There is much to weigh-up when buying any piece of printing equipment, and in the large-format market considering the technology that drives the machine is a factor. It can make the difference to your return on investment, print quality, and operational efficiency. In short, you need to be sure. There are two technologies at play if you want to print onto rigid materials: flatbed and belt-fed hybrid. UV inkjet technology has helped these two formats, with the ability to enable high-speed and high-resolution printing on a diverse range of media. Both have their pros and cons but it's worth examining the two approaches; why opt for one over the other and what's the best route to maximum quality and efficiency? Variety of Choice To help understand the approach, it’s worth looking at belt-driven machines and compare them to true a flatbed design. A conveyor system on the belt-fed hybrid machine is used to move materials under a stationary print gantry and are often considered if a larger share of the work is on roll material. There is a wide variety of machines to choose from, with different manufacturers offering systems at varying speeds and prices. These systems – from 1.6m to 5m-wide – are best suited for continuous large runs using collapsible roller feed tables, A true flatbed printer can enable greater accuracy and positional placement of media. However, that's not to say that belt-fed hybrid solutions don't have their place. But what are the differences between the two technologies? SwissQprint gives its insight What’s the Difference Between a True Flatbed and a BeltFed Hybrid Printer? ADVERTORIAL CLOSER LOOK | SWISSQPRINT allowing operators to easily handle oversized boards. Feeding the material through is straightforward; as a job is being printed, the next one is already being lined up, ready to slide into position. Improved Access The roller feed tables don't just offer loading advantages. They can be detached when not in use helping to reduce the footprint of the machine, improving access for operators on the shop floor. Without the tables, the machines themselves can have a comparatively smaller footprint providing easier access into buildings without wide access. Belt-fed hybrids can handle oversized boards; an advantage compared to most flatbeds. However, while this may be the case many hybrids are not able to print anything less than A3 size. Print Quality Print quality tends to be good enough for many applications that do not require up close viewing. However, when it comes to printing fine text and high-quality, for example, a true flatbed is the better bet. That's because with belt-fed systems, there is less control of dot placement due to the moving belt, and they tend to run with a higher distance between the print head and the material. Hybrid machines will struggle with accurate double-sided printing, whereas this is a simple, very precise process on a true flatbed. If neither is an issue, then a print service provider (PSP) 36 Issue 360 - May | June 2026 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk ▲ The swissQprint Nyala 5 flatbed printer
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