Large format printers

Large format printers are used to print all types of large artwork and signage, including banners, wallpaper, vehicle image wraps, architectural drawings, and electronic circuit schematics.

These printers typically use some variant of inkjet technology. Depending on print size, run length (number of prints per single original), and print medium, large format printers are often more economical than other methods, such as screen printing. Rather than printing onto individual sheets, large format printing takes place on a roll of media – paper, textiles, glass, ceramics, or wood – that feeds incrementally.

One of the most critical quality measures of large format printers is the spacing of pixels, since the human eye can detect pixels that are not evenly spaced. This means that the motion of the printer should be extremely smooth and the velocity of the print head very stable. To achieve this, a majority of large format printer manufacturers use linear motors, which can increase the accuracy of the ink jetting.

Tecnotion TB series iron core linear motors have low cogging characteristics, enabling micron-level placement of each ink drop, while moving print heads of 400 to 500 kg at acceleration rates of 5 m/s2. The modular nature of these linear motors also allows manufacturers to adjust the size of their machines by simply shortening or extending the magnet track, which can reach lengths up to 4 meters.