HP Expands and Rebrands Its Latex Printing Technology Portfolio

PALO ALTO, CA—June 3, 2013—HP today expanded its industry-leading portfolio(1) of HP Latex Printing Technologies with the introduction of the HP Latex 3000 printer, helping industrial print service providers (PSPs) produce high-value applications with improved productivity, quality and versatility.

HP also announced the rebranding of its HP Designjet and Scitex latex printers and supplies. The new sub-brand for these offerings is HP Latex, demonstrating the strategic importance of latex to the HP Large Format Graphics portfolio.

HP Latex Printing Technologies were introduced in 2008 as a water-based alternative to solvent ink technologies. Since then, more than 15,000 HP Latex printers have been shipped worldwide(2) and more than 100 million square meters have been printed with HP Latex Inks. HP expects these numbers to triple by 2016, with the number of latex-printed pages growing rapidly while the number of solvent-printed pages simultaneously declines by as much as 33 percent.(3)

The HP Latex 3000 printer will help drive this growth, allowing a broader range of sign and display customers to shift pages from traditional solvent and UV-curable technologies to HP Latex Printing Technologies.

“Industrial print service providers constantly battle increasing competition along with shrinking timelines and budgets for big projects in this buyers’ market,” said Xavier Garcia, vice president and general manager, Large-Format Sign and Display Division, HP. “As the leader in large-format printing, HP is offering latex solutions that give our customers a unique advantage to cost-effectively address these challenges with new levels of productivity, quality and application versatility.”

Meeting industrial printing needs with HP Latex Printing Technologies
Creating a competitive advantage for high-volume PSPs, the HP Latex 3000 printer offers broader media versatility, including heat-sensitive substrates, with the HP Latex Optimizer. This new ink solution ensures consistent image quality at high speeds as well as efficient curing at lower temperatures and with less energy than previous HP Latex solutions.

Third-generation HP 881 Latex Inks also provide a scratch resistance comparable to hard-solvent inks on certain substrates,(4) making them ideal for applications including retail displays, outdoor advertising, vehicle graphics and interior décor.

The printer’s increased production capacity lets high-volume customers meet tight deadlines, producing 830 ft2/hr (77 m2/hr) of indoor applications(5) and 1,290 ft2/hr (120 m2/hr) of outdoor applications.(6) Standard carbon-fiber, dual-roll spindles also help reduce media loading times and the need for operator intervention.

The HP Scitex Print Care proactive maintenance scheduler, along with automated diagnostics and alerts, helps customers keep their printers running smoothly. Additionally, bundled HP On-site Uptime Parts Kits, HP Ramp-up Service and HP Customer Care Programs help assure productivity and profitability.(7)

Delivering odorless prints ideal for sensitive indoor display environments,(8) HP Latex Inks help create a safe and comfortable printing environment for print shop staff. HP Latex Inks are UL ECOLOGO and GREENGUARD Gold CertifiedSM, while prints meet AgBB criteria and are A+ rated according to Émissions dans l'air intérieur.(9,10)

New HP Latex sub-brand simplifies customer experience
Demonstrating the strategic importance of latex to the HP Large Format Graphics portfolio, HP is creating a sub-brand to help customers more easily identify the best HP Latex solution for their shop size and application needs. HP Latex Printing Technologies now include:

• The HP Latex 260 printer, formerly the HP Designjet L26500 printer
• The HP Latex 280 printer, formerly the HP Designjet L28500 printer
• The HP Latex 820 printer, formerly the HP Scitex LX820 industrial printer
• The HP Latex 850 printer, formerly the HP Scitex LX850 industrial printer
• The HP Latex 3000 printer

HP Latex inks and supplies also will be rebranded to reflect the updated product naming.

Availability
The HP Latex 3000 Printer is expected to be available worldwide on Aug. 15.(11)

More information about the latest additions to the HP Latex portfolio is available at www.hp.com/go/signanddisplaylaunch2013 and www.hp.com/go/latex. Product videos and updates are available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HPdesigners, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts.

About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world.

(1) IDC, “Worldwide Quarterly Large Format Printer Tracker Final Historical 2012,” February 2013.
(2) As reported by HP in Q3 FY2013.
(3) Based on HP internal data as of Q1 2013.
(4) Scratch-resistance comparison based on testing HP Latex Inks and representative hard-solvent inks. Estimates by HP Image Permanence Lab on a range of media.
(5) Printed in high-quality indoor (6-pass 6-color) mode.
(6) Printed in outdoor (3-pass 6-color) mode.
(7) Service package not bundled with the HP Latex 3000 Printer in all regions.
(8) Some substrates may have inherent odor.
(9) UL ECOLOGO Certification to UL 2801 demonstrates that an ink meets a range of stringent criteria related to human health and environmental considerations (ul.com/EL). HP Latex Inks are GREENGUARD Gold CertifiedSM (www.greenguard.org).
(10) HP PVC-free Wall Paper printed with HP Latex Inks meets AgBB criteria for health-related evaluation of VOC emissions of indoor building products (www.umweltbundesamt.de/produkte-e/bauprodukte/agbb.htm). Émissions dans l’air intérieur provides a statement on the level of emission of volatile substances in indoor air posing health risks if inhaled—on a scale from A+ (very low emission) to C (high emission).
(11) Availability will be country dependent and subject to change.

Source: HP.