If you’ve ever wondered how billboards are made or what process produces the signage you see on the sides of building sites, the answer to both is large format printing.

Large format printing is a means of creating printed material of a width that is anything from a standard ‘For Sale’ sign to an advertising billboard.

The technique can be used to produce full-colour banners, posters, hoardings and many other forms of marketing material used to promote brands, businesses or events.

Types of large format printing

Listed below are some of the different forms of marketing material produced by large format printing:

Type of printed material	Description	Example
Signs	Either indoor or outdoor signs for locations including schools, offices and construction sites. Uses including directions, warnings or general information.
Banners	Large banners can often be seen at trade shows, sports events, fates and conferences. They are used to announce the location of events or draw attention to particular areas.
Flags	Flags can be used to striking effect at outdoor events, either as general decoration or to mark a meeting point, boundary or general location.
Posters	Posters can be printed on a variety of materials for use indoors or outdoors.
Floor art	Can be seen used in museums, shopping centres or retail stores to direct customers to specific locations, displays or offers.	Source
Billboards/Hoarding	The classic ‘large’ advertising sign that can be seen around towns or along the side of roads.
Tablecloth	Custom-decorated tablecloths can often be seen on the stalls and booths at trade shows, fates, charity events and conferences.	Source
Exhibition decoration	Exhibition stalls, pop–up stands and trade show booths will often require a backdrop — or the whole display area — to be decorated in the colours and logo of the business it represents.	Source
Retail backdrop	Stores will often promote their latest discounts and offers using large printed signs in their storefront windows.
Window stickers	This can refer to two types of sticker: Cut vinyl — used to great effect on glass doors, windows or vehicles. Lettering in a range of sizes can be printed on clear window acetate to produce the results you want. Paper stickers — use designs of intricate detail to create stickers that can be placed inside, or outside, your store.
Office prints	Offices and other large buildings often decorate walls and corridors with large prints of varying size. These could be printed art works designed to set the mood, or group pictures of company staff that help to project the ethos of the business to vistors.

Benefits of large format printing

Sometimes the best way to engage the public’s attention is just to use a great big sign. Business cards, flyers and other smaller formats all work well for their specific purpose, but when you need as many people as possible to acknowledge your presence — bigger can be better.

Why use large format printed marketing?

The follow is a list of the main benefits gained from increasing the size of your marketing material:

How location matters with large format printed material

If your business is targeting a local market, you should make your logos and branding as visible as possible within your target area for maximum effect.

Where groups gather

Large marketing material such as hoardings and billboards work well due to their visibility to daily passing traffic. Mid-sized material such as shop window stickers, posters and retail backdrops perform best when placed in a busy thoroughfare, especially positioned at eye level.

Trade shows

The trade show is a natural environment for large format printing. The aim of each participant at the event is to be as visible as possible.

Typical types of large format printed material commissioned for trade shows include:

• Signs
• Banners
• Booth backdrops
• Flags
• Branded stall tablecloths
• Posters

Arranging the right printed material allows businesses attending trade shows to:

• Display the logo or insignia of the company
• Showcase images of their product or services
• Transmit key messages

Examples of large format printing use

The following table is a list of other real-world uses for large format printing:

What to consider before ordering large format printing

With such large items, there are some unique considerations to take into account.

• Who will view it?
• What information do you need to transmit?
• Where will it be seen by your target audience?
• How robust is it and how long will it last?
• Can it be cleaned and repaired or will it need replacing?
• Does it need a support structure to display it?

Thinking about your large format design

Like all printed material, you need to consider what your message is going to look like. This will include:

• Consider the image and text you want to use.
• Will it be indoors or outdoors? Do you need it last in all weathers?
• Some finishes can help to protect against the worst of the rain and wind.
• Aqueous, solvent, UV curable. Research the range of inks and what their strong points are.
• Will your marketing material impact on the environment and can you offset this?

If you need help deciding which type of large format printing will work best for you or your business, contact our offices and speak to our experienced staff.