What Is Large Format Printing? A Guide for Businesses
Some printed marketing is designed to be held in your hand. Other print needs to work from across a shop, exhibition hall, car park or business premises.
That’s where large format printing comes in.
Rather than describing one particular product, large format printing covers a range of larger printed materials used for advertising, branding, information and display.
That can include posters, PVC banners, advertising boards, signage and other promotional graphics.
The best option depends on where the print will be displayed, how it will be viewed and what you need it to achieve.
Large Format Printing at a Glance
What Does Large Format Printing Mean?
Large format printing is a broad term for producing printed graphics at sizes beyond typical office and small commercial print formats.
But size alone isn’t really the interesting part.
The important difference is how the finished print is going to be used.
A business card is designed to be viewed in somebody’s hand. A large promotional poster may need to communicate from several metres away. A banner could be displayed across a substantial area, while an advertising board may need to remain clear among lots of surrounding visual information.
That changes how the artwork, typography, images and overall design should be approached.
What Is Large Format Printing Used For?
Posters: Simple, Versatile Large Format Print
Poster printing is one of the most familiar large format applications.
Posters can promote an event, product, service or special offer, or provide information within a business, venue or retail environment.
Because posters are often viewed from further away than a flyer or brochure, the design needs to work differently.
A strong headline, clear image and simple message will often work better than trying to fill every available centimetre with text.
Advertising Boards: When You Need a Rigid Display
Sometimes you need the printed graphic to have its own rigid structure rather than being a flexible sheet or banner.
Advertising boards can be used for business promotions, property, events, retail, construction and a variety of display applications.
The intended location matters. A board being used for a temporary indoor presentation may have different requirements from one intended for another environment.
Tell your printer where and how the finished board will be used rather than choosing purely on appearance.
Not Sure Which Large Format Product You Need?
Tell Print Juice where the finished print will be displayed, its approximate dimensions and what you need it to achieve. We can help you identify a suitable print solution for the project.
PVC Banners: Flexible & Highly Visible
When you need a larger promotional display without using a rigid board, a PVC banner can be a practical option.
Businesses use banners for events, promotions, exhibitions, temporary advertising and displays around suitable premises and venues.
They’re particularly useful when you want a message to occupy a relatively large area while retaining the flexibility associated with a banner.
As with other large format products, the design should take viewing distance into account. Bigger artwork doesn’t mean you need more words.
Signage: Make the Message Part of the Premises
Business signage can identify your company, promote services, provide directions or communicate useful information.
Unlike a temporary promotion, some signage becomes part of the visual identity of the premises itself.
That makes consistent branding particularly important.
Your logo, colours and typography should feel connected to the website, brochures, business cards and other customer-facing materials.
For a deeper look at planning signs, read our guide to choosing the right signage for your business.
Window Graphics: Use the Space You Already Have
Glass can also become part of a business’s printed display.
Window vinyls can be used for branding, promotions, information, decorative graphics and suitable privacy applications.
They’re particularly useful for businesses with prominent windows or glazed areas that would otherwise contribute little to the company’s visual presence.
We’ve put together 10 ideas for using window vinyls in your business if you’d like some inspiration.
Advertising Flags: Add Movement & Visibility
Printed advertising flags offer another way to make a business, promotion or event more visible.
They can work around business premises, events, retail promotions, showrooms and other suitable locations.
Because their shape and display method are different from a conventional rectangular sign or board, artwork should be designed specifically for the format rather than simply squeezing an existing poster design into it.
Designing Artwork for Large Format Printing
Can You Just Enlarge Any Image?
Not necessarily.
A small image copied from a website can look perfectly acceptable on a laptop and terrible when enlarged for print.
Large format artwork needs to be prepared with the final output in mind. Logos are particularly useful when supplied in an appropriate vector format because they can be scaled without the same pixelation problems associated with low-resolution raster artwork.
Photographs are different and need sufficient image data for the intended reproduction size and viewing distance.
If you’re unsure, send the original artwork rather than repeatedly saving, screenshotting or compressing it.
How Do You Choose the Right Large Format Product?
Start with the application rather than the product name.
- Where will it be displayed? Indoors, outdoors, on glass, against a wall or somewhere else?
- How large is the available space? Measure the actual location rather than guessing.
- How far away will people view it? This affects typography, imagery and overall design.
- Is it temporary or longer term? A weekend event and ongoing business signage have different requirements.
- Does it need to be rigid or flexible? This immediately helps narrow the options.
- What is the primary message? Brand awareness, directions, information, an event or a promotion?
- How will it be displayed? The intended display method can affect the appropriate specification.
Giving your printer this information is much more useful than simply saying, “I need something big.”
Combine Large Format Print With Smaller Marketing Materials
Large format print is excellent for attracting attention, but it doesn’t always need to explain everything.
An exhibition display might attract somebody from across the room, while a brochure provides the detailed information once they reach your stand.
A poster can promote an event, while a flyer gives somebody the details to take away.
A shop window can introduce a promotion, while printed leaflets explain the offer inside.
Using the same branding, message and visual style across both large and small print creates a much more joined-up campaign.
Large Format Printing Checklist
- Measure the available display area.
- Decide whether the print is for indoor or outdoor use.
- Consider how long it needs to be displayed.
- Work out the normal viewing distance.
- Choose one clear primary message.
- Use the best-quality original logos and images available.
- Keep important text large and easy to read.
- Check telephone numbers, dates, prices and URLs carefully.
- Make sure the design is consistent with your brand.
- Explain to your printer how and where the finished product will be used.
Need Large Format Printing for Your Business?
Print Juice provides large format printing for businesses and organisations, including posters, advertising boards, PVC banners, signage, window graphics and promotional displays.
Based near Bishop’s Stortford, we’re a family-run print business with decades of industry experience across commercial and large format printing.
Call 01245 860 550 or send us your requirements and we’ll help you choose the right print solution for your project.
