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Fine art printer HP Designjet Z6600

Printing in graphic design

The UK’s creative industries are thriving. With an overall value of £76.9 billion, they contribute around £8.8 million to the national economy every hour, and the future is brighter than ever.

Of all included sectors, design is by far the most promising, with year-on-year growth of around 25 per cent in 2015. Graphic design in particular is a major employer in Britain, supporting the jobs of people up and down the country.

The graphics industry – like any other – has undoubtedly been impacted by technology. Businesses are finding new ways to work; cost-effective methods with more efficiency, which can only be conducive to innovation. While digital documents are a big part of this, most graphic design firms still find themselves with a need to produce high-quality printed versions of their work, for uses both internal and external.

What do graphic design companies need from a printer?

In-house, design professionals may be required to print documents for proofing of text and imagery, even if the work is destined for online use only. Otherwise, companies offering posters, banners and other physical items must be able to rely on a printer capable of delivering consistently great results for customers.

Characteristics and features to prioritise include:

Versatility: Unlike AEC professionals who are more likely to need printed structural drawings than anything else, graphics companies will find themselves printing a wide range of different work from one week to the next. One day it may be a large business card order, the next it could be a small run of posters – the printer must be ready regardless.

Vibrant colours: Colour is crucial in the design world. Graphics professionals must be able to reproduce clients’ existing branding with complete accuracy – any difference could have a significant impact on customer relationships and contracts.

Speed: With numerous jobs on the go at any given time, graphics companies must be in a position to clear printing queues quickly without impacting quality. The higher the speed, the more time staff have to work on the skilled aspects of their work.

High quality graphics and posters
HP Designjet Z6800 being used in a map printing shop

Which printers?

HP’s Designjet range has proved massively popular in recent years, and for good reason. It contains a varied selection of machines capable of meeting the printing needs of all kinds of users. While the T-Series caters for technical users, those in the graphics industry will more likely find what they’re looking for in the Z-Series. Below are just two examples of what’s on offer:

HP Designjet Z6600 – One of the fastest production printers on the market, this 60-inch machine is capable of producing high quality graphics work of all kinds, without any delay. A six-ink system is complemented by convenience features to create a truly fantastic machine.

HP Designjet Z3200 - This highly capable photo printer has an advanced 12-ink system designed to help you produce gallery-quality work when you need it most – perfect for designers who work regularly with photographic imagery.

Away from HP, you’ll find great machines from other established brands like Canon and Epson. Canon’s iPF machines are more than ready to serve your graphics business and its customers, with the 60-inch, 12-ink iPF9400 particularly popular. Epson’s SureColor and Stylus Pro models are just as useful. Take the 24-inch SC-P6000, for example; it’s ideal for designers working on smaller, highly detailed documents.

Perfect Colours has a variety of graphics printers, designed specifically for professionals working in the design industry. Should you need any more information on the machines we have to offer, get in touch today.