Large Format Printing Chicago

What we produce
Trade show and convention graphics

Booth graphics, hanging signs, exhibitor banners, retractables, foamboards, and step-and-repeat backdrops for Chicago conventions and trade shows. This is the work we're best known for — covered in more detail in the convention printer section of our site.

 

Banners and backdrops

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Vinyl banners for events, indoor and outdoor signage, and fabric backdrops for stages, photo opps, and step-and-repeat installations. Standard sizes through fully custom dimensions, with grommets, pole pockets, or finishing to spec.

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Posters and foamboards

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Conference posters, gallery prints, presentation boards, and mounted graphics on foamboard, gatorboard, or rigid substrate. Standard academic and conference sizes (36" × 48", 42" × 56", etc.) through custom.
 

Retractable banner stands
 

Self-contained pull-up banner stands for trade shows, lobbies, and event entrances. We supply the graphic and the hardware as a single delivered unit, ready to use on arrival.
 

Point-of-sale and retail displays
 

POP displays, shelf talkers, end-cap graphics, and in-store signage for retail marketing campaigns. Often produced in coordinated batches alongside the mailed and printed components of the same campaign.
 

Step-and-repeat backdrops
 

Logo backdrops for press events, photo opps, gala step-and-repeats, and corporate event entrances. Fabric or vinyl, freestanding frames or wall-mounted, with custom logo repeats sized to camera distance.
 

Window graphics and signage
 

Adhesive window decals, perforated window vinyl, floor graphics, and wall murals for retail, corporate, and event environments. Removable or permanent adhesive depending on the application.

Why integrated large format matters

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Most large format printing in Chicago is produced by shops that only do large format. That's a legitimate model, and the specialists who do it well — AlphaGraphics, SpeedPro, Cushing, Colorphonic, and others — are good at what they do.
 

But for a meaningful portion of buyers, single-service shops create more work, not less. The financial firm running a Chicago investor event needs the step-and-repeat backdrop, the printed programs, the badge inserts, and the mailed invitations — and currently has to coordinate four vendors, four timelines, four proofs, and four invoices.

MidAmerican was built to be the single-vendor alternative on that kind of project. The large-format press is in the same building as the offset press, the digital press, the bindery, and the mailing operation. One project manager runs the whole job. One quote, one timeline, one accountable team.
 

Who this serves best: event producers and corporate marketing teams running multi-component campaigns where large format is one piece. If you only need a single banner with no supporting print, a large-format-only specialist may serve you faster. If you need the banner produced alongside the programs, the badges, and the direct mail, that integration is what we do.

Convention and trade show focus
 

Chicago hosts more major conventions than any other U.S. city, and large format printing for trade shows is the work
MidAmerican is best known for among exhibitors. We routinely produce:
 

• Booth back-walls, side panels, and overhead hanging signs

• Retractable banner stands and pop-up displays

• Step-and-repeat photo backdrops

• Foamboard signage and directional graphics

• Last-minute reprints when shipped materials arrive damaged or wrong

• On-site delivery to McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Rosemont, and downtown convention hotels
   

Out-of-town exhibitors are a regular part of our daily workflow — companies arriving in Chicago for a major show, discovering a print error or shipping problem, and needing a same-day reprint delivered straight to the booth. The Grand Avenue facility is positioned for exactly that kind of work.
 

Substrates and finishing
 

Common large format substrates we print on:
 

• Vinyl banner — outdoor durability, grommets and pole pockets standard

• Fabric — flagged backdrops, step-and-repeats, hanging signs (wrinkle-resistant, no glare under event lighting)

• Photo and poster paper — conference posters, gallery prints, presentation boards

• Foamboard and gatorboard — rigid mounted graphics, easel-back signs, directional displays

• Corrugated plastic (Coroplast) — yard signs, temporary outdoor signage

• Adhesive vinyl — window graphics, floor graphics, wall murals, vehicle graphics

• Rigid display board — point-of-sale, retail displays, exhibit panels
   

Standard finishing includes grommets, pole pockets, hemming, lamination for outdoor durability, mounting on rigid substrate, and contour cutting for shaped graphics.
 

Color management and consistency
 

MidAmerican is G7 Master Color Management Certified, which matters more for large format than most buyers realize. A trade show booth printed in panels needs to match across the entire wall. A reprint ordered three months later needs to match the original. A banner produced for the Chicago show needs to match the banner produced for the New York show. G7 certification is the third-party audit that confirms color reproducibility across all of those scenarios.
 

This is also why we can produce a coordinated event campaign — large-format backdrops, printed programs, mailed invitations — and have them all match in color. The same color standard runs across every press in the building.

Service area

We produce and deliver large format printing throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, including downtown Chicago, the Loop, River North, the South Loop, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, West Loop, Fulton Market, and the convention corridor. Direct delivery to McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Rosemont Convention Center, Chicago Hilton, Hyatt Regency, and downtown event hotels is part of our standard workflow.
 

Beyond Chicago, we ship large format work throughout Illinois — including Naperville, Schaumburg, Evanston, and Oak Park — and to clients in Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay, Wisconsin.
 

Frequently asked questions
 

What is large format printing?
 

Large format printing produces graphics ranging from 18 inches wide to over 100 inches wide using specialized roll-to-roll or flatbed printers. Common applications include trade show booth graphics, banners, retractable stands, posters, foamboards, step-and-repeat backdrops, point-of-sale displays, window graphics, and event signage.
 

Does MidAmerican do large format printing?
 

Yes. Large format printing is one of MidAmerican's core services, produced in the same 45,000-square-foot West Loop facility that handles our offset, digital, bindery, and mailing operations. We produce large format alongside the supporting print components, which is how most of our trade show and event clients use us.
 

What is the difference between large format and standard printing?
 

Standard printing produces materials up to about 13 by 19 inches on sheet-fed presses. Large format printing handles anything wider — from 18 inches to over 100 inches — using dedicated wide-format inkjet or flatbed equipment. The materials, inks, and substrates are also different: large format prints on vinyl banner stock, fabric, foamboard, corrugated plastic, adhesive vinyl, and rigid substrates that sheet-fed presses cannot accept.
 

Can MidAmerican produce trade show booth graphics in Chicago?
 

Yes. Trade show and convention graphics are one of our specializations. We routinely produce booth graphics, backdrops, retractables, and signage for exhibitors at McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Rosemont Convention Center, Chicago Hilton, and Hyatt Regency Chicago, and we deliver directly to venues. Same-day and next-day production is available for out-of-town exhibitors with last-minute needs.
 

What sizes and substrates can you print?
 

Standard large format output ranges from 24 inches to 60+ inches wide, with custom tiling available for installations of any size. Common substrates include vinyl banner stock, fabric for backdrops and step-and-repeats, photo and poster paper, foamboard, corrugated plastic, adhesive vinyl for window and floor graphics, and rigid substrates for displays and signage.

How fast can you turn around a large format job in Chicago?
 

Standard turnaround for large format is typically 2 to 3 business days. Same-day and next-day production is available for trade show and convention work where last-minute reprints or out-of-town shipping problems are common. Call us to confirm timing on specific jobs.
 

Do you deliver to McCormick Place and other Chicago convention venues?
 

Yes. We deliver directly to McCormick Place, Navy Pier, Rosemont Convention Center, Chicago Hilton & Towers, Hyatt Regency Chicago, and downtown hotels. Convention-venue delivery is part of our normal workflow.
 

Can you produce large format alongside printed programs and kits?
 

Yes — and that integration is the main reason event and convention clients choose us over large-format-only shops. We produce the booth graphics, the printed programs, the registration materials, and the mailed announcements as a single coordinated job, with one project manager, one timeline, and one accountable team.
 

Request a quote
 

For a large format printing quote in Chicago — whether it's a single banner, a full booth, or a coordinated campaign — call us at (312)663-4720, email at JFreund@midamericanprint.com , or use the quote request form. We typically respond within one business day, and we'll tell you upfront whether your project is a fit for an integrated shop like ours or whether a large-format-only specialist would serve you faster.