For businesses that print posters, banners, trade show graphics, architectural drawings and circuit schematics, a regular 8 inch x 11 inch print sheet is not enough. You need to print on large sheets of paper of 18 inches to 100 inches or more. This is where a large format printer comes into the picture. Large format printers, also known as wide format printers, are computer-controlled printers that have the ability to print on a large roll width of between 18 inches and 100 inches. They can effectively handle large and time-intensive printer projects. Wide format printers can easily print hundreds of square feet in just one hour. By using a specialized ink, large format printers deliver crisp images on a variety of media including banners, film, adhesives and fabrics.
Wide Format Printer Specs
| Brand/ Model | Roland SOLJET®XF-640 Large-Format Digital Printer | Ricoh Mimaki JFX500 | Epson Sure color SC-S30670 | Konica Minolta KIP 770 | Oce Color Wave 700 printer | HP Designjet Z6800 | Canon Imageprograf ipf685 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum print width | Max. 63.6 in. (1615 mm) | 2,500×1,300 mm (98.4×51.2") | 30 1615.6mm | 914 mm wide | 11" - 42" (297 - 1067 mm) | 60 inch (1524 mm roll width) | 8-24" |
| Printing Resolution | Maximum 1,440 dpi | Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi | 1440 X 1440 dpi | 600 x 600 dpi | 600dpi | 2400 x 1200 | 2,400 x 1,200 dpi (Max) |
| Printing Speed | 1098 sqft/hr (102 m2/hr) | 645 Ft2/hr with four colors | 29.4m2/h | 1080 sqft/hr | 225 D size/hour | 1500 sqft/hr | Arch D (24” x 36”) print in up to 21 sec |
| Rolls | 16 pinch rollers, 10.2 to 64 in. (259 to 1625 mm) | - | Up To 250mm | 500 roll media | 4-6 | 279 to 1524-mm (11 to 60-in) rolls |
Roll Feed - 59' (18 meters) 5 Cut Sheet - 63" (1.6 meters) |
| Printer Height/Printer Width | 108.3[W]x31.5[D]x51[H] in (2750[W]x800[D]x1299[H] mm) |
2,500×1,300 mm (98.4×51.2")/ Max. 50 mm (2.0") |
30 1615.6mm | 1,450 mm x 833 mm x 1,330 mm | 11-42” | 95.7 x 27.2 x 53.9 in | 41.8" (H) x 39.3" (W) x 34.3" (D) |
| Price | $29,995 | $22,000 | $20,000 | $13,995 |
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What Others Are Looking For...
I need a fast color copier that can print 2 sided as well as large format print jobs.
-Manufacturing Company, Santa Fe Springs, CA
Would like the auto document feeder, at least two cassettes for 8-12 x 11, & 14" papers also 11 x17 and statement size and a little thicker paper ability than just the regular 20lb paper. Need a large copier lease.
-Business Services Company, Blytheville, AR
Need a large copier lease for church bulletins. It should do automatic double sided. Letter and legal size paper 8 1/2 x 14. Enlargement feature and reduction.
-Non-Profit, Hampton, VA
Want to eliminate current copier/printer and fax into one machine must have 11x17 capability and color.
-Business Services Company, Merritt Island, FL
We need large format printing, copying, and scanning capabilities. Up to 36" wide.
-Construction Company, Terre Haute, IN
We are actually looking for a large format copier to handle 24" 36" drawings that we need copies of.
-Manufacturing Company, Calvert, AL
I'm looking for a large printer to print digital color photos....want 24x24 size if available...speed is not an issue...quality of printing is.
-Insurance Company, Auburn, CA
I need a fast color copier that can print 2 sided as well as large format print jobs.
-Manufacturing Company, Santa Fe Springs, CA
Full function large copier with automatic document feeder, double sided copying automatic sorter capable of sorting 20 copies, reduction and enlargement feature, with trays for letter (portrait and landscape), legal and 11"x17" paper. Include cabinet stand with casters. Copier shall be Minolta SP5320 or approved equal and shall be furnished with full documentation and manuals. Include maintenance and service agreement, including all required replacement parts, for duration of lease.
-Contractor, Holliston, MA
Would like to pair this with a large printer (architecture/CAD Drawings with 44" roll) to purchase.
-Construction Company, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
One of the important areas where large format printers are used is architecture. As engineering drawings involve the complete engineering structure developed in software such as AutoCAD, a regular paper size cannot hold the entire drawing. According to ANSI standards, U.S. architects use paper sizes of 9x12 up to 36x48. To print a on a maximum size sheet of paper, a large format printer is required.
Another segment that requires this type of printer is the designing field. Be it fabrics, posters, banners or films, a normal printer cannot print on such media. Wide format printers that use a special ink can efficiently print on all such media. Moreover, designers who use large posters and banners require unconventional printing sizes. Wide format printers perfectly fill this purpose. They allow you to print on tear-resistant printer sheets such as flex sheets to print large posters and banners. They come with roll technology, which allows you to use rolls of paper to increase the length and width of the printing size. Regular wide format printers can easily print up to 64 inches wide.
Some of the top manufacturers of wide format printers include Roland, Ricoh, Epson, Konica Minolta, Océ, HP and Canon. Roland offers wide format printers under two main series, namely Eco-Solvent and Eco-UV. Roland SOLJET XF-640, in the Eco-Solvent series, is a popular printer. Ricoh offers six types of wide format printers; Epson offers five models of wide format printers. And Konica Minolta offers two series of wide format printers, namely the LED series and the Inkjet series. Under the Inkjet series, Konica offers HP Designjet series printers. In addition, it offers wide format scanners as well. Canon has acquired Océ and now offers Océ wide format printers. HP offers three types of models for small offices, graphics and engineering tasks.
Leasing a wide format printer
Large format printers are obviously expensive, as they are designed to serve a specific purpose. Purchasing these devices with a one-time payment is not feasible for all businesses. For instance, Roland Soljet XF-640 wide format printer is listed for $89,995. Roland Financial Services offers this printer at a lease rate of $630 per month for a 60-month period.
Best wide format printer for design use
Roland Soljet XF-640 is a powerful printer for advertising agencies. It allows you to print up to 64 inches wide. At the same time, it prints at a good speed of more than 1,000 square feet per hour. The good thing about this printer is that it can print on a range of media including fabric, film and other substrates. While it can print at a high resolution of 1440 x 1440 dpi, the printing speed is slightly slow at that resolution. A notable feature of this printer is the two-year warranty. It includes labor and other parts. As this giant printer is 108 inches wide, you need to allocate more space in the office.
This printer can only hold one roll, which is a slight drawback when compared with others that hold two to four rolls. There is no built-in cutter or drive. There is no energy-saving mode as well. However, with a fast print speed, high resolution and a range of supported media, this printer is a good buy for design agencies.
Best wide format printer for engineering use
For engineering and CAD purposes, Canon imagePROGRAF iPF825 is a good fit. This large printer is 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Fast printing speed, quality image with high resolution and built-in hard drive make this a good choice. It allows you to print up to 44 inches wide. You can use two rolls so that large printing jobs are uninterrupted. With a print resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi, this printer delivers crisp and classy images without affecting the print speed. It can print 688 square feet in one hour. It comes with a 160GB hard drive that lets you store data and print accordingly.
Canon imagePROGRAF iPF825 is a feature-packed printer. The striking feature is its “Accounting Manager.” Using this feature, you can track the cost of the overall printing as well as specific printing jobs. With a clear idea of the ink and paper costs, you can track the total expenses. This data can be exported to Excel for better billing and accounting purposes. You can use economy mode to save printing expenses. The downside of this printer is that it does not print on a range of media such as film, fabric and substrates.