These devices represent a viable diversification opportunity for office technology dealers.
Wide format printers are essential output devices in various industries, catering to diverse applications from signage to fine art. If you aren’t selling wide format printers, it’s a product category worth considering, especially for expanding your production print footprint.
Printing Technologies
When selling wide format printers, consider the business’s applications, required print volume, and desired print quality. Understanding the different printing technologies—aqueous, latex, solvent, and UV gel—is equally useful for advising clients and driving sales. Let’s examine those technologies, including their advantages and applications.
Aqueous– While inkjet is a broader term that includes various ink technologies, it is sometimes used interchangeably with aqueous printing when referring to water-based inkjet printers.
Advantages:
- Aqueous printers produce vibrant, sharp images with excellent color accuracy. They can be more economical for short-run projects because they don’t require as much setup as other printing technologies.
- The water-based inks used in aqueous printers are reportedly less environmentally harmful than solvent-based inks because they emit fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- These generally user-friendly printers require less maintenance compared to solvent-based or UV-curable printers, making them accessible to a wider range of operators.
Applications: Posters, fine art prints, photographic prints, and indoor signage such as banners, point-of-sale displays, and event graphics.
Latex—Latex printers use water-based inks containing latex polymers, which differentiates them from aqueous printers. This technology is known for its eco-friendliness, as the inks are odorless and contain no harmful chemicals.
Advantages:
- They’re environmentally friendly and safe for indoor use.
- The quick drying times allow for fast production.
- They produce durable prints with vibrant colors.
Applications: Indoor and outdoor signage, vehicle graphics, wallpapers, and exhibition displays.
Solvent—These printers use inks containing solvents to dissolve pigments. This technology is known for its durability and resistance to environmental conditions.
Advantages:
- These highly durable inks are resistant to water, UV light, and scratches.
- They’re cost-effective for large-volume production.
- The technology is suitable for outdoor use due to weather-resistant properties.
Applications: Outdoor signage, banners, vehicle wraps, and billboards.
UV Gel—UV gel printers use a unique technology that instantly cures gel inks by UV light, resulting in high-quality prints.
Advantages:
- These inks offer instant drying with UV light, eliminating smudging.
- The sharp, vibrant images offer a wide color gamut.
- Compared to other technologies, they offer lower ink consumption.
Applications: Backlit displays, fine art reproductions, interior décor, and posters.
Those technologies are just the start. Once you move into wide-format textile printing, other types of inks are available, including reactive inks that chemically bond with fibers, making them ideal for printing on natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and silk; dye-sub for polyester fabrics and coated substrates; dispersed inks, which are similar to dye-sub; and acid-based, which is used for printing on silks.
A Bounty of Wide Format Opportunities
Whether in the enterprise space, in-plants, or schools, Dan Johansen, VP of sales and product management, Americas for Roland DGA, estimates that around 70% of those entities outsource their wide format jobs. That represents a viable opportunity for dealers. “The question then becomes, do they outsource enough to justify bringing it in-house?” asked Johansen.
Well, that’s how things are trending. “From a ten-thousand-foot view, there’s a movement to add wide-format capabilities because, quite simply, it’s exponentially cheaper to do it yourself than to outsource,” said Johansen. He references a university in-plant that’s outsourcing its wide format graphics to a local commercial printer or sign shop. They’re paying $6 to $8 a square foot for that printed material; however, if they brought it in-house, they could produce those same materials for a dollar a foot.
“If you think about the cost savings, it’s astronomical,” said Johansen, who estimates that organizations who invest in a wide format device can see a return on investment in less than a year. “And for people who print wide format to make money, it’s equally profitable,” he added. “So, the smart dealer is pitching its economics.”
Once a sales rep identifies an opportunity, the next step is identifying which product is right for that prospect, which is why many dealers in this space sell more than one type of technology. “Find me an HP dealer, and I’ll show you that they also sell Roland or Mimaki or something else because there’s not one [brand] that’s 100% perfect for everybody,” said Johansen.
The Wide Format Players
Numerous players are involved in the wide format space, some of whom are familiar to office technology dealers selling other imaging technologies. Note that some companies listed below don’t typically sell through the office technology dealer channel. Instead, they sell through graphics dealers, although there are exceptions, most likely with mega dealers who have the financial wherewithal to offer a broader range of products.
- HP—HP pioneered latex or resin-based inks. It is known for its extensive range of printers, including the popular HP Latex series. Many consider HP printers eco-friendly, high quality, and versatile.
- Epson—Epson is renowned for its precision and quality, particularly with its SureColor series. Its printers are used in photography, fine art, and professional graphics applications.
- Canon—Canon’s imagePROGRAF and Arizona series are well-regarded in the industry. Canon printers are known for their high-quality prints, reliability, and advanced technology, including UV gel printing.
- Konica Minolta—Konica Minolta’s wide format UV printers, including the AccurioWide series and AccurioJet KM-1, are designed to meet the needs of diverse printing applications. They offer high quality, versatility, and efficiency to users in various industries.
- Roland DG—Roland DG is a key player in the wide format market, especially for its environmentally friendly solvent inks. It also offers UV gel and latex printers. Roland DG printers are commonly used for signage, vehicle graphics, and promotional items.
- Mimaki—Mimaki offers solvent, UV, and latex printers. Its printers are known for their high-quality output, catering to a wide range of applications.
- Mutoh—Mutoh provides eco-solvent and UV LED models. Mutoh printers are appreciated for their reliability, quality, and cost-effectiveness, making them popular in the signage and graphics markets.
- Agfa—Agfa’s wide format printers, particularly the Anapurna and Jeti series, are known for their robust build and high-quality prints. Agfa focuses on UV inkjet technology.
- EFI—EFI’s VUTEk series uses UV inkjet technology. Its printers are favored for their high-speed production capabilities and print quality. They’re frequently used for printing large-scale signage and graphics.
- Durst—Durst is a premium manufacturer of wide format printers that use UV inkjet technology. Its printers offer precision, durability, and high productivity, making them suitable for industrial and high-end graphic applications.
- KIP—KIP wide format devices frequently are used in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors, where high-speed and precision printing are crucial.
- Ricoh—Ricoh’s wide format printers, such as the Pro L5160 latex printer, are gaining recognition for their quality and performance. The company has rounded out its wide format line with Roland DG printers.
Price Line
Price points of wide format printers range from under $10,000 to over $1 million. Prices vary based on configuration, additional features, and service agreements. Here’s a breakdown of price ranges and representative products in those price ranges:
Entry-Level Wide Format Printers ($2,000–$10,000)
These printers are suitable for small businesses and start-ups looking to enter the wide format printing market.
- Epson SureColor T3170X: Approximately $2,500
- Features: 24-inch printer, precision core technology, ideal for technical drawings, posters, and graphics.
- HP DesignJet T630: Approximately $3,500
- Features: 36-inch printer, user-friendly interface, suitable for CAD and GIS applications.
Mid-Range Wide Format Printers ($10,000–$30,000)
Mid-range printers are designed for businesses that require higher productivity and more advanced features.
- Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4100: Approximately $10,000
- Features: 44-inch printer, LUCIA PRO pigment ink, exceptional color accuracy for photography and fine art prints.
- KIP 600 Series: Approximately $10,000–$20,000
- Features: Prints on media rolls that typically range from 11 to 24 inches wide, allowing flexibility in print sizes and formats, which makes them suitable for AEC (Architectural, Engineering, Construction) documents.
- Mimaki JV150-160: Approximately $15,000
- Features: 64-inch eco-solvent printer, vibrant color output, ideal for banners, signs, and vehicle graphics.
- Roland TrueVIS SG3-540: Approximately $18,995–$22,995
- Features: 54-inch eco-solvent printer with a 7-inch touch-screen control panel, improved media handling, and integrated print and cut, allowing users to print and automatically contour cut designs without reloading the material. This is particularly useful for producing stickers, decals, and labels.
High-End Wide Format Printers ($30,000–$100,000)
High-end printers offer advanced features, higher speed, and superior print quality for demanding professional applications.
- HP Latex 570: Approximately $30,000
- Features: 64-inch printer, HP Latex ink, environmentally friendly, ideal for indoor and outdoor signage.
- Roland VersaUV LEC2-640: Approximately $60,000
- Features: 64-inch printer, UV-LED technology, prints on a wide variety of substrates, suitable for packaging prototypes, displays, and signage.
Industrial Wide Format Printers ($100,000+)
These printers are designed for industrial-scale production, offering the highest levels of productivity, durability, and print quality.
- Konica Minolta AccurioWide 200: $100,000–$150,000
- Features: Prints on rigid and flexible media at widths up to 2.0 meters and at up to 110 square meters per hour. Supports various substrates, including vinyl, banners, textiles, and rigid boards.
- Konica Minolta AccurioWide 160: $80,000–$120,000
- Features: Prints on rigid and roll media at widths up to 1.6 meters and speeds up to 65 square meters per hour. Its UV LED inks allow for high durability and a wide color gamut.
- Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1e: $1,500,000–$2,000,000
- Features: Designed for high-quality, high-volume printing at widths up to B2+ size 585 x 750 mm, at speeds up to 3,000 sheets per hour, and 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution. Supports a wide range of media, including coated and uncoated papers, synthetics, and corrugated substrates.
- EFI VUTEk h5: Approximately $400,000
- Features: 126-inch hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll printer, UV ink, high-speed printing, which is ideal for high-volume signage and graphics.
- Durst Rho 312R: Approximately $500,000
- Features: 126-inch roll-to-roll UV printer, high-quality and high-speed printing, suitable for billboards, banners, and high-end graphics.
Applications
According to Frank Mallozzi, president of industrial and production print, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., packaging and corrugated printing is robust in the mid-range to high-end of the wide format market. Another growth area is decor and displays. “If you look at some of these retailers, especially in New York with these wonderful displays that you see in the windows, a lot of those are pretty much done in these commercial environments that have wide format,” observed Mallozzi.
Building materials such as wood or luxury vinyl represent another growth area. “You’ll also find specialized applications like thermoforming for short-run signage, such as those in retail and fast-food restaurants,” said Mallozzi. “Graphics have moved in different places, not only in fast food but retail environments. So, the applications are super, super wide in terms of what you can do.”
One might not think these types of wide format opportunities are a good match for traditional office technology dealers, but Mallozzi takes a contrary view. “I don’t think it limits the opportunities,” he said. “Dealers need to take a hard look and not shortcut this.”
Sales Strategies
Understanding wide format print technologies and the applications best suited for them can help office technology dealers identify the best customer for these products. As with other production print devices, live demonstrations and sample prints showcasing the printer’s capabilities allow potential clients to see the quality and versatility of the prints firsthand. Case studies and success stories specific to the industries served by each technology can also be an asset.
Mallozzi believes mega dealers and even mid-range dealers selling production print possess the expertise to sell to commercial and in-plant environments. “So, the prospecting and the organization is already in place,” he said. “Many dealers think they can get away with asking a couple of questions without really understanding the business,” he said. “If you understand the business, you understand the space.”
He emphasized that cost per square foot and all the different applications are important to many buyers in this segment. “Once they learn that and get into the prospecting piece, the dealer has the infrastructure both on the pre- and post-sale because it’s no different than selling a production press,” said Mallozzi. “They can service a wide format printer and provide all the same workflow know-how and understanding. From that perspective, I see an opportunity for the dealers to invest in these areas. And quite frankly, I think they’re going to have to.”
