In the first part of this series, we introduced the concept of digital wide format display and specialty graphics, first coming to market through emerging businesses outside of the traditional print markets. Initially print production was the most important factor.  That has been followed quite rapidly by the need for automated, digital finishing solutions.

Today, we can see that this wide format explosion has finally created opportunities in both the traditional and non-traditional print marketplaces.  In this realm, what we see is really nothing more than an extension of the recognized post-printing, binding and finishing needs of traditional printers.  In other words, the need for automated finishing has become just as important in the display and specialty printing process as it is for conventional offset, flexographic and screen printing.  As users of wide format digital printers began to fully understand the power of their new digital presses, so too did they begin to recognize the need for finishing; today that need also includes finishing curved and three dimensional objects.

But, this isn’t where it ends; rather it marks the beginning of the next trend. As users have expanded their wide format printer usage beyond a few simple banners or signs, they have begun to more clearly understand that printed display and specialty graphics have even more complex finishing needs; these needs involve 3-dimensional finishing, variable data and on-demand production requirements that may continually alter the finishing requirements of printed jobs.