These printers match the best office machines with up to a 2880 x 1440 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. While basic models paint the image with four or five inks, others can print with up to a dozen different colors and emulate Pantone standard colors.
Most use a combination of long-lasting pigment-based and vibrant dye-based inks. There are also wide-format printers that rely on latex inks (for outdoor use) or dye-sublimation technology (for photo-quality output).
One big difference with more pedestrian printers is that wide-format models can print on several stocks, including plain or bond paper, a clear film for backlit advertising, and polypropylene and vinyl stock for outdoor installations. You can print huge photos on matte or glossy photo stock, or even print on fabrics with many of these printers.
The distinction that scientific and engineering wide-format plotters produce monochrome prints while graphics-oriented models use color is quickly disappearing. This is a result of lower prices for general-purpose wide printers and the increasing use of color in technical drawings, such as for highlighting areas of concern or including 3D renderings.
Software
Most of these printers use Maintop or Photo-Print and other popular printer languages, including an Office or Adobe plugin so you can upsize any document or image created at your desk for large-format printing. Some have apps for giving permission and accounting for the printer’s use so it can be charged to budgets or departments.
Be aware that some manufacturers require you to pay extra for software that enables some of these extra features if you want them. For instance, it’s not unusual for the automated workflow to be an optional extra.