Category: Tech Knowledge

Sustainable Substrates

The wide-format industry isn’t known for printing to environmentally friendly media, but there are now a number of more sustainable substrates around.

There's a lot of talk about environmentally friendly printing, but not so much in the wide-format sector because of the nature of the substrates typically in use. However, it's striking that many of the newer materials coming to market are being hailed as more sustainable offerings for this arena.

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Show and tell

With the main trade shows of 2012 done and dusted it’s time to assess the technological trends they highlighted in the wide-format arena.

So, we’re midway through the year and we’ve had three big exhibitions – Fespa Digital, Sign and Digital, and Drupa – with all their attendant announcements and product launches, but have we seen anything that's really new in terms of technology for the large-format display graphics sector? Rather than simply list the various announcements, which we’ve already covered through the previews and the news pages, here we’ll look at the bigger themes and trends highlighted by the events.

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Getting the really big picture

Nessan Cleary reports on the technical trends and developments related to superwide inkjet printers.

There’s wide-format and then there’s superwide – but it can be hard to define exactly what a superwide printer should be. Obviously these are going to be wider printers, but how wide? 

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All change?

Things are happening that will push through the barriers wide-format has with VDP adoption. Nessan Cleary explains.

Variable data is one of the great promises of digital printing, making it possible to vary parts of a job across a complete run. We’ve all seen examples of variable data printing because it’s a core technology in transactional printing on things like our bank statements. 

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Make a difference

Your customers want print with a ‘wow’ factor? You can give it to them. John Charnock, director of Print Research International, looks at the special effects you can now incorporate.

‘Special effects’ is such a generic term that it could cover almost any type of print beyond four-colour output. But for the sake of this article let’s take a look at three key areas of development: effects with inks, with substrate and with software – or indeed the combination of any of the three.

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22-24 FEB, 2026
Sign & Digital UK

Where?

Hall 6, NEC, Birmingham

Cost?

Free to members of the sign making and digital print trade.

What is it?

Running for more than 35 years, Sign & Digital UK is a central part of the industry’s calendar, providing an annual launch pad for all that is new, and an economic stimulus for the industry. The show gives the opportunity to meet in person, see and compare equipment and kit from the major industry suppliers, and the chance to source new suppliers and gather new ideas to enhance and drive your business forward.

23 FEB, 2026
The Sign Industry Awards

Where?

National Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Cost?

An individual ticket is £289, whereas a table of 10 is £2,800.

What is it?

The Sign Industry Awards, presented by Sign Update and Sign & Digital UK, celebrate excellence in the visual communications sector by honouring past achievements, present innovations, and future advancements. These awards recognise outstanding suppliers, sign makers, and individual traders in sign making, digital printing, and visual communications. With over 35 years of industry service, SDUK and Sign Update ensure that everyone in the industry has a voice, highlighting and rewarding the best in the field.