Wide Format Printers and Plotters

By Jodee Redmond

Choosing among all the large format printers for sale can seem like a formidable task, but you can make the job more manageable by comparing major brands like Canon USA and Ricoh.

Each has excellent products to offer, and knowing their strengths will make it easy to find the one fits your needs. First, consider the types of jobs you will be running in your workplace, then find the machine that works best.

Canon USA large-format printers

Canon Solutions America offers three distinct lines of large-format printers:

• 12-color, for customers who want to run photography and graphics projects
• 8-color, for production jobs
• 5-color, for technical documents and general use

The ImagePROGRAF IPF9400 is an example of a wide-format printer, and it can handle borderless printing of up to 60 inches wide. Its 12-color ink set produces the vibrant colors and smooth transitions that are perfect for posters, banners, and advertising materials.

The ImageProGRAF IPF825 measures 44 inches wide and allows users to print hundreds of feet at a time. This printer would be used for GIS maps, CAD drawings, and full-color renderings.

The ImagePROGRAF IPF825 MPF M40 offers fast, reliable service for printing, copying and distributing plans, designs, posters, and layout proofs. This five-color printer also has a 44-inch frame that makes it useful to architectural and engineering firms, which would need it for these types of large items.

Ricoh wide-format printers

Ricoh's wide-format printer offers customers the option of scanning and copying, as well as finishing their documents.

The Aficio MP W 2401 has an extremely compact design. It would be a good choice for a customer who needs to run wide format print jobs, but does not have space for a separate print room. This model allows customers to print, copy, color scan, and store in a single unit. It has a capacity of up to 4.4 pages per minute.

The Aficio MP W 3601 is a similar printer to the W 2401. Its copy speed is up to 6.4 copies per minute. Both models are compatible with Macintosh and Windows systems. These printers use plain paper and could be used by a standard business office. If you ever need to print off large spreadsheets, this is the type of printer you would want to consider for the job. It can handle tabloid-sized paper for a large spreadsheet or chart.

Before making a decision about one of the large printers for sale, consider what type of jobs your business is likely to be running.

In the case of the brands reviewed here, Canon USA's line of printers are best suited for work involving images, drawings, and maps, while the Ricoh line of printers would be the right choice for jobs involving mostly text, such as spreadsheets or charts. Be sure to shop around before making your final decision about large format printers for sale.