Ultra
Wide Format printers, for billboards.
List
and links to principal manufacturers of extra-wide large format
printers for making billboards, especially billboards covering
trucks and buses, 3M, Idanit (ScitexVision), Salsa, Nur Macroprinters,
Signtech, and Vutek.
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3M
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3M
Scotchprint, large format electrostatic printers |
3m.com
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Data
Mate Co., Ltd.
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Rembrant,
large format printers |
Tokyo,
Japan, fax 81 3 5383 2273
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Idanit
USA
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Idanit
162AD, Piezo turbojet, 300 dpi. I believe this is part
of ScitexVision now. |
idanit.com
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Lac
Corp,
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Michelangeo,
Raffaello, Da Vinci. This company makes printers which
are most politely described as unusual. Quality is awful. |
Tokyo,
Japan, fax 81427 51 6225
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Matan
Digital Printing Ltd.
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Actually
now Matan makes a thermal transfer system, which is
for outdoor use but is not a grand format size. |
matan.co.il
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Nur
Macroprinters
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Blueboard
HiQ and other large format |
nur.com
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Signtech
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Salsa,
extra large format printers. Signtech sold Salsa to
Nur. |
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Scitex
(ScitexVision)
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Scitex
makes a variety of highly regarded ultra-large wide
format printers for doing billboards, indeed for covering
entire buildings (or buses and trucks). Scitex Grandjet
V, Scitex Idanit Novo |
scitex.com
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Vutek
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UltraVu
5300 and other wide-format; some models also sold by
Ilford Imaging in the USA market. |
vutek.com
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Vutek
UltraVu models can handle 10 foot wide material or 16 foot
wide material (3 meters or 5 meters wide). Vutek is an international
company with offices in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
We
happened to see a Vutek printer in action at the Ilford
Imaging booth at the recent PMA photography trade show in
Las Vegas. Ilford offers a complete systems solution, everything
you need to do digital printing in-house.
Once
you start using wide format printers you quickly find that
software for desktop publishing such as Adobe PageMaker
is no longer adequate. You need special layout software
for signage. More information on this software will be available
as our coverage increases. We just inspected the sign layout
software at several sign shops in Toronto, Canada.
If
you are printing images billboard sized you need industrial-strength
storage such as a RAID
system. We recommend a company which sells all name brand
hard drives, DVD-RAM,
CD-R,
CD-RW, and offers capable technical help.
Images
with long proportions are the most appropriate for wide format
the size of a billboard or banner. Thus the seamless digital
panoramas
and the circumferential rollouts of round objects (such as
Maya
vase rollouts) are especially appropriate to print on
a sign printer such as Scitex, Nur, Idanit, Signtech, Vutek
or 3M.
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ANSWERS
TO MANY OF YOUR PRINTER CUESTIONS
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|
Nicholas
Hellmuth's thematic reports on large format printers
now available
|
| large
format printers for outdoor signs, banners, billboards,
building wrap: lists of all the main solvent ink and
oil-based ink printers along with thermal transfer printers
which can be used outdoors with no lamination. |
| reviews
of large format printers most appropriate for signs,
posters, banners including POP, primarily for indoor
signage: HP, Encad, and more |
| large
format printers appropriate for use in printing vehicle
graphics, bus wrap and comparable outdoor use. |
| media
and inks for signs, posters, banners (for all printers,
piezo as well as thermal inkjets, media for indoor as
well as outdoor without lamination) |
| quick-start
help, list of the best RIPs; hints for what accessories
you need; list of where you can get books and training
on digital imaging.olor |
|
you can ask for one thematic report and two trade
show reports at no cost
|
| We
do NOT cover: software headaches, obsolete equipment,
color matching or problems caused by prior mistakes.
Our
job is to save you from buying the wrong equipment
by alerting you to advertising hype and help you avoid
as many of the common pitfalls as possible. We even
have a pithy report on "what to watch out for....guide
for first-time buyers" when you suspect someone
is making up claims in the hopes of luring you into
buying their printer. Includes frank assessment of
exaggerated longevity claims and gives lots of helpful
tips and insight.
Although
we can't save you from negligence, stupidity, lack
of common sense and failure to read the instruction
book, we can at least prepare you for the reality
of digital imaging. We want to help you enjoy this
experience and save you from the typical common mistakes
of first time buyers.
Some
of the ads are so misleading that even pros are lured
to buy an inadequate printer. So no matter what your
experience level, you will find these reports informative.
They are written in a humerous style: how else can
you review misleading advertisements?
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| To
receive your report just provide the information on
the
inquiry form (or just do it in your own words until
we create a structured auto-response system). At present
we answer all e-mails
in person, yes, a live human being actually reads your
e-mail,
and will answer in 3 to 5 days. |
|
all
reports are appropriate for beginners, intermediate,
hobby as well as graphics professional level
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| |
| |
|
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| All
reports by Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth
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|
