept. 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.