HP is introducing five new HP Indigo digital presses, three new HP PageWide Web Presses, and new cross-platform enhancements in quality, productivity, versatility and colour. The aim is to “broaden possibilities for printers for high-value commercial applications to help drive business growth,” said the OEM.“Representing the most significant HP Indigo Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) technology breakthroughs in 20 years,” the new HP Indigo portfolio includes three sheetfed presses, the HP Indigo 12000, 7900 and 5900 Digital Presses, the oversize B1-format duplex HP Indigo 50000 Digital Press, the HP Indigo WS6800p Digital Press for photo specialty applications, as well as an improved HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press, now equipped for commercial applications.
Expanding the High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) technology-powered HP PageWide Web Press portfolio, the new HP PageWide Web Presses T490 HD, T490M HD and T240 HD provide increased print quality and higher productivity than previously possible, helping printers to transfer more high-value commercial print applications from offset to inkjet. “Print service providers need industry-leading digital printing technology to make their creative ideas reality and reach new levels of profitability,” said Mike Salfity, VP and GM, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. “With the new category-defining HP Indigo and PageWide Web Press solutions, printers can differentiate themselves with high-quality, one-of-a-kind applications without sacrificing productivity.”
The new HP Indigo portfolio features cross-platform innovations that “reinvent general commercial printing” said HP. These include:
- A new benchmark in print quality, exceeding offset quality with integrated hardware, supplies and software innovations, including specialized print quality modes to increase print sharpness and smoothness. New High Definition Laser Array (HDLA) technology doubles print resolution to provide even higher print quality than before.
- Improved colour accuracy and consistency leveraging automated colour management tools, such as an inline spectrophotometre to meet the most stringent standards.
- New application possibilities, enabled by new HP Indigo ElectroInks, an expanded media range (including synthetic, metalized, canvas, black and coloured substrates up to 550 microns), and excellent ink adhesion with the on-press HP Indigo ElectroInk Digital Primer. Additionally, HP SmartStream Mosaic 3.0, the next evolution of its hyper-customization, software, offers new colour-shuffling capabilities that expand design options.
- Increased productivity and automation, allowing HP Indigo users to effortlessly process thousands of jobs per day. Customers are able to eliminate up to 50% of pre-press work with HP SmartStream Production Pro 6.0 and increase throughput up to 40% per shift with the HP Indigo Optimizer, which supports non-stop printing with on-press job sequencing and proofing during production, said HP. The enhanced HP SmartStream Production Center simplifies production management, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
- HP Indigo customers can further enhance productivity with more than 260 solutions from more than 80 workflow and finishing partners that offer end-to-end solutions tailored for a wide range of unique applications.
Enhanced HP PageWide Web Press quality and productivity
Advancing inkjet printing from niche applications to mainstream commercial print, HP PageWide Web Presses are now suitable for an increasing range of high-volume, offset-quality print applications, including colour trade books, journals, retail catalogues, brochures and marketing collateral. The 42-inch HP PageWide Web Press T490 HD digital colour duplex press delivers up to 1,000 fpm in performance mode (a 67% speed increase), and 500 fpm in quality mode. Its monochrome variant, the HP PageWide Web Press T490M HD, offers high-volume trade book manufacturers equivalent offset-class digital monochrome productivity. Additionally, the HP PageWide Web Presses T470 HD and T480 HD now offer 500 fpm in quality mode (a 25% increase since their introduction). The new 22-inch HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD prints at speeds up to 500 fpm in performance mode (a 25% speed increase) and 250 fpm in quality mode. With a monthly duty cycle of up to 60 million pages, it’s designed for commercial, production mail and book printing providers who require reliable colour performance in a two-up production environment.
Availability
The new HP Indigo portfolio will begin shipping in the second half of 2016, and new HP Indigo features are expected to be available as optional field upgrades in 2016. New High Definition Laser Array (HDLA) technology for the HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press will be available in 2017. The new HP PageWide Web Presses will be commercially available in 2016. Current duplex colour HP PageWide Web Press customers can upgrade to the new technology in 2016. All of the new HP Indigo digital presses and HP PageWide Web Presses offer HP PrintOS connectivity to improve print production management. HP PrintOS is expected to be available for customers on May 31 of this year.
