HP Graphic Arts Organization Brings Print 2.0 to Life

NEW YORK—HP has announced new graphic arts solutions and real-world, emerging digital printing applications designed to extend digital content creation and publishing platforms. The announcements reflect HP’s core Print 2.0 concepts, exhibiting digital printing’s ability to bring the world to life by elevating the power of printing. The new HP Graphic Arts offerings include:
• The HP Smart Labels and Packaging Solution, which leverages market-leading HP Indigo industrial press technology and HP IT systems in a comprehensive, cost-effective application designed to help customers meet pharmaceutical ePedigree serialization requirements.
• Two HP large-format printing (LFP) solutions – the new HP Designjet T1100 MFP and HP Scitex X2 technology – that offer higher functionality, productivity and quality to technical demanding professionals and print service providers (PSPs).
• Emerging, fast-growth books-on-demand, transpromotional and professional photo applications for digital color printing on HP Indigo presses.“HP is uniquely positioned to help customers create their digital difference throughout the commercial and industrial graphic markets,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, graphics and imaging business, HP. “Not only do we offer the broadest portfolio of digital solutions, but HP is the only company with the IT infrastructure, R&D expertise and partnerships needed to help customers capture business success.”

The new HP Designjet T1100 MFP is an integrated multi-function solution that adds complete scan and copy functionality to the HP Designjet T Printer series. With this new device, copy shops, small- to medium-sized businesses, government agencies specializing in geographic information systems, and architecture, engineering and construction professionals looking for versatile in-house printing can quickly and intuitively copy, scan and print a wide range of high-quality applications including line drawings, maps, renderings, images and posters.

HP has also established a new manufacturing and development center for X2 technology in the same Corvallis, Ore., factory that makes HP Scalable Print Technology, leveraging the company’s portfolio expertise to provide an economic advantage for customers.

X2 technology, the first HP-developed piezoelectric printing platform, is key to the HP Graphic Arts Organization taking a proactive, progressive role in the further conversion of analog pages to digital in the large-format space. It combines existing HP Scitex piezoelectric technology with proven, silicon-based MicroElectro-MechanicalSystems (MEMS) technology utilized in semiconductor manufacturing. This new inkjet head technology is highly durable and reliable and delivers the high ink flows needed for industrial high-speed printing, with outstanding print quality from every drop.

To help meet emerging regulatory demands such as 2009 California “ePedigree” serialization requirements, the HP Smart Labels and Packaging Solution, which will be available in March 2008, is the first release in the HP Product Tracking and Authentication Solution Portfolio. The new end-to-end label and packaging offering includes HP Trust, Track and Trace solutions for internal registry and operational database systems, streamlined label, carton and blister pack production using the HP Indigo press ws4500, and full integration with radio frequency ID (RFID) systems.

“Printing labels and packages with 2D barcodes on HP Indigo presses is the easiest way for brand owners to get up and running with ePedigree serialization requirements,” said Joe Tenhagen, vice president of marketing of Nosco, an HP Smart Labels and Packaging beta customer based in Gurnee, Ill. “Most of our customers are interested in solutions that integrate RFID tags for the pallet and case level of the supply chain, complemented by the HP Smart Labels and Packaging Solution at the item level.”

Serialization in pharmaceutical label and packaging production is the first digital printing application to fully leverage the variable-data print capabilities of HP Indigo industrial presses. It joins other applications—such as books on demand, transpromotional printing and photo books—that will help maintain HP Indigo’s market share lead in high volume digital production press technology.

HP unveiled its “What Do You Have To Say” marketing campaign today, which will have specific Graphic Arts components in Q1. In keeping with the campaign’s theme of self-expression is a new, impactful, book enabled by digital print technology. Author Mark Hoog’s “Letters from Katrina,” a new full-color self-published book printed by a customer, Lightning Source, on HP Indigo presses, features the full-color original artwork of children affected by Hurricane Katrina, along with first-hand accounts of the 2005 natural disaster in the form of their real-life pen-pal correspondence. The book, completed from concept to final product in a matter of months, showcases how color books-on-demand capabilities provide an avenue for authors and contributors that would not have immediate access to the mainstream book publishing community. Lightning Source on-demand solutions allowed quick turnaround on a special paperback version of this incredible book.

HP Indigo presses are also part of a new, emerging market for commerce in the form of transpromotional printing. This new application, enabled by the offset-quality color, speed and reliability available with the latest-generation digital press technologies, gives marketers the potential to outperform traditional direct mail response by combining data-driven, personalized marketing and promotional offers with “must-read’ statement and billing documents. Today, HP is announcing its first full-scale customer application in this market – the production of eight-million monthly credit card transpromotional statements on six HP Indigo press w3250s installed at direct-mail firm Oniya Shapira in Asseret, Israel.

HP is also presenting the continued success of digital press applications in the photography industry, where the near-silver halide quality possible with HP Indigo presses and liquid HP ElectroInk are establishing a high-end photo book market. At today’s event, professional photography publishing firm Couture Book, Phoenix, Ariz., is launching its new product offering, selling one-of-a-kind wedding and special-event photobooks produced by Phoenix-based PSP R and R Images on the new HP Indigo press 5500.