Wide Format Printing: Printing Beyond Paper

Do you understand the term “Wide Format Printing”? Wide Format Printing is printing beyond the width of what is standard for residential and commercial paper printers. Wide format printing might be better understood as Big Format Printing. Wide format includes the production of items such as signs, banners, flags, and posters. Our in-house wide format printers at AlphaGraphics Hoover allows us to print by two different processes. One of our printers uses rolled flexible mediums, such as vinyl, frosted adhesive, canvas, and specialty papers at a width of up to 50”. Our flatbed printer prints on flat rigid 4’x8’ materials, which includes metal, plastic, wood, cardboard. With wide format printing, marketing expands far beyond paper and web advertising. Here are just a few examples of pieces you may have seen around Birmingham printed by AlphaGraphics on our wide format printers. 

Wide Format Printing for Wall Covering

Custom wall covering can be made with wide format printing like the graphics for AFS Birmingham. This look is achieved with adhesive vinyl printed in 4ft vertical panels aligned perfectly to create one seamless image. 

Wide Format Printing for Banners

Banners can be printed for outdoor or indoor use in various materials These pole banners for North Shelby Baptist Church are printed on UV coated material to keep the colors bright and protected against the elements.  

Wide Format Printing for Signs

With the use of our die cutting machine, wide format projects can be designed and cut to any size and shape. Not every project that is considered wide format, results in a single large piece. These graphics for Pelham Internal Medicine are printed and cut out of metal, which is a material that can not be printed on by our smaller format printers. While not technically a printer, we also house a wide format cutter that allows for custom shape cuts.