Working in the architecture industry means dealing with constantly changing blueprints, designs, and plans.

In addition to the typical marketing collateral needed by any business, architectural firms need a variety of printing materials to span their scope of services. Not only do these materials needs to be sturdy, easy to read, and durable, but they must be able to be revised — and reprinted — in short notice.

That “short notice” can be a real problem — or a game-changing element for successful firms that are looking to stand out from the competition.

By bringing your print capabilities in-house, your firm can give clients and subconsultants that little extra that makes the difference — and helps generate repeat business.

In-house printing means you can turn projects around faster, make changes quickly, and get plan sets to subconsultants fast so they can get to work — enabling your projects to take shape faster and more accurately.

The best type of print equipment for architectural firms, based on the number and type of materials they work with is a wide-format printer.

The Many Benefits of Wide Format Printing for Architects

Today’s desktop printers can’t provide the kind of graphics-heavy, wide-format output necessary to print plans, blueprints, CAD drawings, and design renderings that architects need to get their jobs done.

Wide format printers, on the other hand, can handle any number of jobs, from ultra-high-quality images to special media that resists weather and rough handling.

Of course, they can also print any job a desktop printer can, so they can easily help firms coordinate the print output from several departments.

In addition to these qualities, wide format printers provide a host of other benefits for the competitive architectural firm, including:

1. In-house Convenience

Forget missed deadlines and project delays. Investing in an in-house wide format printer gives your firm the flexibility to make changes and generate new output on an as-needed basis.

This removes the need to calculate the “lead time” that occurs with traditional print vendors when quoting job times and reduces the chance that changes will be delayed due to slowdowns at an outside vendor’s shop.

2. Speed, Volume, and Quality

Modern wide format printers are designed for high-production environments so they can hold up to heavy use, providing high quality images on demand at speeds of up to 250 pages per minute.

Short runs are no problem either, particularly if you need color-critical materials like branded marketing, architectural renderings, or plans with color callouts that delineate specific plan features such as windows, doors, electrical schematics, and others.

An in-house printer gives your creative department direct and complete control over your final product by using features such as the ability to match Pantone or other spot colors for accuracy.

3. Cost Control

Architectural firms have taken a hard hit from the continuing coronavirus pandemic, with 43% projecting revenue losses in the first half of the year. By the second quarter 2020, up to 70% of firms were reporting losses.

But there is a bright light — while business involving offices and commercial projects were down, a boom in affordable housing is making a comeback. Those firms that want to cash in on this trend need to look at smart ways to pare down their capital expenditures and work smarter — not harder.

Investing in a wide format printer as a one-time cost provides a greater return on investment than using an outside vendor for print tasks — and it provides a tax benefit since you can deduct the expense as this equipment qualifies as a business asset.

Blue Technologies Has the Perfect Printer for Your Needs

At Blue Technologies, we’ve curated a series of wide format print machines from leaders in the print and imaging industry. Our Konica Minolta and KIP machines can deliver unparalleled output that can perfectly match your firm’s needs while overcoming typical print challenges.

Since we carry several models, you will be able to choose the printer with the right set of features to meet the objectives of any size firm, from large to small.

All are production-ready with full-color capabilities and professional image quality for picture-perfect prints every time.

Find the wide format printer that will bring a new level of efficiency and competitive advantage to your firm. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant today and check out the features of our suite of high-performance wide format printers.