Year | Winner |
2000 | HP |
In India, the name synonymous with large format-printers is
HP. Epson and Canon have a tiny presence, but HP’s share is so huge that it’ll
take the other players quite a while to catch up. The other names associated
with large-format printers worldwide–EnCAD, Calcomp, Xerox–don’t seem to
have made any ripples here.
Large Format Printers |
|
User's Choice Club | UPI |
HP | 100 |
The market for large-format and wide-format printers is
gradually building up. Professionals involved in CAD and GIS need large-format
prints, as do graphics professionals and ad agencies –for posters, banners,
signs, and ads. Large-format printers are used for quality prints in sizes above
A3. There’s a range of printers for prints needed in A3 sizes as well.
HP introduced its large-format printers in 1996 and has
become the world leader in the segment. These printers can print in sizes up to
A0. They make use of HP’s inkjet technology. Last year, HP also introduced A3
size wide-format printers for the graphics professional, and one for the CAD
professional. HP’s large-format printers use four cartridges, while Epson’s
use six.
HP’s monopoly in this segment is also due to its focused efforts to build
the market. Large-format printers are used by two types of customers–those who
print for their own use, and those who print for use by others. HP has
concentrated on the latter–the print service providers–to build its market
share. It runs special programs for them–called the Certified Print Center
Program–that make them eligible for some benefits, and help them cater to
customers more efficiently. These programs are underway in many countries,
though India still has to catch up.