By Angelo Mandelli, Senior Product & Business Development Manager, Large Format & Flatbed EMEA Product Marketing, Ricoh Graphic Communications Group
Ricoh Europe, London, June 20 – The large format sector is as vibrant as it has ever been.
That is one of the key takeaways from this year’s Fespa Global Print Expo.
It attracted more than 14,000 unique visitors – up 10.5% on 2024. Including repeat visits the figure was 23,061 with 126 countries represented. Notably 87% of attendees held decision-making positions, with 71% being directors, CEOs, owners, or managers. The combined median budget across visitors was €2.9 billion (£2.45 billion), and 40% planned to invest in technology within the next year.
It was a powerful indicator of the sector’s forward momentum and a clear sign of its robust health.
Prior to the event the latest FESPA Census survey reported the majority (70%) of graphics and signage respondents already owned large format printers and had experience producing a variety of applications and providing associated services. Another 15% had not yet invested in large format but intended to do so in the near future. Only 15% had no plans to invest at all.
It also found the availability of large format printing technology enables PSPs from diverse backgrounds to offer valuable services to their clients. While this is positive for the industry, it means that operations from non-traditional environments are now competing with established sign and display businesses by providing comparable value added offerings.
At the same time, sign specialists are adopting new technologies and expanding their own applications to increase revenue.
More interestingly, 40% of respondents are using flatbed or hybrid UV systems and 28% are planning to buy UV flatbed printers to directly print on rigid substrates, or a UV printer with a hybrid feed system to allow for greater versatility.
Those looking to add large format printing to their offerings were choosing to do so to maintain their competitive business position (49%), reach new clients (43%), and offer new applications to their existing clients (42%).
We had many detailed conversations at Fespa about these evolving market trends.
There was also keen interest in our very successful collaboration with Kernow showcasing the mesmerising results possible when the X20 UV Ricoh hybrid proposition technology is combined with KernowJet MetaliK Silver Permanent and KernowJet Interiors Structured Silver A and ColorLogic software.
We explored Co-innovation too, and shared updates on the creativity of clients and their flatbed technology. Among them was our collaboration with the students at Salesiani Don Bosco Graphic Arts School. We asked them to use Artificial Intelligence to imagine how legendary painters would have captured their home city of Venice. The vibrant and evocative results were printed on the RICOH Pro™ TF6251 flatbed printer, with perfect integration into the device workflow and full utilisation of its advanced output capabilities for maximum efficiency and quality.
We shared the latest on Ricoh’s versatile portfolio from the X20 UV Ricoh hybrid proposition to the RICOH Pro TF6251 and RICOH Pro™ T7210 UV flatbed printers and the RICOH Pro™ L5130e series of large format latex printers. We also highlighted the synergies operations can enjoy with our sheetfed portfolio from the RICOH Pro™ C9500
and RICOH Pro™ C7500 and showcased the brand new RICOH Pro™ C5400 for the first time anywhere in Europe.
We expanded on how agile software aids production with solutions such as FusionPro variable data printing software and ColorGATE Productionserver that offers fast, accurate PDF processing and integrated ICC colour management and calibration tools.
Contact us to learn more about these or to see how we can help you maintain your competitive business position, reach new clients or offer new applications.
