HP Indigo Enhances Digital Presses

BRUSSELS, Belgium—HP introduced the HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press, which is designed for versatility and productivity. It is capable of printing more than 40 linear meters (131 linear feet) per minute in full color and features a new in-line priming unit.

Other features for improved productivity include a new common digital front-end (DFE) from EskoArtwork, an improved white ink option, and new converting solutions from AB Graphic International, a member of the HP Graphics Solution Partner Program.

HP also introduced the industry’s most productive entry-level solution for digital labels, the HP Indigo WS4600 Digital Press, with an option for full-color throughput of more than 21 linear meters (69 linear feet) per minute. Both the WS6600 and WS4600 deliver higher throughput via a new Enhanced Productivity Mode developed by HP.

“With the Indigo WS6600, we can produce jobs of over 10,000 linear meters with the outstanding quality that our customers are demanding and still deliver fast turnaround,” said Roger Gehrke, executive manager of Digital Printing at beta user RAKO ETIKETTEN in Wizhave, Germany.

“There is increasing demand among top global brands to produce color labels and shrink sleeves on HP Indigo presses, based on their superior quality and rich color,” said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo division, HP. “Now with the new productivity enhancements, our customers can use Indigo presses to achieve this level of color quality on almost any job length.”

HP is showcased the new digital presses and solutions during Labelexpo Europe. The new solutions include:

• HP’s first-ever in-line priming (ILP) unit for a label and packaging press, a solution that enables the use of standard, untreated paper substrates and gives converters faster turnaround times and greater flexibility in the range of substrates they use. Featuring a new, custom-developed water-based primer from Michelman, the ILP option helps converters further improve their turnaround time and reduce costs. Customers can use the same substrates on their analog and HP Indigo digital presses while eliminating the extra step of off-line substrate preparation.

• A new HP SmartStream Labels and Packaging Print Server, powered by EskoArtwork, version 3.0 that features key improvements including 20 percent faster performance, a better user interface for seamless operation of multiple presses, enhanced color management and variable data capabilities, and bi-directional connectivity to the EskoArtwork Automation Engine. It also integrates with Heidelberg CERM and Tailored Solutions LabelTraxx management information systems.
• White Ink Plus for the Indigo WS6000 series, a more opaque version of the HP Indigo white ink that improves productivity by allowing converters to produce an opaque layer of white ink with only one impression.
• A new UV-light reactive invisible ink for the HP Indigo WS4600, providing additional capabilities in security printing applications for the pharmaceutical market and other industries.

Both the WS6600 and the WS4600 are available now. Many of the new options will be available in early 2012 as upgrade features for the HP Indigo WS6000 and ws4500 to protect and extend customer investments.

Innovations in label and flexible packaging converting

At Labelexpo, AB Graphic International highlighted its Digicon Series 2 in-line with the HP Indigo WS6000 series. It features a new dual-finishing option that gives users maximum production flexibility in determining how to convert each job. HP and AB Graphic also are introducing a new, discounted press and finishing unit bundle featuring the HP Indigo WS4600 Digital Press and the AB Graphic Digicon Lite finishing solution.

HP Indigo production lines can finish jobs quickly with a new off-line system from Gallus. With the system, converters can perform off-line finishing from two HP Indigo WS6000-series presses for greater throughput and shorter turnaround times.

Workflow solutions

HP added two new HP Indigo partners to its HP Graphics Solutions Partner program to expand its workflow solutions portfolio. Color-Logic’s Process Metallic Color System enables converters to create colored metallic highlights and effects on labels and packaging, and Prisme Technologies’ PrintSYS Web-to-print workflow solution provides a turnkey, cloud-based procurement system.