Messages on a grand scale
Poster Printing: From offset to screen to digital printing, poster printing companies offer the full range of services.
Poster Printing: From offset to screen to digital printing, poster printing companies offer the full range of services. Standard commercial or digital printing companies often have to pass on producing this advertising medium—which is very popular in Switzerland—at least in the traditional poster formats. This is because their machinery is often not equipped to handle large formats, making it impossible to produce posters at all—or at least not in a way that covers costs. Nevertheless, poster printing is not a niche business. The providers in this sector differ not only in their printing processes or systems but also in the services they offer. Werbewoche surveyed various poster printing companies on these aspects, as well as on their areas of specialization, data handling (see below), and services.
Poster Production: What all poster printers have in common is that they all have large-format machines. But that’s often where the similarities end. The spectrum ranges from companies that are 100 percent dedicated to poster printing (such as Seriplakat AG), to companies that generate about two-thirds (Setaprint AG, JCM Offsetdruck AG) or approximately one-third of their revenue (Christinger Partner AG, ComRo Rohner AG, Graphische Anstalt J. E. Wolfensberger AG) to companies where poster printing accounts for 20, 12, or 10 percent of revenue (Gamper AG, Karl Schwegler AG, Rutschi AG).
Offset Printing for Large Print Runs Offset printing is the most suitable printing process, especially for large print runs. Large-format machines, appropriate for poster-sized prints, are used for this purpose.
All posters in the F4, F12, and F200 NP + LP formats with double-sided printing—including Rollingstar, GF, and various custom formats—are printed in-house at Setaprint: «We produce 95 percent of our posters using offset printing on a MAN Roland 900 XXL—with a maximum print format of 130 x 185 cm,» explains Werner Heschel. Thanks to the large-format press, the company can produce these sizes using fewer sections in some cases (for example, F12 posters in two sections instead of three) and even print posters up to and including the F200 size in a single section.
Karl Schwegler AG also takes advantage of the benefits of large-format offset presses: «We also produce five-color posters in a single pass,» says Paul Seliner. In addition to poster printing, the company uses its MAN Roland XXL-905-8-LV five-color press for commercial printing jobs as well.
«We print on the world’s largest offset presses,» says Manfred Sollberger of JCM Offsetdruck AG. The company operates the KBA Rapida 205 (150 x 205 cm), a five-color press that is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. In addition, posters are produced using a MAN Roland 900 (format: 100 x 140 cm). For smaller print runs—which are better suited for digital printing—JCM either uses a Hewlett Packard DesignJet 3500 CP or relies on partner companies.
«We generate 80 percent of our revenue from the production of street posters (F4/F12/F200) and 20 percent from the production of POS posters,» explains Robert Wernli of Seriplakat AG. «As far as printing processes are concerned, we use both offset and screen printing.»
According to Luciano Faoro, Wolfensberger AG prints posters using a MAN Roland 905-LV sheetfed offset press. «For small print runs in the F4, F12, GF, and F200 formats, we use a plotter.»
In between: Screen printing. The screen printing process is also very well suited for producing posters. Among other things, it is characterized by the ability to print with thick ink layers and on a wide variety of papers and substrates. In terms of print speed, it falls between digital and offset printing, making it ideal for medium-run print jobs.
Gamper AG uses a fully automated screen-printing machine to produce F4, F12, and 12-m² posters, as well as—as a special feature—illuminated posters and direct prints from digital files.
Rutschi AG uses both screen printing and digital printing: Posters up to F12 and GF sizes (in just six sections) in medium print runs are produced in-house. The printing plate for the screen printing press is produced using a computer-to-screen process. The company covers all formats using digital printing. «We also print many posters that are displayed in light boxes (illuminated posters), and we have access to papers, films, and print profiles tailored to these needs in order to achieve optimal brilliance and luminosity,» explains Kurt Rutschi.
Professional Digital Printers: In addition to offset and screen printers, there are quite a few companies that now print posters exclusively using digital technology. Take ComRo Rohner AG, for example: «We print with an HP Scitex TurboJet, the world’s fastest digital poster printing system,» explains Silvan Rohner. However, this printer impresses not only with its speed but also with its print quality. The result differs from posters produced with other digital printers because it allows the use of the same slightly glossy paper as that used in screen printing. «And thanks to the ink application, they look even more vibrant than posters produced using offset or standard digital printing. The workflow—printing and cutting—is fully automated at our facility!»
Stutz Foto Color Technik AG in Bremgarten also relies exclusively on digital printing. The company uses a variety of inkjet printing systems, including large-format printers from Scitex for producing items such as gigaposters.
Christinger Partner uses eleven different digital printing systems for poster printing. The company prints larger runs on the HP Turbojet 8300: «The quality achievable here today—combined with our PDF workflow and the ISO 12647 Fogra Matt standard—is unique,» explains Toni Fricker. Thanks to the existing infrastructure, large poster runs with frequent changes in format and design can be handled efficiently. The company produces single-color posters with special shades using screen printing machines.
Different Services: In addition to their printing processes, poster printers differ in the services they offer. At JCM Offsetdruck AG, these services range from providing an FTP server for data uploads—including a PDF workflow—to warehousing and shipping.
Wolfensberger also offers a PDF workflow and poster storage—plus, as another specialty, gold-bronze printing for commercial printing.
Christinger Partner views its services as a full-service offering. This ranges from professional data import and preparation—including image scanning—through printing to finishing, order picking, delivery, and shipping. In addition, the company has a «Print & Cut» department. There, posters are produced that feature custom two- or three-dimensional elements. The company also handles project planning for the permitting process of large-format applications as well as their custom installation. Its large-format services range from printing to finishing.
Stutz Foto Color Technik defines its services as «consulting and services related to images.» The company thus covers all needs in the field of outdoor advertising—from development and production to installation in any size requested by the customer.
Data upload, data post-processing, small- and medium-run printing using screen printing and digital printing methods, lamination, mounting services, delivery services, distribution and shipping, as well as poster archiving—Rutschi AG counts all of these among its strengths. In addition, the company offers preliminary consultations and installation services for megaposters and manufactures illuminated posters for long-term use. In the area of megaposters and textile printing, the company collaborates with domestic and international firms.
At ComRo, full service is a given. This includes consulting and providing layout templates for all programs and formats on our website—complete with an easy-to-use upload tool. Upon request, the customer can approve the final print proof directly at the press. ComRo Rohner’s services include a courier service covering all of Switzerland with 24-hour delivery, as well as close collaboration with APG and Clear Channel Plakanda.
In addition to consulting, actual poster printing, and a delivery service, Gamper AG offers poster storage as part of its expanded range of services.
Full-service support in consulting, order management, and data handling is standard at Setaprint, as are shipping processing, delivery service, and data receipt via FTP server, ISDN, email, or CD-ROM.
Schwegler Druck offers services ranging from consulting (prepress, materials, printing) to data upload and data preparation, as well as print proofing and shipping services. In addition to five-color single-pass offset printing, the company highlights its ability to print illuminated posters as a special feature.
Last but not least, Seriplakat offers all the services a customer might need: In addition to producing posters in compliance with APG guidelines, our standard services include consulting, the option to upload files via FTP, and the preparation of a “Good to Print” approval.
Good print results require high-quality data
Today, posters are produced from open files or, increasingly, from PDF files. Proofs are more than welcome, as is sufficient resolution.
Toni Fricker of Christinger Partner AG would appreciate it if customers would find out about data delivery requirements in advance. «We’re happy to advise customers if they want to know what scale the data should be delivered in, what resolution is best for the desired product, or what standards we use for printing. Of course, this also includes a color-accurate proof.» He cites insufficient resolution, missing fonts, or images saved in the wrong format as the most common problems with data exchange. «We recommend that our customers submit PDF/X-3 files, as this standard ensures optimal print results in both digital and offset printing.»
Silvan Rohner of ComRo Rohner AG has experienced few, if any, problems with data transfer. «However, it’s important to have sufficient image resolution. At least 72 ppi (in the final format!) is required.»
Werner Gamper of Gamper AG sees insufficient image resolutions and missing files (fonts, logos, etc.) as the biggest problem with data migration. «To ensure that even impossible deadlines can be met,» says Gamper, «we appreciate being involved in the planning process early on.»
Manfred Sollberger of JCM Offsetdruck AG notes that Pantone colors and images saved in the RGB color space are not converted to or separated into the CMYK color space, and that overprinting or knockout options are often selected incorrectly. «To achieve good results, images should therefore be saved at a resolution of at least 355 ppi, and a color-accurate proof should be included with the job. Furthermore, we’ve had the best results with High-End-PDF.»
Paul Seliner of Karl Schwegler AG requires a color-accurate proof, which the company can also produce itself upon request. «We often find that the quality of photos and logos is inadequate. Information regarding language versions or product varieties is also frequently missing; this is particularly important for multi-panel posters.» As a general rule, the same applies to poster production: Good planning is half the battle.
According to Kurt Rutschi of Rutschi AG, you should choose a resolution that is sufficient for the final format: «And include proofs whenever possible …»
Robert Wernli of Seriplakat AG would appreciate it if all customers would follow the printing specifications. «Every now and then, we receive files with insufficient resolution, without bleed, with incorrect color definitions, or in a format other than the master litho format.»
«The data should be professionally prepared, and the proof should be ISO-certified if possible. We provide a technical data sheet with our parameters (ICC profile, etc.) for this purpose,» says Werner Heschel of Setaprint AG. «We consider open data to be more advantageous because PDFs do not allow for adjustments to account for missing bleed, color matching, etc.»
Luciano Faoro of Graphische Anstalt J.E. Wolfensberger AG requires «flawless data delivery with verification tools.» Missing fonts, rough data, incorrect links, and the absence of color-accurate templates are among the most common data issues.
Standard Poster Sizes: City Size
F200: 116.5 x 170 cm
F200L: 119 x 170 cm
F200LR: 119 x 170 cm
F200P: 116.5 x 170 cm
Widescreen
F12: 268.5 x 128 cm
F12L: 268.5 x 128 cm
F12P: 268.5 x 128 cm
Large Format
Poster Production: What all poster printers have in common is that they all have large-format machines. But that’s often where the similarities end. The spectrum ranges from companies that are 100 percent dedicated to poster printing (such as Seriplakat AG), to companies that generate about two-thirds (Setaprint AG, JCM Offsetdruck AG) or approximately one-third of their revenue (Christinger Partner AG, ComRo Rohner AG, Graphische Anstalt J. E. Wolfensberger AG) to companies where poster printing accounts for 20, 12, or 10 percent of revenue (Gamper AG, Karl Schwegler AG, Rutschi AG).
Offset Printing for Large Print Runs Offset printing is the most suitable printing process, especially for large print runs. Large-format machines, appropriate for poster-sized prints, are used for this purpose.
All posters in the F4, F12, and F200 NP + LP formats with double-sided printing—including Rollingstar, GF, and various custom formats—are printed in-house at Setaprint: «We produce 95 percent of our posters using offset printing on a MAN Roland 900 XXL—with a maximum print format of 130 x 185 cm,» explains Werner Heschel. Thanks to the large-format press, the company can produce these sizes using fewer sections in some cases (for example, F12 posters in two sections instead of three) and even print posters up to and including the F200 size in a single section.
Karl Schwegler AG also takes advantage of the benefits of large-format offset presses: «We also produce five-color posters in a single pass,» says Paul Seliner. In addition to poster printing, the company uses its MAN Roland XXL-905-8-LV five-color press for commercial printing jobs as well.
«We print on the world’s largest offset presses,» says Manfred Sollberger of JCM Offsetdruck AG. The company operates the KBA Rapida 205 (150 x 205 cm), a five-color press that is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. In addition, posters are produced using a MAN Roland 900 (format: 100 x 140 cm). For smaller print runs—which are better suited for digital printing—JCM either uses a Hewlett Packard DesignJet 3500 CP or relies on partner companies.
«We generate 80 percent of our revenue from the production of street posters (F4/F12/F200) and 20 percent from the production of POS posters,» explains Robert Wernli of Seriplakat AG. «As far as printing processes are concerned, we use both offset and screen printing.»
According to Luciano Faoro, Wolfensberger AG prints posters using a MAN Roland 905-LV sheetfed offset press. «For small print runs in the F4, F12, GF, and F200 formats, we use a plotter.»
In between: Screen printing. The screen printing process is also very well suited for producing posters. Among other things, it is characterized by the ability to print with thick ink layers and on a wide variety of papers and substrates. In terms of print speed, it falls between digital and offset printing, making it ideal for medium-run print jobs.
Gamper AG uses a fully automated screen-printing machine to produce F4, F12, and 12-m² posters, as well as—as a special feature—illuminated posters and direct prints from digital files.
Rutschi AG uses both screen printing and digital printing: Posters up to F12 and GF sizes (in just six sections) in medium print runs are produced in-house. The printing plate for the screen printing press is produced using a computer-to-screen process. The company covers all formats using digital printing. «We also print many posters that are displayed in light boxes (illuminated posters), and we have access to papers, films, and print profiles tailored to these needs in order to achieve optimal brilliance and luminosity,» explains Kurt Rutschi.
Professional Digital Printers: In addition to offset and screen printers, there are quite a few companies that now print posters exclusively using digital technology. Take ComRo Rohner AG, for example: «We print with an HP Scitex TurboJet, the world’s fastest digital poster printing system,» explains Silvan Rohner. However, this printer impresses not only with its speed but also with its print quality. The result differs from posters produced with other digital printers because it allows the use of the same slightly glossy paper as that used in screen printing. «And thanks to the ink application, they look even more vibrant than posters produced using offset or standard digital printing. The workflow—printing and cutting—is fully automated at our facility!»
Stutz Foto Color Technik AG in Bremgarten also relies exclusively on digital printing. The company uses a variety of inkjet printing systems, including large-format printers from Scitex for producing items such as gigaposters.
Christinger Partner uses eleven different digital printing systems for poster printing. The company prints larger runs on the HP Turbojet 8300: «The quality achievable here today—combined with our PDF workflow and the ISO 12647 Fogra Matt standard—is unique,» explains Toni Fricker. Thanks to the existing infrastructure, large poster runs with frequent changes in format and design can be handled efficiently. The company produces single-color posters with special shades using screen printing machines.
Different Services: In addition to their printing processes, poster printers differ in the services they offer. At JCM Offsetdruck AG, these services range from providing an FTP server for data uploads—including a PDF workflow—to warehousing and shipping.
Wolfensberger also offers a PDF workflow and poster storage—plus, as another specialty, gold-bronze printing for commercial printing.
Christinger Partner views its services as a full-service offering. This ranges from professional data import and preparation—including image scanning—through printing to finishing, order picking, delivery, and shipping. In addition, the company has a «Print & Cut» department. There, posters are produced that feature custom two- or three-dimensional elements. The company also handles project planning for the permitting process of large-format applications as well as their custom installation. Its large-format services range from printing to finishing.
Stutz Foto Color Technik defines its services as «consulting and services related to images.» The company thus covers all needs in the field of outdoor advertising—from development and production to installation in any size requested by the customer.
Data upload, data post-processing, small- and medium-run printing using screen printing and digital printing methods, lamination, mounting services, delivery services, distribution and shipping, as well as poster archiving—Rutschi AG counts all of these among its strengths. In addition, the company offers preliminary consultations and installation services for megaposters and manufactures illuminated posters for long-term use. In the area of megaposters and textile printing, the company collaborates with domestic and international firms.
At ComRo, full service is a given. This includes consulting and providing layout templates for all programs and formats on our website—complete with an easy-to-use upload tool. Upon request, the customer can approve the final print proof directly at the press. ComRo Rohner’s services include a courier service covering all of Switzerland with 24-hour delivery, as well as close collaboration with APG and Clear Channel Plakanda.
In addition to consulting, actual poster printing, and a delivery service, Gamper AG offers poster storage as part of its expanded range of services.
Full-service support in consulting, order management, and data handling is standard at Setaprint, as are shipping processing, delivery service, and data receipt via FTP server, ISDN, email, or CD-ROM.
Schwegler Druck offers services ranging from consulting (prepress, materials, printing) to data upload and data preparation, as well as print proofing and shipping services. In addition to five-color single-pass offset printing, the company highlights its ability to print illuminated posters as a special feature.
Last but not least, Seriplakat offers all the services a customer might need: In addition to producing posters in compliance with APG guidelines, our standard services include consulting, the option to upload files via FTP, and the preparation of a “Good to Print” approval.
Good print results require high-quality data
Today, posters are produced from open files or, increasingly, from PDF files. Proofs are more than welcome, as is sufficient resolution.
Toni Fricker of Christinger Partner AG would appreciate it if customers would find out about data delivery requirements in advance. «We’re happy to advise customers if they want to know what scale the data should be delivered in, what resolution is best for the desired product, or what standards we use for printing. Of course, this also includes a color-accurate proof.» He cites insufficient resolution, missing fonts, or images saved in the wrong format as the most common problems with data exchange. «We recommend that our customers submit PDF/X-3 files, as this standard ensures optimal print results in both digital and offset printing.»
Silvan Rohner of ComRo Rohner AG has experienced few, if any, problems with data transfer. «However, it’s important to have sufficient image resolution. At least 72 ppi (in the final format!) is required.»
Werner Gamper of Gamper AG sees insufficient image resolutions and missing files (fonts, logos, etc.) as the biggest problem with data migration. «To ensure that even impossible deadlines can be met,» says Gamper, «we appreciate being involved in the planning process early on.»
Manfred Sollberger of JCM Offsetdruck AG notes that Pantone colors and images saved in the RGB color space are not converted to or separated into the CMYK color space, and that overprinting or knockout options are often selected incorrectly. «To achieve good results, images should therefore be saved at a resolution of at least 355 ppi, and a color-accurate proof should be included with the job. Furthermore, we’ve had the best results with High-End-PDF.»
Paul Seliner of Karl Schwegler AG requires a color-accurate proof, which the company can also produce itself upon request. «We often find that the quality of photos and logos is inadequate. Information regarding language versions or product varieties is also frequently missing; this is particularly important for multi-panel posters.» As a general rule, the same applies to poster production: Good planning is half the battle.
According to Kurt Rutschi of Rutschi AG, you should choose a resolution that is sufficient for the final format: «And include proofs whenever possible …»
Robert Wernli of Seriplakat AG would appreciate it if all customers would follow the printing specifications. «Every now and then, we receive files with insufficient resolution, without bleed, with incorrect color definitions, or in a format other than the master litho format.»
«The data should be professionally prepared, and the proof should be ISO-certified if possible. We provide a technical data sheet with our parameters (ICC profile, etc.) for this purpose,» says Werner Heschel of Setaprint AG. «We consider open data to be more advantageous because PDFs do not allow for adjustments to account for missing bleed, color matching, etc.»
Luciano Faoro of Graphische Anstalt J.E. Wolfensberger AG requires «flawless data delivery with verification tools.» Missing fonts, rough data, incorrect links, and the absence of color-accurate templates are among the most common data issues.
Standard Poster Sizes: City Size
F200: 116.5 x 170 cm
F200L: 119 x 170 cm
F200LR: 119 x 170 cm
F200P: 116.5 x 170 cm
Widescreen
F12: 268.5 x 128 cm
F12L: 268.5 x 128 cm
F12P: 268.5 x 128 cm
Large Format
Dimensions: 388 x 295 cm
World format
F4: 89.5 x 128 cm
Abbreviations:
L = Illuminated sign (Note: The visible area is slightly smaller)
P = Posters to be printed on tarps
LR = Automatic Rotating Display for Illuminated Signs
Source: Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft
Jürgen Franck
More information:
