Before investing in the equipment to launch a new line, it's wise to get as much information as possible about these areas. Wide-Format Printing According to International Sign Association (ISA) research, wideformat printing is a growing market. A recent report, "Looking for BIG Opportunities in Graphic Communications and Specialty Printing," shows that some 68% of survey respondents indicated their wide-format print volumes were growing. They also expect that growth to continue at about 31% per year. Survey respondents also said the greatest profits came through printing banners, vehicle graphics and signs. In these three categories, more than half of respondents characterized them as highly profitable. But wide-format printing also has challenges. Almost 80% of survey respondents indicated customers expect a faster turnaround on jobs in this niche, while print customers want to see the impact of campaigns and will change prints more frequently. Wide-format printing is a relatively new process that has grown rapidly since its inception. The first wide-format inkjet printer was produced in the mid-1990s and, from there, the field has expanded to larger media sizes; the ability to print on various substrates; ink APRIL 2020 26-29_IMP_0420_Signs_Feature 27 P.27 3/18/20 8:11 PM