Capability

Wide format printing for graphics that have to hold up

Wide format covers everything too big for a sheet press — banners, backlit film, window vinyl, wall graphics, rigid panels, fabric. IAC runs UV-cured roll and flatbed presses alongside a five-metre dye sublimation line, so the substrate gets chosen for the application rather than for whichever machine happens to be free.

  • UV-cured roll and flatbed printing
  • Dye sublimation fabric to 16 ft seamless
  • Banner, backlit film, vinyl, mesh, canvas and rigid media
  • Contour cutting, laminating, welding and grommeting in house
  • Pantone-referenced colour targeting per substrate
  • Serving Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Vaughan and the wider GTA

UV-cured, latex and dye sublimation, and when each wins

UV-cured inks polymerise instantly under lamps, so they sit on the surface and will bond to almost anything — vinyl, styrene, coroplast, ACM, acrylic, wood. That makes UV the default for rigid and outdoor work, and it means prints come off the press dry and ready to laminate or cut. Dye sublimation is the answer for polyester textiles, where the dye enters the fibre and the graphic can fold. Solvent and latex sit between the two for flexible roll media needing conformability. The right call depends on substrate, viewing distance and how long the graphic lives.

Media we run

Scrim vinyl banner in a range of weights for indoor and outdoor hangs, with reinforced hems and grommets or welded pole pockets. Backlit film for lightboxes and transit displays. Cast and calendered self-adhesive vinyl including 3M films for wall, window, floor and vehicle work, matched to appropriate overlaminates. Perforated window film for one-way vision. Mesh for fence and building wraps. Photo papers and canvas for interior and fine art applications. Rigid substrates run on the flatbed rather than mounted afterwards, which keeps registration tight for contour cutting.

Colour management and prepress

A wide format job is only as good as its file. Our prepress team checks resolution against final size, corrects bleed and safety margins for the finishing method, and flags gradients that will band across a long fill before it costs you a reprint. Brand colours are targeted against Pantone references per substrate — a red on matte banner vinyl and the same red on gloss backlit film need different builds to look the same in the room. Where a program spans multiple substrates we run press proofs so the set matches.

Examples

Related work

  • A large-format wall mural in an arena corridor depicting an armoured female archer surrounded by Spartan warriors rendered in golden tones.
    Interiors Armoured archer mural in golden tones along arena corridor Large format print
  • A wide view of an indoor archery arena under construction showing blue carpet flooring and Spartan-themed graphics printed on dividing nets.
    Installation Indoor archery arena under construction with Spartan graphics Large format print
  • A large-format wall mural in a corridor depicting ancient Spartan archers in dynamic yellow and black tones.
    Interiors Spartan archer wall mural in yellow and black tones Large format print
  • An archery venue entrance featuring an illuminated SHOOT neon sign, an archer wall mural, and a branded check-in desk.
    Interiors Venue entrance with neon sign, archer mural and check-in desk Large format print
  • A front reception area of an archery venue showing a dramatic archer mural, pink neon strip lighting, and a check-in counter.
    Interiors Archery venue reception with mural and pink neon lighting Large format print
  • An archery battle arena interior with padded yellow obstacles and large Spartan battle scene wall murals.
    Interiors Archery arena interior with Spartan battle scene murals Large format print

FAQ

Wide format printing for graphics that have to hold up — questions

What is the difference between wide format and large format printing?

In practice, nothing — the terms are used interchangeably across the industry for any print wider than roughly 24 inches. Some shops draw a line at around 60 inches and call anything beyond it grand format, which typically means billboard, building wrap and oversize fabric work. We quote all of it the same way, by substrate, size, quantity and finishing rather than by which label the job falls under.

What resolution do my files need to be?

Less than people expect. Wide format graphics are viewed from a distance, so raster images at roughly 100 to 150 dpi at final print size are normally plenty, and billboard-scale work can go considerably lower. Vector artwork and outlined type scale without loss and are always preferred for logos and text. What actually causes problems is artwork built at postcard size and blown up, or low-quality web images — resolution cannot be added after the fact.

How long will an outdoor printed graphic last?

It depends on ink, media, laminate and exposure. UV-cured inks on appropriate outdoor media with a UV-blocking overlaminate hold up for multiple seasons, while unlaminated short-term media on a south-facing wall will fade much sooner. Tell us the intended lifespan and orientation when you quote and we will spec the media and laminate to match rather than defaulting to the cheapest build.

Keep looking

Other capabilities

Next step

Send your file and finished size for a wide format quote from our Toronto plant.

Send drawings, a store list or a rough idea. We will come back with substrate options, hardware and a quote.

Request a quote→ 416.493.8888