Large format printing is anything printed off a roll on a wide format printer instead of a sheet press: posters bigger than A3, vinyl prints, backdrops, canvas, wallpaper, floor graphics, architectural plans and prints mounted on rigid boards. Wide format printers use solvent, eco-solvent, latex or UV inks, each suited to different materials and to indoor or outdoor use. Tell us the size, the material and how many, and we pass your request to large format printers near you, who quote you directly. It is free, with no obligation.
What large format printers print
- Posters from A2 to A0 and beyond, see poster printing.
- Banners and backdrops on PVC, mesh and fabric, see banner printing.
- Vinyl prints for walls, windows and floors.
- Mounted prints on foam board, PVC foam board, Correx or ACP.
- Canvas, rolled or stretched.
- Plans and drawings for architects, engineers and tenders.
- Wallpaper and murals printed to the wall size.
Inks, materials and the right machine
Solvent and eco-solvent inks bite into vinyl and PVC and last outdoors. Latex inks have little smell, so they suit indoor work like wallpaper and shop graphics and also go outside. UV inks cure under a lamp, and flatbed UV printers print straight onto rigid boards without mounting. Water-based inks on paper suit posters, plans and photo prints.
The roll width limits one piece, so very large walls are printed in panels with a small overlap. If you want to buy a large format printing machine rather than the print, see printers and printing machines.
Files and proofs for big prints
Send a CMYK PDF at full size, or to a scale the printer agrees to, with bleed. Logos and lettering should be vector so they stay sharp at any size, and photos need enough resolution for the finished size, so ask what the printer needs. Big prints are seen from further away, but close-up prints such as exhibition panels show every soft edge.
For brand colours that must match, ask for a printed proof on the real material, because the same file looks different on vinyl, paper and canvas. On panelled walls, keep faces and key lines away from the joins.
What affects large format printing prices
- The area in square metres, and the quantity
- The material: paper, vinyl, canvas, fabric or a board
- Lamination, mounting and cutting
- Artwork checks, design and setup
- Tubes, packaging, delivery and fitting
One published South African price list puts full colour printed vinyl at about R450 a square metre for a single square metre, falling to about R125 a square metre on 50 m² or more. Ask for the price at a few quantities and what the printer includes.
What to include in your request
- Finished width and height of each print
- Material: paper, vinyl, canvas or a board
- Indoor or outdoor, and how long it must last
- Lamination, mounting or cutting
- How many and the delivery date
Large Format Printing for different clients
- Families and individuals: a big family photo print, wallpaper for one feature wall or a poster-sized map
- Small businesses and start-ups: posters for the shop window and a mounted price board for behind the counter
- Companies and offices: exhibition panels, mounted boardroom prints, floor graphics and site plans for projects
- Shops, restaurants and salons: in-store posters, wall graphics, mounted promo boards and window prints for each campaign
- Events, conferences and clubs: stage backdrops, media walls, exhibition stands and directional boards printed off the roll
- Schools, churches and NGOs: academic posters, timetables, hall graphics and mounted project boards for open days
- Government and municipalities: public notices, maps, awareness posters and exhibition boards for departments and municipalities
- Designers, agencies and resellers: printers and agencies sending wide format work to a shop with bigger or UV machines
Frequently asked questions
How much is large format printing per square metre?
How big can a large format print be?
What file should I send for large format printing?
Is large format printing suitable for outdoors?
Large Format Printing by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg