The process of printing a large format poster
It appears in so many different environments – in shopping centres, on the wall at your child’s school, at sporting events, available at the end of an Open University television programme. Whether it’s intended to advertise a business or educate, the large format poster is undoubtedly an eye-catching means to attract attention and stick in the mind of the observer.
Once prohibitively expensive for many uses, advances in printing technology mean that today large format litho printing has become easily affordable. And at the same time the quality has improved out of all recognition.
The larger option
This is a very specialised form of printing that requires all components – paper, plate setter, printing plates and printing press – to be larger. It’s a process that our expert and uniquely experienced staff relish and handle with ease.
At Dennis Maps our KBA Rapida 162a large format litho printing press prints a number of sizes from A4 up to our custom size of 1050mm by 1485mm. The posters are printed on a hardwearing, matt-coated 115gsm paper that is FSC© accredited (as is all the paper we use).
The print produced by our machine is very high quality, and fine detail can be accurately reproduced in up to six colours. For large volumes we can print up to 10,000 sheets per hour.
How a large format poster is printed
In the simplest possible terms the image is achieved through a chemical balance of vegetable-based inks and water. The image areas of the printing plate repel the water while receiving the ink. The non-image areas of the plate are water-receptive so that the ink is prevented from adhering, while it adheres to the image areas.
Finishing your large format poster
Your finished poster can be delivered flat, rolled in tubes, and one of our unique selling points is that we can fold the poster down to an easy-to-handle size. Our biggest poster can be folded down to A4 size, which is easily transportable.
We can even source and customise the presentation boxes for your large format posters, pack them with tissue paper and stickers, and send them direct to your clients.
Next steps
Now you understand a little about large format posters we bet you’ll start seeing them everywhere! And do get in touch with us here at Dennis Maps if you’ve been inspired to include a large format poster in your next promotional campaign or at an upcoming trade event.
Don’t worry if you’ve never been through this process before. We can advise you on every stage of the process, from finalising your design and supplying your files, to approving your artwork and checking your proof.
At Dennis Maps we love to think big!
You might also enjoy reading: Digital vs Litho Printing
