6 Business Benefits of Investing in a Large Format Printer

While we might engage with businesses online, print media still plays an essential role in reaching customers and building brand awareness. Large format printing, such as posters, banners, and vehicle wraps, is still one of the most effective ways to engage. It offers high impact, unmatched visibility, and provides an opportunity for geographic targeting and building a local presence.

Many businesses shy away from large print opportunities because of the cost and logistics involved. But large-format printing doesn’t need to be expensive, especially if you do it in-house with a leased printer. There are many potential benefits to doing large-print production in-house, from cost savings to quality control to versatility. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of investing in large-format printing copiers for your business.

6 Benefits of Large Format Printing In-House

What are the key benefits of having large-format printing in-house, rather than outsourcing these kinds of print jobs to third parties?

No. 1: Faster Turnaround

Even with the best possible project planning, outsourcing print jobs can be time-consuming and unpredictable. It can be challenging to find a great print company that delivers on both speed and quality. Turnaround times are dictated by the printers’ operations, rather than your business priorities. A big print job that is scheduled in front of yours, or, in fact, any issues on their side, can delay your print job and be beyond your control.

Doing large-format printing in-house gives you more flexibility, greater control of planning and delivery timelines, and allows for rapid turnaround when required. There is also more opportunity to accommodate last-minute changes.

No. 2: Cost Savings

If your business does a significant amount of large-format printing, doing it in-house can have obvious cost-saving benefits, as you can deliver your print jobs at a lower cost. You also save significantly on shipping and delivery.

Even if you aren’t printing high volumes, printing limited bespoke items in-house can be your best option. Suppliers usually charge a setup fee for a print job and then charge for materials based on the quantity produced. That is why ordering just one copy of a large-format print can be expensive when compared with ordering 1,000 copies of the same print.

Most businesses are already doing standard printing in-house for business documentation and smaller-scale publications. Many large-format printers can also handle standard-size printing, so it can be a relatively small addition to your company’s overall printer costs.

No. 3: Better Quality

Despite what a third-party vendor may say, no one cares as much about your business as your own team. This is why, when outsourcing a print job, the product that comes back may not look quite right. They will generally print exactly what you send over and may not have noticed (or cared) that the color of your logo on the final isn’t quite the same as it is on other printed material or your website, or that a slight misalignment has only really become visible when printed.

When you work in-house, your team can check for accuracy, color consistency, and other elements that make the difference between something good and something great. You can also go through more rounds of proofs as required to get the final product just right.

No. 4: Potential Opportunities

If large-format printing is a complex task that needs to be outsourced, your team is less likely to experiment with more challenging potential marketing ideas. But if you are printing in-house, you have the opportunity to explore new concepts and designs. Maybe you have always produced banners for networking events, but you haven’t explored vehicle wraps or outdoor flags. With a large-format printer, experimenting is suddenly very accessible.

Many large-format printers can print on almost any material, including vinyl and fabric. You can explore a wide variety of marketing campaigns, branded clothing, and company merchandise.

No. 5: Confidential Jobs

When you are outsourcing printing, it can be challenging to maintain the confidentiality of your company’s intellectual property (IP). While you probably aren’t printing your accounts and human resources records in large format, you could still send new branding ideas, experimental marketing materials, and innovative product information to a third party. Printing in-house lets you control access, limiting the exposure of market secrets and data protection issues.

No. 6: Reduced Print Waste

If you are a green-conscious company, printing in-house gives you control over consumables linked to printing, such as ink and paper. You can choose affordable and green-friendly tactics, such as printing using draft settings in the early stages of design, and limiting bulk ordering of materials that may never get used. You also don’t have to commit to bulk ordering to accommodate third-party minimum print requirements, reducing unnecessary copies.

Would Your Business Benefit From Large Format Printing?

Every business has different needs, but if you do large-format printing, it is worth considering whether moving this function in-house represents a valuable return on investment.

Assessing this starts with considering your current spend on large-format printing – not just the job itself, but also related tasks such as getting proofs from multiple providers before assigning the job, and delivery costs. Also consider the lost revenue that might result from not having ready access to large-format printing and the opportunities you might be missing out on.

If you decide to move printing in-house, instead of buying a printer, it can be a wise move to choose a managed printing solution. This puts printers in your office, but outsources maintenance, resupply, and troubleshooting to dedicated professionals. This ensures you get the best performance out of your printers with fewer issues and headaches and maximum up-time.

Looking for a Printing Partner?

If you are looking for large-format printers to buy or hire in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Yakima, Portland, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Bend, Salem, or Eugene, contact Copiers Northwest for bespoke solutions for your business. Copiers Northwest has been delivering print solutions since 1986, pioneering services and support beyond just selling printers. We offer multifunctional, wide-format, large-format, and production printers for different business needs.