If you've ever had posters or billboards made to promote your business, you've likely come across the terms grand-format printing, wide-format printing, and large-format printing. These three formats describe the same thing but in different size ranges, and each format requires different machinery, materials, and expertise.
Let’s take a look at each of these categories of printed materials so you can get a good idea of which will be best for your advertising needs.
Grand-format printing
Grand-format printing refers to the production of large-scale printed materials typically used for advertising, marketing, and branding purposes. It is used to create oversized items such as billboards, banners, murals, trade show graphics, vehicle wraps, and building wraps. Grand-format prints are the biggest category of printed materials and usually refer to prints that span 100 inches in length or more.
Technical aspects of a grand-format print
Unlike your basic office printer, grand-format printers use advanced technology including inkjet or UV-cured inks to produce high-resolution images. Grand-format printers use substrates such as vinyl, fabric, mesh, and rigid materials like foam board or acrylic. This versatility allows you to create massive, impactful, and durable displays that can withstand the elements.
Wide-format printing
Wide-format printing is the middle ground and refers to the production of printed materials that are larger than those created by standard desktop printers but smaller than grand-format prints. Typically, wide-format printers can handle widths ranging from 18 inches to 100 inches, which is ideal for producing medium-sized visuals such as:
- Posters
- Banners
- Signs
- Trade show displays
- Architectural drawings
- Vehicle graphics
- Wall art
Technical aspects of a wide-format print
Wide-format printers use various nonstandard printing methods, including inkjet, solvent, UV, and dye sublimation printing, to produce high-quality images and text on a wide range of materials. Unlike grand-format prints, wide-format prints can be made on robust paper, as the sizes aren’t too big and they are often used indoors.
However, large-format printing also uses vinyl, canvas, fabric, and other flexible substrates. The versatility of wide format printing means you can use it to create durable and vibrant prints for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Large-format printing
Large-format print is a catch-all term for any printed material that is larger than standard paper sizes (e.g., A4, A5, B2). If it’s too big to be printed on your garden-variety office printer, then it’s likely a large-format print. In fact, it is common practice in the marketing and printing industries to refer to both grand- and wide-format printing as large format. Any printed material that is larger than 18 inches in width is considered a large-format print.
Technical aspects of a large-format print
As this category is very broad, large-format printing involves just about all kinds of printing technology and materials. What makes it special, however, is that depending on the size of the needed product, businesses and nonprofits can operate specialized large-format printers on premises. This is in contrast to grand-format prints or some larger wide-format prints, which must be produced off site with advanced machinery and expertise, then shipped using special transportation solutions.
Have more questions about printing in any format?
If you need professional insight into large-format printing, contact Complete Document Solutions. We’ve got over 30 years of experience meeting the printing the needs of California businesses, including wide-format printing in Los Angeles and the Orange County area.
Our experienced print technicians will answer your questions and help you create attention-grabbing, large-format prints that effectively contribute to your organization’s marketing strategy.
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