Taktisphere XL Launch Signals Expansion into Wide-Format Community

Taktiful officially announced the launch of Taktisphere XL, a new initiative dedicated to the wide-format printing industry. Hosted by founder Kevin Abergel, alongside Eric Vessels, Chief Experience Officer, and Jason Leonard, technical sales manager at Neenah, a member of the Taktiful Advisory Council and a wide-format expert, the discussion centered on expanding Taktiful's successful community-driven model into a new market.

Abergel described the launch as "a major new chapter" for both Taktiful and its growing “Taktisphere” community. While Taktiful has built its reputation around digital embellishment, the team believes the same principles – education, creativity, and value-based selling – are equally important in wide-format space.

As Vessels explained, "We're officially expanding into the wide- and grand-format market... with one clear mission: to help printers, brands, OEMs, and designers unlock more value from one of the most creative and powerful categories in all of print."

Leonard emphasized that wide-format has long lacked the type of collaborative community that helped accelerate adoption in digital embellishment. Although the technology is mature and incredibly versatile, he said, many businesses still operate in isolation, limiting opportunities to share best practices and discover new applications.

The speakers agreed that the industry's biggest challenge is education. Too many companies remain focused on commodity work rather than high-value applications, despite the tremendous creative opportunities available. Taktiful aims to fill that gap by providing practical resources, technical support, inspiration, and peer-to-peer collaboration.

Expanding Opportunities

Throughout the discussion, the presenters highlighted the breadth of opportunities within wide-format, from retail graphics and branded environments to architectural décor, acrylic installations, signage, and experiential marketing. Leonard encouraged printers to think beyond traditional banners and yard signs, noting that the greatest profitability comes from unique, customized projects.

"My goal... is to just push people to do bigger," Leonard said. "Find a way to do it and charge appropriately, because that's where the value is in this industry."

Taktisphere XL will feature many of the same resources that have made the original Taktisphere successful, including live virtual events, expert panels, technical forums, case studies, application spotlights, market research, and community discussions. The goal is to create an active, living community where printers, designers, brands, and equipment manufacturers can learn from one another.

The team also announced a major expansion of its popular Embellishment Technology Tour at PRINTING United Expo (September 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada). This year, attendees will have two separate guided experiences: one focused on digital embellishment and another dedicated entirely to wide format technologies, doubling the number of tour stops and educational opportunities.

Looking ahead, the hosts emphasized that Taktisphere XL is only the beginning. New partnerships, educational programming, live events, and community initiatives are already in development. As Abergel concluded, "This is us just planting the flag today... big things are coming."

Ultimately, Taktiful's vision remains consistent across both digital embellishment and wide-format: helping printers shift their focus away from competing on price and toward creating differentiated, high-value solutions that drive stronger business growth.