TAVCO Construction Technology Blog

Do you want your large format prints to really pop, be durable, and resist fading?

To achieve the best results, the obvious solution is to make sure to use the right print media for the specific desired result. For instance, use photo paper for a large photo image, vinyl for banners, etc. But, one often overlooked aspect to printing the perfect image is found the ink itself.

In fact, the secret to printing awesome large format photos or graphics has just as much to do with the quality of the ink as the print material. This is why Canon has spent so much time researching and developing the best technologies for word class prints. Check out how Canon has elevated the playing field with their LUCIA ink sets for Canon large format printers. 

Businesses across the country need ways to clearly communicate the current COVID-19 hygiene and social distancing policies. Custom signs and posters are a great way to do this. Although you can have a print shop or online provider make these for you, there are some constraints to consider. Quality control is out of your hands and turnaround times can be an issue.

Poster printing used to be a privilege reserved exclusively for high-end commercial print shops. Sure, they do good work, but it is expensive - especially if you are printing signs, book covers or posters on a regular basis.

But, changes in technology have not only made poster creation and poster printing much easier, it has made it more accessible to everyone.

Today, if you can click a mouse, you can print some amazing posters with Canon equipment and software. See how.

Today, it is commonplace to overhear someone recognize a member of our Armed Forces by saying, “Thank you for your service,” but one Texas man is doing much more than that.

Ken “The Dauber” Prigeon has spent several years painting hundreds of portraits of Texas Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have been killed in action.

His work showcases how one person can have a positive impact on the tragic loss experienced by hundreds of Texas families.

Lots of people would love to display fine art in their home, but artwork can be really expensive. Luckily, another alternative is to get a high-quality reproduction of a painting called a giclee.

Throughout Austin and Central Texas, artists and buyers alike continue to rely on the top-notch giclee printing services of Austin Art & Frame.

See how they do it and learn about their business in our exclusive TAVCO Partner Profile.

Why Canon PRO 4000 & 2000 Photo Printers Exceed Expectations

Leave it to Canon to raise the bar when it comes to producing new ultra-high quality wide-format printers.

And the new breed doesn’t disappoint. In fact, the new Canon PRO Series is turning heads with a multitude of new technologies that are completely different from anything else in the competitive field.

Although designed for professional photography and other digital artwork, there are plenty of situations where one of these photo printers would fit nicely.

See 9 reasons why the Canon PRO 2000, 4000, and 6000 printers will exceed your expectations.

Top Requirements for Map Plotters for Printing GIS Maps & Images

In 1597 Sir Francis Bacon declared that "knowledge is power."  Back then, the known world was a lot smaller, and he was only armed with a handful of books.

Today, anyone with an internet connection can get a mountain of knowledge, with a single mouse click.

This is easily showcased by the amazing amount of geographical information instantly available through Google Maps or Google Earth.

Both of these applications operate as web-based conglomerations of data sourced from both data and images, sourced from satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS. 

But, if you need a way to actually print this data in the form of GIS maps, aerials, or images, you need a printer that is fully capable of handling the task. 

While it may seem tempting to shrug off yard signage in the digital age where social media reigns supreme, high-quality signage is indeed still a big part of real estate. Just as importantly, you don't want to take the budget route by trying to design make your own signs or placing a placard in your window. No matter how talented you are in crafts, it is really worth it to invest in high-quality signs. Think of it as your "Go Big to Sell Home" strategy!

Drones, also known as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), have become a staple fixture in our society. The military certainly has relied on these small, remotely piloted aircraft for operations in the Middle East, but their potential is so much more than that. You can easily spot consumer models at big-box retailers and companies like Amazon are experimenting with drone-based deliveries. But, the most promising aspect of these UAVs lies in the enhanced capabilities of drones with cameras for commercial use. They provide companies of all sizes the ability to gather 3D data and capture incredible images. Then, users can send the images to a wide-format printer to make maps or aerial photos. Having the power to print and share drone images is giving companies who invest in this technology a massive advantage over their peers.

It has been a long time coming, but we have finally turned the key and unlocked our new online web store dedicated to plotter paper, ink, toner, and other wide-format supplies. Now, TAVCO clients will have the convenience of ordering supplies 24/7. You can access the new site at texasplottersupplies.com.

The new generation of ultra-high-quality large-format printing equipment is here. The Canon PRO-4000 and PRO-2000 are Canon’s newest iterations and they promise not to disappoint. Both are designed for the highest quality of output demands to meet the needs of photographers, artists, and marketing professionals. One thing that makes this new wide-format platform so different is that they have been developed as a Canon-to-Canon, camera-to-printer solution. This enables these printers to produce incredible large-format prints that maintain all of the color, texture, and emotion captured in the original image. Check out all of the advantages offered by the new Canon imagePROGRAF PRO Series.

It has been interesting to watch wide-format printing trends over the past few years. Surprisingly, the highest area of growth has been in the graphics and photography segment. This is partially due to companies of all types stepping up their marketing efforts with more display graphic materials. Canon has responded to this new demand by investing their R&D resources on the next wide-format platform, the new PRO Series. This includes both the 24-inch PRO 2000 and the 44-inch PRO 4000. Both promise to be the new graphics and poster printer standard. Here are the highlights of the new improvements.

Wide-format printing technology has definitely reached new heights with the introduction of the Océ ColorWave 700 system. This new, large-format platform from Canon Solutions America is designed to print both graphics and technical wide-format documents equally well. Sure, there are plenty of other printers out there that claim the same, but the ColorWave 700 (CW700) is fundamentally different in that it uses patented TonerPearls rather than ink. This difference opens a wide range of new and improved uses for the Océ ColorWave 700 system.

An Unexpected Use for Wide-format Printers:

Making movies in Hollywood is usually not the first thing you envision when it comes to wide-format printers, but Russell Bobbit thinks otherwise. He is the Property Manager for Marvel's latest Captain America, The Winter Soldier. See how he has incorporated the printer into his creative process. Here's how: