Richard Romano is Managing Editor of WhatTheyThink. He curates the Wide Format section on WhatTheyThink.com. He has been writing about the graphic communications industry for more than 25 years. He is the author or coauthor of more than half a dozen books on printing technology and business. His most recent book is “Beyond Paper: An Interactive Guide to Wide-Format and Specialty Printing.
Displaying 401-500 of 1211 articles
Published August 15, 2016
In the latest installment of our occasional Wide-Format 101 series, we offer a general overview of wall, floor, and window graphics.
Published July 25, 2016
The first half of 2016 is in the books. How is the industry faring thus far compared o last year? Our new Economics and Research Center report looks at the latest economic, technological, and cultural trends affecting the industry.
Published July 11, 2016
This year’s FESPA Wrap Cup Master Jim Miller started in vehicle graphics at the age of 15, applying screen printed decals to his father’s Little Debbie truck. Today, Miller Decals installs vehicle graphics and other types of displays for more than 600 customers around the country.
Published June 20, 2016
In the latest installment of our occasional Wide-Format 101 series, we offer a primer on basic finishing processes, specifically rollfed cutters and flatbed cutting tables.
Published June 6, 2016
Drupa 2016 thus far has not had a lot of wide-format announcements per se, but corrugated—one point where wide-format and packaging meet—is playing a big role this year, with some major announcements.
Published May 24, 2016
drupa opens at the end of this month and while drupa has not traditionally been one of the go-to shows for wide-format printing, as wide-format has become a hot topic in the general commercial printing market, it is taking a bigger role at this year’s show.
Published May 17, 2016
The biggest issue facing print buyers for retail brands is turn time and speed to market. How can print service providers best help retailers solve this problem?
Published May 16, 2016
Matt Richart, owner of Lexington, Kentucky based DigitalEFX Wraps, talks to Richard Romano about his company’s origins and best practices for vehicle wrapping.
Published May 9, 2016
Last week, HP announced two new series of Latex printers, so this seems as good a time as any to offer a little “Latex 101” primer for those who may be new to the topic and technology.
Published May 8, 2016
Scott Donovan, Principal Consultant at BleuPrint Creative and a textile printing veteran, discusses the technologies and the opportunities available in digital textile printing
Published May 2, 2016
Two weeks ago, at Roland’s second annual ImagiNATION user conference, Giveme Help’s Mark Rugen ran down a list of some lesser-known image editing programs and other utilities for professionals doing design and production for wide-format graphics. Here are some highlights.
Published May 1, 2016
President & CEO Catherine Monson talks about the latest news from FastSigns, trends in signage, and the growing demand for dynamic digital signage.
Published April 25, 2016
If the ISA Sign Expo 2016 demonstrated one thing—and it demonstrated far more than one thing—it was that “signage” is part of a much larger graphic ecosystem than can include products and applications seemingly far-removed from signs.
Published April 22, 2016
Richard Romano talks to Lori Anderson, President & CEO of ISA, on the first day of the ISA Sign Expo in Orlando where she talks about a record-breaking crowd. They discuss what is driving the increased interest in signage and sign-making as well as the hot new technologies being featured at the show.
Published April 18, 2016
When the auto industry crashed and burned in 2007–2008, and their biggest client pulled most of their business, Michigan’s Landaal Packaging Systems saw an opportunity to reinvent itself with digital wide-format printing.
Published March 28, 2016
Sign Expo 2016 comes to Orlando, with four days of educational sessions, keynotes, and a packed exhibition hall. As an added bonus, both Roland’s ImagiNATION 2016 and Durst’s Retail 2020 are colocated with this year’s Sign Expo.
Published March 21, 2016
A new iGen, new production inkjet models, and software solutions were pre-announced to Xerox customers and the media at a special event held last week at the Gil Hatch Center in upstate New York.
Published March 14, 2016
There are a number of different printing technologies used to print fabrics and textiles. One of the most common—and the one that is getting the most attention these days—is dye sublimation. What is dye sublimation printing, and what do you need to take advantage of the technology?
Published March 7, 2016
Digital textile printing is seemingly everywhere, and many sources tout it as a high growth area. New product announcements are also coming thick and fast. But what are the basics of digital textile printing? This week, we offer a basic primer on the topic.
Published February 29, 2016
Canon Solutions America hosted its third anniversary event last week in Boca Raton, Fla., highlighting the state of the market, new product developments, and customer case studies. In this feature, we focus on the company’s wide-format offerings.
Published February 23, 2016
On February 1, Ford Bowers took the reins as president and CEO of SGIA, succeeding Michael Robertson after nearly 33 years of service. In Part 2 of this two-part interview, we talk with Ford about the SGIA Expo, as well as the overall challenges facing the wide-format and specialty graphics printing industry.
Published February 16, 2016
On February 1, Ford Bowers took the reins as president and CEO of SGIA, succeeding Michael Robertson after nearly 33 years of service. In Part 1 of this two-part interview, we talk with Ford Bowers about his history with Miller Zell, his plans for SGIA, the role of the trade association in today’s landscape.
Published February 8, 2016
Commoditization has come creeping into wide-format and specialty graphics, but does it mean the end of profitability?
Published January 26, 2016
Fujifilm VP of Marketing Terry Mitchell talks with Richard Romano about Fujifilm's new Uvistar hybrid rollfed/flatbed press, as well as new applications and capablities enabled by the latest generation of flatbed presses.
Published January 25, 2016
EFI is integrating hardware and software for specialty printing applications, as well as making the most of its many recent acquisitions. Here are some wide-format-related highlights.
Published January 19, 2016
Herewith a handful of recent new announcements that caught your Section Editor’s eye.
Published January 19, 2016
Heather Kendle, Inca Digital's Director of Customer Support, talks with Richard Romano about the new Inca Onset X series of flatbed UV printers, which made their worldwide debut at the SGIA Expo last fall.
Published January 11, 2016
Richard Romano talks to Ricoh VP John Fulena about Ricoh’s involvement with SkillsUSA, education outreach initiatives, and attracting young people and students to the graphic arts industry.
Published January 11, 2016
Our annual rundown of the current flatbed wide-format printer landscape.
Published January 4, 2016
Our annual rundown of the current rollfed wide-format printer landscape.
Published December 21, 2015
Last week, we took a wide-format look back at 2015. Now let’s switch directions. What can we expect in 2016? Before we answer that, though, what is 2016 likely to hold for the printing industry in general?
Published December 21, 2015
These are the results of the Economics and Research Center’s (ERC) survey conducted in October and November 2015.
Published December 14, 2015
What were the top growth areas for wide-format in 2015? What applications are ascendant? What technologies are emerging and evolving?
Published December 8, 2015
Richard Romano talks to RTI’s Erik Norman about new applications for single-pass wide-format printers, such as RTI Digital’s Vortex 4200.
Published December 7, 2015
Digital wide-format printing is one of the most significant growth areas in the entire print industry. InfoTrends offers some of its data on the top-growing wide-format printing applications, and takes a look at how the supply chain for equipment, supplies, and consumables is changing.
Published November 30, 2015
From your own physical location—and website—to social media, to local business media, there is no shortage of options for showing off and promoting cool, creative projects you have completed.
Published November 23, 2015
Four-and-a-half years ago, Bob Kelleher of East Syracuse’s SpeedPro Imaging of Central New York made the transition from software sales to wide-format printing and has never looked back.
Published November 10, 2015
Richard Romano talks to Eric Dalton, Director of Sales, Cloud Services, for GMG Graphics, on the latest trends in color management and color management software, and the color management challenges specific to wide-format printing.
Published November 9, 2015
We wrap up our coverage of last week’s SGIA Expo 2015 with a look at a handful of the major new product announcements that were made at the show.
Published November 6, 2015
Richard Romano talks to Dan Marx, VP of Markets and Technology for SGIA, on the changes that new technologies have wrought on specialty graphics, SGIA, the SGIA Expo, and trade shows in general.
Published October 28, 2015
There’s an important point that needs to be made upfront, boldly and italically: Print and printers are two distinct things. We all love print. But we love printers and the people who work in print businesses more.
Published October 26, 2015
A plethora of educational opportunities, a packed show floor, and new product introductions are on tap for this ever-growing show.
Published October 13, 2015
St. Louis’ Triflare specializes in racewear for triathlon participants, swimmers, and other athletes—all produced digitally using dye-sublimation printing.
Published October 6, 2015
We’re always trying to look at things—trends, technology, etc.—from a historical perspective. We try to compare new phenomena to older phenomena that we understand. That’s normal. History is cyclical, isn’t it?
Published September 29, 2015
In 1981, L.A. photographer Steve Reisch captured legendary director John Cassavetes and his stock company backstage as they rehearsed and performed an experimental series of plays. Unseen for 34 years, the images have been brought back to life thanks to a partnership between Reisch and Canon USA.
Published September 28, 2015
Richard Romano talks to SGIA's Dan Marx about the upcoming SGIA Expo in Atlanta, Ga., November 4–6, including new show features this year, educational opportunities, and wide-format/specialty graphics trends to look for.
Published September 23, 2015
If it jets ink, it’s a hot technology, and while production inkjet got the bulk of the buzz at last week’s Graph Expo, wide-format and specialty printing continue to play a much larger role.
Published September 9, 2015
The new UnSquaring the Wheel project from Chris Bondy, Wayne Peterson, and Dr. Joe Webb is a new methodology for transforming print businesses. And it is ideally suited for those looking to add wide-format printing.
Published August 31, 2015
As wide-format and specialty graphics play a larger role in the industry, they are also playing a larger role at general commercial printing shows like Graph Expo. Here is a preview of some things to look for at this year’s show.
Published August 11, 2015
“Our aim is to become a company that is truly indispensable to our customers,” said Minoru Usui, Global President of Seiko Epson, kicking off “Experience Epson,” a day of interactive demos of a cross-section of Epson technologies, from wide-format printing, to interactive whiteboards, to golf swing analyzers, to Augmented Reality-based headsets, to…well, you name it. The event was held last week in New York City.
Published August 3, 2015
From wood, to glass, to textiles, to animal pelts—and even to paper—ARB Digital takes on challenging projects, thanks to founder Alvaro Rodriguez’s background in tech support, color management, and software development.
Published July 27, 2015
In this video interview, Senior Editor Richard Romano talks with Guy Gecht about EFI's two recent acquisitions (Matan Digital Printers and Reggiani Macchine), how they fit into EFI’s overall portfolio, and what they will mean for EFI’s current—and potential—customers.
Published July 13, 2015
New applications for outdoor graphics are appearing all the time, and new printing technologies are revitalizing some older applications. Some considerations if you are looking at outdoor graphics, and a look at one South Florida shop that has carved out a niche in the great outdoors.
Published June 29, 2015
OK, so you’ve invested in wide-format printing capabilities, the equipment is up and running, the staff is trained, and you’re ready to RIP. How do you get work to run on that equipment?
Published June 22, 2015
The community of U.S. Esko users descended upon the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona earlier this week to sharpen their skills, answer questions, get product roadmaps, and network with Esko executives and engineers as well as a diverse group of their peers.
Published June 15, 2015
Printing is easy; it’s all the other stuff that can pose challenges. Producing wide-format output can require a different approach to traditional processes, from selling, to finishing, to transporting. What do you need to know before you take the plunge?
Published June 9, 2015
If you happen to have been in Singapore recently—and who of us hasn’t?—you may have caught sight of a new wide-format backlit film that can be used for vehicle graphics. Called eLumiNEX, it has been given a shakedown cruise on a bus.
Published May 20, 2015
Published May 18, 2015
By all accounts, the sign and display industry is growing by leaps and bounds. But getting accurate sizing data is fraught with difficulties—difficulties that have largely been caused by the very factors that are driving growth.
Published May 4, 2015
Dynamic digital signage is becoming a hotter and hotter topic, and while there are ample opportunities for companies to get in on, if not the ground floor, than at least the mezzanine, it’s not to everyone’s taste. Here are some arguments for—and against.
Published April 29, 2015
Founded 10 years ago, SpeedPro Imaging is a network of 120 franchises—or “studios”—located in 30 states that specialize in wide-format printing, from trade show and event graphics, to vehicle graphics, to wall murals, and beyond.
Published April 22, 2015
There are growing opportunities for print service providers in signage—both printed and electronic—but it pays to do your homework when it comes to signage regulations.
Published April 15, 2015
The International Sign Association’s Sign Expo took place last week in Las Vegas, NV. Richard Romano files his observations from the show.
Published April 9, 2015
Yesterday, on the eve of the opening of the ISA Sign Expo, HP took the opportunity to launch five new products in its high-end Latex and Scitex families. These are the HP Latex 370, the HP Scitex FB550 and FB750, HP Scitex 11000 Industrial Press, and HP Scitex 15500 Corrugated Press.
Published April 1, 2015
Herein a basic primer on today’s ink options for wide-format printing, from solvent and eco-solvent to UV, from latex to dye-sublimation.
Published March 18, 2015
After 123 years and four generations of owners, Milwaukee’s Mandel Graphic Solutions has thrived by staying current.
Published March 12, 2015
Experts identify new and expanding—and some unusual—markets for UV inks and coatings at day two of RadTech’s UV.EB West.
Published March 11, 2015
Ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curing technologies have been around for decades, but have continually evolved and are well-suited for today’s modern print and packaging production processes.
Published March 9, 2015
Not living anywhere near Arizona, I was unaware of the recent “Phoenix Llama Drama,” which is apparently not some new reality TV show. Rather, last month, a brace of the beasts escaped while—and I have to quote ABC News here—“making a therapy visit to residents at an assisted living facility.”
Published March 4, 2015
New features, sessions, programs, and speakers at the upcoming International Sign Expo aim to educate present and prospective signmakers about the latest business and technology trends in this growing industry.
Published February 27, 2015
Published February 25, 2015
Improving technology is causing some wide-format applications to experience that dreaded word “commoditization.” How can print providers fight against it? Can they? Or—most importantly—should they?
Published February 19, 2015
Capacity management has proven to be a challenge for many wide-format print businesses, especially as many jobs are specialized or customized in some way. What are the ways that shops are coping with this “pain point”?
Published February 17, 2015
As you may have read elsewhere on WhatTheyThink, last week, CSA—né Océ—celebrated its second anniversary with a much-needed (for those of us encased in the frozen tundra of the Northeast) event in Boca Raton, Fla. CSA execs shared updates in the various business groups (Enterprise Managed Services Division, formerly Business Services Division; Large Format Solutions; and Production Printing Division).
Published February 11, 2015
Technical printing—graphics that serve the architectural, engineering, and construction markets—has been changing in both positive and negative ways, and “reprographics” shops are changing with the times. And it’s not always just about the equipment.
Published February 6, 2015
There has been a surge of growth in what are called “large-format wine bottles.” Magnums, essentially (or would that be “magna”?), or wine bottles greater than 750ml. Indeed, popular sizes include 1.5 liters, 3 liters, and 6 liters. Now, obviously, some of these are intended for parties and other events with large gatherings, not a quiet romantic dinner for two, lest it descend into drunken anarchy (which depends on your approach to dating, I guess).
Published January 28, 2015
How do you decide what kinds of wide-format or specialty printing products and services to add to your current mix? You can jump into a new niche application as a newbie, or organically expand into new directions. As it turns out, there is no right answer—but plenty of wrong ones.
Published January 28, 2015
I was talking with the owner of a sign shop recently, and we got to talking about new technologies that sign and display companies were starting to utilize—I was thinking specifically of EFI’s SmartSign Analytics—but he happened to mention other new technologies such as “smart fitting rooms” whereby sensors in a clothing retailer’s fitting room mirror track RFID tags on the clothing you brought in to try on and suggests accessories or complementary items. Sound creepy? It does a bit, doesn’t it?
Published January 23, 2015
About 15 years ago—give or take—in a monthly humor column I wrote at the time for the late, lamented Micro Publishing News, I proposed the idea of a drive-through wide-format printer for vehicle graphics.
Published January 15, 2015
As I was planning the 2015 editorial calendar for our Wide-Format section, I began by drawing up a list of topics that I had covered, topics that were heavily featured at trade shows like SGIA and ISA, and topics tend to get covered elsewhere in the industry press. And aside from the basic technological topics like “Roll-to-Roll Printers,” “Flatbeds,” “Finishing,” and so forth, the majority of the subject matter was on specific applications—and applications that were all over the map (and some even included maps!).
Published January 14, 2015
Web-to-print is not a new technology, but despite its many advantages, when evaluating solutions, be sure to ask some specific wide-format questions.
Published January 9, 2015
New year’s resolutions are ephemeral things. January 2, for example, is a kind of Black Friday for gyms and fitness centers, but by the end of the month, the crowds have returned to normal.
Published January 7, 2015
In today’s wide-format market, flatbed printers are all the rage and, for certain applications, deservedly so. But the earliest wide-format printers were all rollfed (or roll-to-roll) devices, and it wasn’t until the early 2000s that flatbeds existed as a product category. Flatbeds emerged to take time and materials out of the “print-then-mount” process; after all, why not just print directly on the surface you want the graphic?
Published December 17, 2014
2014 has been a year of incremental—but substantial—improvements in wide-format systems. These improvements are creating ever more opportunities in a variety of applications. Here’s what to keep an eye on in 2015.
Published December 10, 2014
Epson’s beachwear “fashion show” highlights the possibilities of digital dye-sublimation fabric printing, and how it could change fashion design.
Published December 3, 2014
With a little research, a clearly defined strategy, and fast, high-quality wide-format printing equipment, Phoenix, Ariz.’s Rapid Digital Press has carved out a successful niche in map and GIS printing applications, and is now poised for growth.
Published November 19, 2014
Mimaki’s 25-city road show includes hands-on product demonstrations and educational presentations that highlight new features of, and top applications enabled by, today’s wide-format printing equipment. Here is a report from one stop on the tour.
Published November 5, 2014
The SGIA Expo was about more than just new hardware—new substrates were also on display, as well as what keeps the hardware productive: color management, production, and RIPing software.
Published October 29, 2014
SGIA Expo exceeded virtually everyone’s expectations. In Part 1 of our show coverage we look at some of the major hardware introductions.
Published October 24, 2014
Dan Marx, VP of Markets and Technologies at SGIA, talks to Richard Romano at the opening of the 2014 SGIA Expo and discusses another record-breaking year. They also discuss some key trends in the wide-format space.
Published October 15, 2014
For those of us who cover wide-format and specialty graphics printing, the biggest show of the year is the SGIA Expo, coming up next week in Las Vegas. It can be tough, travel being what it is, to muster enthusiasm for far-flung trade events, but there is a great deal of value in getting out of the office and attending these kinds of shows. So in this “listicle,” here are the top seven reasons I am looking forward to next week’s show.
Published October 8, 2014
One day prior to the SGIA Expo, Roland DGA is launching their inaugural ImagiNATION 2014 user group conference, designed as an information exchange for owners and operators of Roland’s wide-format printing equipment.
Published September 24, 2014
Graph Expo 2014 kicks off on Sunday. Every year, wide-format becomes a more conspicuous and important part of the show. Here is a rundown of some of the things you can look forward to on the show floor.
Published September 10, 2014
Dynamic digital signage (DDS) is being touted as a hot opportunity for sign shops and other wide-format service providers. But where does one start? And how can digital complement print signage?
Published August 27, 2014
The first-generation Memjet-based devices have hit the market, and have helped wide-format inkjet conquer the speed challenge. What will second-gen Memjet look like?
Published August 20, 2014
Creating a printing business that can cope with a changing market for print and that is “future-focused”—is imperative as we hurtle toward 2020. If you’re a wide-format printer, you may be halfway there—but that’s no excuse for complacency.
Published August 12, 2014
Robbie Gordon, President & CEO of Indy Imaging, talks to Richard Romano about their business as a wholesale printer for the sign industry serving industrial sign shops and commercial sign shops.
Published August 8, 2014
Rick Scrimger, President of Roland DGA, talks to Richard Romano from ISA 2014 about their new digital display studio, the demand for digital signage, and how digital and print can compliment each other.
Published July 25, 2014
Bill Hartman, SVP at Esko, talks to Richard Romano about introducing the new Kongsberg V Digital Finishing System at ISA.
Published July 22, 2014
Xavier Garcia, VP & GM at HP, talks to Richard Romano at ISA about new additions to their latex series. They discuss new inks, the target market, and the main applications for the technology.
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