Into the Great Wide Open
So you want to sell wide format. We don't blame you. According to this very magazine's November 2014 Top Distributors feature, the "other" category, which includes wide format, saw sales rise from $61.7 million in 2013 to $89.5 million last year—a 45 percent increase. And while the category also includes digital, packaging and jumbo rolls, among other products and services, those numbers are encouraging for anyone looking to complement their core sales with wide-format products.
"But I don't know anything about wide format," you might be saying. "I have so many questions!" You've come to the right place. We set out to answer some of the wide-format market's frequently asked questions. Here's what we found, on everything from popular products and applications to creative uses and where to look for sales.
What, exactly, is wide-format printing?
Wide format (also referred to as "large format") printers can handle paper or other substrates ranging from 18" to 100" in width (anything larger is typically considered "super wide" format), so anything printed on these machines is considered a wide-format product. That means things like interior and exterior signage, banners, floor graphics, displays, etc.
So, it's only for big stuff?
Nope! According to Ryan Shacklett, president of Denver-based signobi.com, it's got a bunch of other applications, too. "These materials and print methods work fantastic for many other smaller everyday items, from small things like custom-shaped plastic business cards, badges and durable tags to lamp shades and point-of-purchase displays," he said.
What wide-format products do buyers want most right now?
Signs are always popular, but Shacklett noted that many buyers are moving away from flat, rectangular ones in favor of flexible, contour-cut versions. "Using semi-rigid materials allows you to run signs around and in corners, using unique shapes to draw attention and enhance the message," he explained. "Additionally, by creating unique shapes, they not only get more attention, but are more memorable and have far greater perceived value versus actual cost, creating a great area for making even common commodity signs far more profitable."
Shacklett mentioned PVC, in particular, as one of the semi-rigid materials gaining ground in the market. "Semi-rigid PVC not only is great outdoors and works great in existing sign frames, but also can be easily cut and folded and formed to all kinds of neat objects," he said. "Think boxes, cylinders, cones—let your imagination run wild."
Anything else?
Ryan Roeda, CSR representative for Roeda Signs & ScreenTech Imaging Inc., South Holland, Ill., noted that other specialty substrates are big right now, too. "Flatbed printing direct to coroplast, foamboard and styrenes seems to be the most popular," he said. "Being able to print direct to any substrate up to 2" thick—because not all prints require a laminate—we increase productivity printing direct, save time and save the customer money in eliminating a step or two."
What are some other cool things wide format can do?
Roeda pointed to carpet and fabric printing, elevator wraps and stair wraps as some of wide format's coolest applications. But he was most excited about second-surface printing, a technique where images are reversed and printed on the backside of a clear substrate, as shown in the image to the left. "This style of printing creates something elegant for our customers to place in their foyers or offices," he noted. "It makes a professional impression on their clients when they see a display like this."
Another neat process: Printing with white inks, especially on clear substrates like decals or Lexan polycarbonate. "The ability to print with white ink can transform decals into something extraordinary," explained Shacklett. "Also leverage white by using it selectively along with other colors to create transparent, semi-transparent and opaque areas in your artwork. […] The cost is lower than you may think, but the perceived value is very high, paving the way for great margins."
What's the best market for wide-format sales?
Wide format is used everywhere from health care to financial, automotive to manufacturing, a fact Roeda chalked up to the variety of available products: wall graphics, vehicle wraps, window graphics, elevator wraps, trade show booth graphics, posters and so on. There isn't necessarily a best market—if you know your stuff, you'll find sales opportunities just about anywhere. "The biggest key to success is to know your product and know the final application of that product," Roeda said. "Also, know the full potential of your vendor's equipment and process, so you in turn can educate your customer."
You're holding out on me, aren't you?
OK, you got us. If there's one market that surpasses the others in its need for wide format, it's gotta be retail. Shacklett explained why. "Think on all levels: the retailers themselves, the distributors providing product, the manufacturers," he said. "Consider the point-of-purchase displays, to graphics in and around the store advertising the product or promotion, to potentially even decals and printed pieces on the product itself. Every player in that field is trying to make the product get more attention and look better—to ultimately sell more."
Now that I know what and where I should be selling, any other tips on making the sale?
It's not exactly specific to wide-format sales, but Shacklett recommended providing a number of options or alternatives that add value—if a customer wants a sign, show him or her several, printed on different substrates and with different processes. "Always go with the method of 'Which kind do you want to use?' instead of 'Does this single option work?' he advised. "We make it extremely easy to price multitudes of options and quantities through our website, leaving no reason that plenty of alternatives and solutions can't be provided to your customer to ensure a solution and/or improvement can be offered and sold."
Roeda offered similar advice. "The more the distributor knows how things can be produced, the more products they can sell and introduce to their customers," he said. "Our equipment and finishing services allow us to offer more choices to the distributor, at cost-effective prices, that allow them to sell more and make bigger profits."