Widthwise 2025


Duncan Smith, country director, production, Canon UK & Ireland


Of the 62% who said they were looking to invest in new equipment during the next 12 months, 35% said they would spend 


Q3


This is a huge leap from last year, where  in a new printer. What do you think has triggered this change in mindset,


especially seeing as the economy is not in a healthy place at the moment?


More than a quarter (26%) said the Q4


biggest issue they are facing currently  issues. How do you think this can be overcome and can wide-format PSPs expect anything new from you to assist them in this area?


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We believe that this change in mindset has largely been triggered by the increased productivity and functionality of emerging technology. Our investment in R&D means that we’re able to continuously upgrade existing products and also introduce new products to our customers. We experienced this enthusiasm and excitement at drupa 2024 where we showcased various new transformative technologies to new and potential customers. Despite the state of the economy, PSPs understand that if they don’t keep up with the latest technology, especially in the AI era, they’re at risk of falling behind.


Another big part of PSP’s willingness to invest is down to their relationships with manufacturers. At Canon, building long-lasting relationships with our partners and customers, focused on trust and reliability, is at the heart of our business. We aim to set the standard when it comes to going above and beyond to offer our support and expertise, especially throughout the investment process.


Jessica Shorten Hood, product manager, C&I, Epson UK


It’s a clear reflection of the mindset that opportunity often lies in times of change. PSPs have recognised that to stay relevant and competitive, strategic investment is non-negotiable. Many are expanding their offerings. Those specialising in signage are scaling into T shirt printing; T shirt printers are exploring dye-sub printed merchandise; wedding photographers are exploring UV printed gifts; homemakers are joining the cottage industry with desktop printers that can create easy revenue streams.


Even small businesses and individuals are joining the ‘maker economy’ with compact, high-performance desktop printers that turn creative passions into profit. Economic challenges often push innovation, and it’s inspiring to see the industry leaning and innovating for growth.


As PSPs are under increased pressure to deliver highly technical print jobs under tighter turnaround times, ensuring frictionless workflow and system integration to maximise productivity is crucial. Automation is key here. To keep pace with customer demands, PSPs require devices and systems that fit seamlessly into an automated workflow to help streamline production.


We understand that for businesses, time is money, and every second makes a difference to the efficiency of their workflow. That’s why end-to-end workflow and output management is key to our production offering at Canon, especially with our PRISMAproduction platform. This offers a single, secure platform to manage all production printing systems, from Canon or multiple vendors. The ability to connect third party software enhances ease of integration with existing workflows and the management of the entire production cycle.


By automating production devices and processes across the workflow, PSPs can decrease turnaround times, reduce costs and even open up new business opportunities.


Workflow optimisation and seamless system integration are absolutely essential in achieving efficiency, consistency, and scalability.


At Epson, we’re deeply focused on elevating our technology in these areas. While I can’t disclose specifics about upcoming products, we’re excited about the possibilities enabled by our acquisition of Fiery, a leader in digital front-end solutions. Its software, server, and workflow platforms align closely with our vision to support the digital transformation of print. Together, we’re working on solutions that help PSPs streamline operations, reduce errors, and manage complex job flows with greater ease.


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