According to Fespa’s Print Evolution 2011 research study, three quarters of the printers surveyed said they were looking to convert, or have already converted, their screen/offset business to a digital operation. While a few years ago, that level of uptake would have surprised many, today, with wide-format digital firmly established, it’s more surprising that there are printers who have yet to embrace digital – and indeed that 25% don’t intend to.

Breaking into wide-format digital is not just a case of buying some new kit; such a move needs to be properly thought through and driven by a strategic decision if it’s to succeed. The FespaDaily team spoke to two European printers to share their lessons of their wide-format evolution.

Bolt-on service
Netherlands-based Ever-Art Design has not had the most common of routes into wide-format digital printing. Formed as a pre-press company in 1991, it took over a small litho printer in 2001 and then bought an HP Indigo 1000 two years later. In 2008, it then entered wide-format printing with HP and Mimaki buys. The transformation from pre-press house to digital print powerhouse was completed last month with the purchase of an HP Scitex FB500.

General manager Willy Everaerts says this roundabout route into the market set the company up for the sector as it has differentiated itself from the competition. And differentiation is crucial in wide-format digital, he believes.

The first step to ensuring that, he says, is flexibility. "We bought the FB500 because it is very versatile. We can use it as a flatbed or remove the tables and run roll-to-roll," he explains. "We don’t do the same job in the same size on the same media all day long; one moment you’re using hardboard, one moment stickers, the next a flag."

But perhaps more important than this, Everaerts says, is the ability to print white ink. "White ink is a must for us in differentiating us from our digital rivals, as well as screen printers and copyshops," he explains. "Printing white first means colours come out more vibrant and it is also crucial for work on materials such as Plexiglass."

A by-product of a burgeoning sector is that standing out can be a difficult task. But in both his flexibility and his ability to print white ink, Everaerts feels he has the tools to pull in more work.  

Start-up
Take a quick glance at the website of UK printer Mister Vinyl and you come away with the impression that it’s an established company specialising in a range of wide-format print.

However, the business only took its first steps into the world of wide-format digital in 2007 and since then, it has never looked back. Proprietor Daral Brennan established the company as a wide-format plotting and cutting operation in the 1980s.

According to Brennan, the move into wide-format digital was almost one of "necessity" with Brennan coming from a photography background. "Going from taking photos to printing big photos was a natural progression of sorts," he says.
Much of what Mister Vinyl produces now is printed on its Roland SolJet Pro III XC-540 printer and cutter.

"I liked what it did, but nobody wanted my money. Eventually, I got a good deal with one business and off I went." For £30,000, Brennan picked up the printer/cutter as well as a laminator and Vivid Easymount laminator.

Although the company specialises in the production of signs, banners, vehicle wraps and decals, Mister Vinyl also prints skins for musical instruments, computer skins, photo prints and stickers, a broad focus that has helped the company grow.
Brennan is a keen advocate for trade shows and believes they are invaluable for anybody planning to make a similar move into the wide format sector. Mister Vinyl itself picked up its Roland SolJet Pro III XC-540 machine after visiting a trade show in the UK.

"Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is a wealth of knowledge on show and exhibitions are a perfect way to give you a hand up," he says.

And following that all-important initial investment, Brennan stresses that the training courses many manufacturers offer can prove invaluable further down the line. "There is no harm in doing so and they can only be beneficial to your business," adds Brennan.