HP today expanded its portfolio of sign and display printing solutions to accelerate the industry’s conversion from solvent-based to UV-curable and latex-based large-format printing.

The company is refreshing its product line to help customers pursue profitable growth opportunities and capture a larger share of the growing digital printing market.(1)

At FESPA 2010, the major large-format printing and imaging tradeshow of the year, HP announced:

• The new HP Scitex FB700 Printer, a versatile 98-inch (2.5-meter) flatbed printing solution that can load, print and collect up to six sheets of media simultaneously and offers an optional White Ink Upgrade Kit for specialty applications.
• The first public demonstration of its expanded HP Latex Printing Technologies portfolio, an innovative technology that is only offered by HP.
• Plans to spearhead a group of industry leaders to define open Job Definition Format (JDF) specification features for large-format printing, making it easier for print service providers (PSPs) to automate printing jobs and accelerate the web-to-print process.
• The expansion of the HP Large-format Media take-back program to include six new compatible media and seven additional participating European countries.

“Since we began shipping latex and UV-curable printing systems, demand has increased steadily as our customers recognize the superb image quality, ability to pursue new applications and significant environmental advantages over traditional solvent technologies,” said Yariv Avisar, vice president and general manager, Scitex Large-format Solutions, HP. “In just two months, we have made significant advancements to our portfolio, including the addition of five new UV and Latex printers and new workflow solutions and services offerings, that will help the entire industry to transform.”

HP today expanded its graphic arts portfolio to help its customers print top-quality, high-value materials and capture a larger share of a $124 billion global digital printing market.⁽¹⁾

Delivering on its strategy to drive the analog-to-digital print transformation, HP introduced digital presses, large-format printers, finishing and workflow solutions, services, and business-development programs, while also announcing significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of printing.

The company’s broad portfolio helps print service providers grow their businesses through new high-value digital applications ranging from publishing and transpromotional statements to marketing collateral, packaging and large-format signage.

HP is demonstrating its new solutions at Ipex 2010, the major graphic arts tradeshow of the year. HP has the largest stand and display of digital printing technologies at the show, including a simulated production floor and customer presentations that showcase HP’s extensive range of real-world applications.

Highlights include:

• the HP T200 Color Inkjet Web Press, the company’s first extension to the high-volume inkjet portfolio, which offers a lower-cost⁽²⁾ and smaller, 20-inch solution for print service providers seeking to adopt full-color inkjet web printing
• the HP Indigo 7500 Digital Press, a top-of-the-line, highly automated press designed to replace small and midsize offset presses for high-quality color applications such as photo books, marketing collateral and personalized direct mail
• the entry-level HP Indigo 3550 Digital Press that offers proven HP Indigo quality at a more affordable price
• four new HP Scitex large-format printers, including the first HP Scitex systems to offer odorless HP Latex Inks and two UV-curable printers, significantly reducing environmental impact compared to solvent inks while also delivering superior quality for high-profit signage applications
• the HP Designjet Z5200 Printer for copy shops, quick-printing firms and other small commercial print businesses interested in entering the large-format market
• new HP SmartStream workflow solutions and a range of finishing systems from HP and its partners, which improve productivity by up to 20 percent for commercial print jobs
• the HP Color Print Module, available for the first time in the new Pitney Bowes Envelope Messaging System, for high-value direct mail with color text and graphics personalization

HP today announced it has completed a sale agreement for an HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press with Consolidated Graphics (CGX), which is already using the press to produce a wide range of products on coated and uncoated paper.

CGX, one of the nation’s largest commercial printing companies with the world’s largest integrated digital footprint, installed the HP T300 at its Denver-based Frederic Printing company last year. The initial installation of the HP T300 enabled CGX to begin producing multiple titles of textbooks every day, as well as maps, engineered drawings, saddle-stitched books and other products that have traditionally been produced on analog presses.

CGX also has selected HP as its solution provider for digital color book printing applications, one of CGX’s fastest-growing markets. Unlike analog press technology, the HP T300 digital press can change content on the fly. This allows CGX to print multiple titles of varying page lengths, as well as personalized books, during the course of a single press run. The press also eliminates many of the fixed costs associated with analog press technology, substantially reducing minimum run-length requirements needed to meet economies of scale.

Since the first HP T300 commercial installation in December 2008, the press has helped advance digital print from niche to mainstream applications by offering cost-effective, high-volume digital color production.

“With the HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press, CGX has established itself as a true innovator,” said Aurelio Maruggi, vice president and general manager, Inkjet High-speed Production Solutions, HP. “By using the only digital color press available today that offers this level of productivity, CGX is setting an excellent example of how the HP T300 can help reinvent print’s role in publishing.”

HP today introduced two digital press solutions with capabilities that improve photo printing quality and color consistency.

The company also announced that output for HP Indigo presses has received a Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR) Display Permanence rating of approximately 45 years, the first of its kind for a digital press.⁽¹⁾

The new press solutions are designed for photofinishers, professional photographers, yearbook publishers, print service providers and other graphic arts professionals.

• The HP Indigo WS6000p offers professional portrait output quality as a high-quality, low-cost replacement to silver-halide systems.
• The enhanced HP Indigo W7200 Digital Press improves color management and consistency for high-volume printing of photo specialty products, including photo books.

HP additionally launched a partner solution from M-photo to manage professional lab workflow for HP Indigo presses and silver-halide output devices. HP also announced the general availability of the ARTtrust self-certification system for photographers and artists using HP Designjet Z Series Professional Photo Printers.

“Digital has crossed the gap between traditional and digital photofinishing in terms of quality, productivity and consistency, and now digital printing surpasses silver halide for photo permanence,” said Christopher Morgan, senior vice president, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. “HP’s solutions are accelerating the shift to digital, creating new business opportunities for print service providers, publishers and photographers.”