Traditionally this is anything printed larger than a standard desktop printer can produce – so anything over A3. The Graphical Tree based in London, specialises in wide, large format prints.
Large format is usually considered anything, well, large. Although traditionally this would be anything over what a desktop printer could produce for you, so A2 and upwards, it could mean anything from a poster to a building wrap. Here are a few examples –
Posters
Wall graphics
Banners
Trade show graphics
Murals
Exhibition stands
Events signage
Hoardings
Technically large/wide format printers are generally thought to be those with a roll capacity between 18" and 100" in width. Printers with capacities over 100" wide are considered super-wide or grand format.
While the starting point of reference is anything beyond the desktop printer, we would also say that large format has evolved over the years to not just encapsulate and include anything over A3, but also consists of graphics of all shapes and sizes. A few examples here might be –
Floor graphics
Window stickers
Cut vinyl decals
Direct-to-media printing (think tiles, metals, wood etc.)
Bespoke box printing
Vehicle wraps
Stickers for props and promotionals
Cut to shape
Strut cards
VM display graphics
So we find, on any given day, our workload always consists of a variety of jobs with –
a variety of sizes
a variety of quantities
a variety of substrates
a variety of end uses
in a variety of locations
including sustainable print requests and questions
Large format is an expanding market, in more ways than one - not so much in the physical size of a print - but in the scope of what it now covers as a term. It's why we're specialists in large format print & display graphics, operating out of London - one of the many hubs of creativity and ideas around the world.
This scope of work keeps us on our toes and keeps us inspired. Working on jobs of all shapes and sizes continually expands our thought process of what we are as a company, and what we can offer. Large format is and can be, so much more than an A2 print to paper. It's a varied, exciting brief that can involve a whole plethora of media and mediums.
Think big in size, and big in possibilities, always.
