Frequently Asked Questions

Large format printing (also called wide format printing) covers any digital print job wider than a standard desktop or office printer can handle — typically starting around 18 inches and going well beyond 100 inches. It's the technology behind banners, vehicle wraps, retail signage, exhibition graphics, and outdoor displays.

In practice the industry uses the terms interchangeably. Some suppliers reserve "super-wide format" for machines printing beyond 3.2m (126in) — such as our LDP UV printers — to distinguish them from standard 54–64in desktop-class large format printers.

It depends on whether the printer is roll-fed or flatbed. Roll-fed machines — like HP Latex or Roland DG eco-solvent/UV printers — print onto flexible rolled media (vinyl, banner, canvas, fabric) up to their maximum width, commonly 54in, 64in, or wider. Flatbed and hybrid printers can also print directly onto rigid boards, foam, acrylic, and wood up to a certain thickness.

Sign and print shops, advertising and POP display makers, vehicle wrap studios, exhibition and events companies, retail and interior fit-outs, apparel and textile decorators, and architecture/engineering firms producing technical drawings all rely on large format printing. That's why DPI runs two divisions — this Graphics Division for signage and graphics, and a dedicated CAD Solution Division for AEC technical printing.

Eco-solvent inks are solvent-based, low-odor, dry by evaporation, and typically last 3–5 years outdoors — a reliable all-rounder for banners and vinyl graphics. UV-cured inks harden instantly under UV light rather than drying, print on the widest range of surfaces including rigid board, wood, acrylic, and glass, and typically outlast eco-solvent outdoors (5+ years) — though they're not ideal for materials that need to stretch after printing. Latex inks are water-based, virtually odorless, and the most eco-friendly of the three — ideal for indoor environments like retail and healthcare, and increasingly used outdoors too with the right laminate.

Yes — that's one of latex ink's main advantages. Because it's water-based and cures with heat rather than solvent evaporation, it produces virtually no odor and very low VOC emissions, so prints can go straight up in occupied spaces with no off-gassing period. It's the technology DPI is most awarded for in Malaysia.

Any of the three can wrap a vehicle, but the film matters more than the ink — you'll want cast vinyl (see below) regardless of printer technology. Roland DG's eco-solvent and TrueVIS print-and-cut range is a popular choice specifically because it prints and contour-cuts in one machine, speeding up wrap production.

Dye-sublimation prints onto special transfer paper first, then heat-transfers the ink into polyester fabric so it becomes part of the fibre rather than sitting on top. That makes it the standard choice for fabric backlit displays, tension-fabric exhibition stands, sportswear, and soft signage — vivid color, no cracking or peeling, fully washable.

Yes — most modern latex and eco-solvent printers handle both, and the deciding factor is usually the media and lamination, not the printer itself. An unlaminated latex or eco-solvent print rated for 3–5 years outdoors becomes considerably more durable with the right laminate, which is why we stock genuine 3M and Arlon laminating films alongside the print media.

Print-and-cut means the printer and a contour-cutting plotter work from the same file, so stickers, labels, and decals get cut precisely around their printed shape with zero manual alignment. Roland DG's TrueVIS series and our Graphtec cutting plotters both support this workflow — most valuable for short-run stickers, decals, and packaging prototypes.

Cast vinyl is cast as a liquid and cured into an ultra-thin (~2 mil), highly conformable film that wraps around curves and recesses without lifting — the standard choice for a full vehicle wrap, typically lasting 7–10 years outdoors. Calendered vinyl is thicker (2.5–4 mil), made by rolling and pressing solid PVC, struggles with deep curves without shrinking or lifting at the edges, and has a shorter 1–5 year lifespan — but costs significantly less, making it the right call for flat signage, wall graphics, and short-term promotional wraps.

A full wrap that needs to survive years of weather, washing, and highway speed calls for cast vinyl. A promotional wrap meant to come off in a few months — an event sponsorship, a seasonal campaign — is a good candidate for calendered vinyl, since you'd otherwise be paying for durability you won't use.

Self-adhesive vinyl is the workhorse media for window graphics, floor decals, wall graphics, POP displays, and short-to-medium-run stickers. It prints on eco-solvent, latex, and UV printers alike, and comes in permanent and removable adhesive grades depending on how long the graphic needs to stay up.

For rigid, permanent outdoor signage, metal (aluminum composite, or stainless steel for harsh coastal or industrial sites) outperforms printed vinyl on rigid board by years, though it costs more upfront and needs different production methods than digital printing. Within printable materials, a UV-printed or laminated rigid composite board (Dibond/Alumalite-type) is the common middle ground — durable, weather-resistant, and still produced on the same large format equipment.

Generic media can work for low-stakes, short-term jobs, but genuine 3M and Arlon films are formulated and warranted specifically for the ink/printer combination they're sold with — meaning predictable color, adhesion, and the durability figures quoted above. For anything client-facing or long-term, media is usually a smaller share of total job cost than people expect, so it isn't the place to cut corners.

Backlit media is a translucent film designed to be evenly lit from behind — light boxes, illuminated signage, some exhibition displays — without hot-spotting. It needs a printer and ink capable of accurate density control on translucent stock, which we cover directly with HP Latex and 3M reflective/backlit film combinations.

A cutting plotter uses a blade — not ink — to cut vinyl, paper, heat-transfer vinyl, or thin rigid sheet into precise shapes: contour-cut stickers, cut vinyl lettering, stencils, or apparel graphics. If your work includes anything beyond simple rectangular banners — decals, lettering, packaging prototypes, apparel — a Graphtec or Roland cutting plotter earns its keep quickly.

Contour cutting is when the cutter automatically follows the printed outline of a shape, using registration marks the printer lays down, so a sticker or label is cut exactly to its printed edge rather than a rough rectangle. It's essential for professional-looking stickers, decals, and packaging samples.

Lamination adds a protective film over the print that guards against UV fading, scratches, and moisture — it roughly doubles the outdoor lifespan of eco-solvent and latex prints, and is close to essential for floor graphics, vehicle wraps, and anything that will be touched or washed. Purely indoor, short-term graphics (an event banner, a week-long retail promo) usually don't need it.

Yes — kiss-cutting (cutting through the top vinyl layer while leaving the release liner intact) is standard on Graphtec and Roland cutting plotters, and is exactly how sticker sheets and label rolls are produced, so finished stickers peel cleanly off their backing.

Vehicle wraps and fleet graphics, retail window/floor/wall graphics, exhibition and trade show stands, backlit light-box displays, apparel and soft-goods (via DTF or dye-sublimation), packaging and point-of-sale prototypes, wallpaper and interior décor, and rigid signage (foam board, acrylic, aluminum composite) all come off the same core large format printer/cutter combination — just with different ink and media choices.

Yes, with a flatbed or hybrid UV printer, which prints directly onto rigid sheet stock up to a certain thickness without first printing-and-mounting to a substrate. UV ink's instant cure is what makes this possible, since the ink doesn't need to soak into or evaporate off a rigid, non-absorbent surface.

Direct-to-film (DTF) printing needs a printer capable of laying down white ink as an underbase (since most garments aren't white), special DTF film, an adhesive powder application and curing step, then a heat press to transfer the design. It's a different workflow from standard large format graphics printing, though some of our eco-solvent and latex platforms support the film-printing stage.

Fabric or vinyl banners are the cheapest and fastest option for a single event and pack away easily. Canvas gives a premium, gallery-style finish for step-and-repeat backdrops or presentation graphics. Rigid signage (foam board, corrugated plastic) is worth the extra cost only if the piece needs to stand freely or survive repeated reuse across multiple events.

Start from your typical job mix — mostly banners? vehicle wraps? mixed indoor/outdoor? — and your monthly volume, not the spec sheet. A compact HP Latex or Roland DG eco-solvent printer covers most sign shops' day-to-day work, while higher-volume or industrial operations look at our LDP or OEM production-class machines. Talk to our team with your typical job list and we'll match equipment to it.

Every printer we sell is backed by our in-house certified engineers for installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance — and as an authorized HP Latex, Roland DG, and Graphtec partner, you get genuine parts and manufacturer-backed servicing rather than third-party guesswork.

Yes — we offer 0% installment payment plans over 6, 12, or 24 months on qualifying purchases, which is often the difference between waiting a year to upgrade and winning the jobs that need the new equipment now.

Genuine ink, media (vinyl, canvas, laminate), RIP software licensing and updates, and periodic maintenance (print heads, service parts) are the recurring costs that matter most over a printer's life — often adding up to more than the machine's purchase price over several years. That's exactly why genuine consumables and a real service relationship, not just the lowest sticker price, pay off.

We offer trade-in value on eligible used plotters and printers toward a new purchase — worth raising with our team before you sell equipment privately, since trade-in terms can offset a meaningful chunk of an upgrade.

Yes — we supply and support ONYX RIP software for color management and print production, and our team provides hands-on training when equipment is installed so your operators aren't left to figure out a new printer and workflow on their own.