Welcome to this week’s edition of Wide Format Brief, your curated take on the top shifts in hardware, software, and strategy driving the print industry forward. From award-winning solvent and dye-sub printers to bold branding applications and smarter DTO automation, this week's picks show the spectrum of innovation—from youth outreach to adhesive tech sticking (literally) to brick walls.
📢 This Week in Wide Format Brief:
Epson Wins Big at the Pinnacle Product Awards
PRINTING United Expo 2025 Targets Next-Gen Talent
Global Graphics Joins the Ghent Workgroup
Drytac Wraps Gas Monkey with 2,000 Sq Ft of Attitude
Inkcups Adds Smarts and Stretch to Helix ONE DTO Printer
📰 Top 5 Headlines This Week
1. Epson Honored with Five Pinnacle Product Awards
Summary: Epson secured five top honors at the 2025 PRINTING United Alliance Pinnacle Product Awards for its SureColor and SurePress lineup.Key takeaways:
Awards span solvent, dye-sublimation, and label press categories
Winning models include the S9170, F9570H, and L-6534VW
Validates Epson’s continued dominance in roll-to-roll production
Why It Matters:For LFP pros, Epson’s sweep reinforces trust in their platform reliability and output quality. Especially relevant for textile and label shops evaluating new hardware this cycle.
2. PRINTING United Expo 2025 Invites Students to Discover Print’s Future
Summary: Student Day returns October 23 at PRINTING United Expo with curated tours, tech demos, and direct access to real-world print workflows.Key takeaways:
Held in Orlando at PRINTING United Expo
Highlights include iLEARNING+ demos and AI Pavilion access
A push to close the industry talent gap
Why It Matters:Attracting future-ready talent is more than good PR—it’s strategic survival. Vendors and PSPs looking to recruit should consider participating in these outreach efforts.
3. Global Graphics Joins Ghent Workgroup and Earns Accreditation
Summary: Global Graphics Software officially joined the Ghent Workgroup (GWG), deepening its alignment with industry-wide prepress and PDF standards.Key takeaways:
GWG helps ensure compliance and interoperability
Global Graphics earns accreditation for core tech
Collaboration expected to influence next-gen workflows
Why It Matters:As PDF/X and print process automation tighten, having accredited tech partners onboard improves reliability, especially in hybrid and automated prepress pipelines.
4. DTX Wraps Turns Heads at Gas Monkey Icehouse with Drytac Polar Grip Air
Summary: DTX Wraps delivered 2,000 sq ft of stunning indoor/outdoor vinyl branding for the Gas Monkey Icehouse using Drytac’s Polar Grip Air.Key takeaways:
Vinyl applied to textured brick and cinderblock
Installed using Epson SureColor SC-S80600L
Combined with Weathershield Matte for 7-year durability
Why It Matters:The use case highlights Polar Grip Air’s strength on architectural surfaces—a signal for shops doing more than vehicle wraps.
5. Inkcups Upgrades Helix ONE DTO Printer with Smarter Automation
Summary: Inkcups adds Auto File, barcode scanning, a jettable primer, and small-diameter capabilities to its Helix ONE benchtop cylindrical printer.Key takeaways:
Enables direct print on objects as small as 33mm diameter
New SureBond primer streamlines powder-coated applications
Auto File supports print-on-demand and SKU flexibility
Why It Matters:DTO workflows just got leaner. These upgrades reduce misprints and setup time—ideal for short runs, drinkware, or cosmetics.
🎯 This Week’s Strategic Takeaway
Automated simplicity is the new complexity.From DTO barcodes to workforce outreach to student day engagement, this week shows that the future of wide format isn’t just in tech—it’s in smoother onboarding, smarter targeting, and scalable simplicity. Time to audit your own friction points.
❌ This Week’s Noise
Award overload?It’s easy to skim past headlines filled with “awards” and “accolades,” but don’t. Many category wins, like Epson’s solvent/dye-sub double play, directly reflect where vendors are investing—and where tech is maturing.
📅 What’s Coming Up
PRINTING United Expo 2025 – October 22–24 All segments. All sizes. One roof. Watch for next-gen workflow demos, student engagement events, and new product launches—this show sets the tone for 2026 investments.
🧠 Smarter Every Week
🧪 Print film on brick? Use bubble-free adhesive vinyl with grey backing and test adhesion with overlaminate applied before committing to 1000+ ft² jobs.
Thanks for tuning into this week's Wide Format Brief! Stay sharp, stay curious—and keep printing smarter. See you next week.