Bob Roeda

Wide format printing, also known as large format printing, can be a company's best friend. How can a consumer miss an advertisement emblazoned across a large banner, poster or sign? It allows a company to literally stand head and shoulders above the rest.

A long-established printing technique, silkscreen reigns supreme over the durable label market. Ancient Egyptians were using papyrus stencils and pigments to duplicate images as early as 2300 B.C. However, modern screenprinting likely stems from patents applied for in the early 1900s. And except for the introduction of photographic stencils around that time, and the impact of computer technology in the '80s, the process remains relatively unchanged. So does the fact that a screenprinted label is the most durable product on the market. "The key," explained Mike Evans, marketing manager for Omaha, Nebraska-based Lancer Label, "is that compared to other printing techniques, screenprinting lays down