Fujifilm’s retreat from wide-format is not a surprise. It is a sign of where this industry is heading.
By Scott Clutton, Managing Director, China Print Supplies
Fujifilm confirmed this month that it will stop selling the Acuity Prime and Acuity Ultra wide-format systems, with existing stock being run down by summer 2026. The company has also pulled the Jet Press 750S and Jet Press 1160CF from its European portfolio, citing profitability issues in a market it describes as ‘maturing.’
It is a significant move from a manufacturer that helped define the UV flatbed sector. And while Fujifilm says it remains committed to inkjet through printheads, inks and its partnership with Barberán on single-pass technology, the underlying message is hard to miss. The economics of wide-format hardware have changed.
We have been saying this for years
The reasons behind Fujifilm’s decision are not unique to one company. The cost of developing, manufacturing and supporting wide-format hardware in Europe and Japan has been climbing for years, while I’ve seen firsthand how Chinese manufacturers have been building machines that hit the same production benchmarks at significantly lower price points.
At China Print Supplies, this is something we have been talking about for a long time. We’ve built a business on it, after all. We’ve watched Chinese manufacturers invest heavily in R&D, quality control and international service infrastructure. The gap between what they produce and what the established OEMs offer has been closing steadily, and for many applications, it has closed entirely.
Fujifilm’s decision to step back from wide-format hardware is one of the clearest signs yet that the established players recognise this shift too.
What we built and why
We set up CPS around a simple principle. Professional-grade wide-format equipment does not need to carry a premium price tag if the supply chain between factory and end user is short and efficient. We work directly with leading Chinese manufacturing partners, cutting out the layers of distribution that push hardware costs up without adding anything for the buyer.
That is not about offering a budget alternative. The machines we supply are built to the same tolerances, using the same componentry, and delivering the same output quality and reliability that any print business would expect from an established brand. What we have removed is the overhead.
Crucially, every machine we supply comes with a full warranty, including printheads, and is backed by our own UK-based support. We are not simply shipping hardware and walking away. We carry spare parts, we provide technical assistance, and we are on the end of the phone when something needs sorting out. That level of after-sales commitment is what separates a genuine equipment partner from a box-shifter, and it is something we have invested in from day one.
When the cost of replacing or adding a flatbed or roll-to-roll machine drops significantly, it changes the conversation for print businesses. It moves from whether you can afford new equipment to when it makes sense to invest.
What this means for print businesses
The reshaping of the OEM landscape is not going to happen overnight, but it is happening. Every major manufacturer is reassessing where it can compete profitably, and the decisions Fujifilm has made are unlikely to be the last of their kind.
For print businesses, the practical question is simple. If the machines coming out of China can match the established names on print quality, build quality and service life, and the pricing reflects a leaner route to market rather than a lower specification, then the buying decision comes down to support, availability and total cost of ownership. Those are exactly the areas where we have focused our business.
This is not about cheap imports replacing premium products. It is about the market catching up with reality. We supply professional equipment with full 12-24 month warranty cover, UK-based support and the parts availability to keep machines running. The businesses that recognise this shift early, and choose a partner that will stand behind the hardware, are the ones that will stay competitive and profitable. That is the position we want to help our customers be in.
To find out more email scott@chinaprintsupplies.co.uk