HP Announces New Latex Partner Solutions and Mobile App Capabilities at SGIA Expo

ATLANTA—November 4, 2015—HP Inc. has announced that the HP Latex 300 printer series has achieved the No. 1 market position in its category,(1) demonstrating a transformative shift in the sign and display industry from solvent to latex technology driven by HP innovation.

Since the introduction of HP Latex Printing Technology in 2008, more than 30,000 HP Latex printers have been installed at customer sites worldwide, with third-generation HP Latex devices achieving industry-leading growth in the digital wide-format market. The HP Latex 300 printer series grew 46 percent year over year and the HP Latex 360 printer is ranked as the top-selling printer in its category in the U.S.(1)

Increasing productivity for its extensive HP Latex installed base, HP also announced new partner solutions, including the Foster Low Profile On-a-Roll media lifter and  Fotoba JRU170 motorized feeder, as well as the availability of metrics capabilities for HP Latex Mobile tablet users.

“HP Latex Technology delivers unprecedented application versatility and durability while keeping the environment in mind,” said Xavier Garcia, general manager,  Large-format Printing, HP. "New product introductions, workflow advancements, and strategic partnerships have been essential to the growth and success of the HP Latex portfolio and, most importantly, of our customers."

New partner solutions for HP Latex customers
On display in HP booth 2609 at SGIA Expo, the new Foster Low Profile On-a-Roll Media Lifter is designed for use with the HP Latex 3000 Printer series and enables a single operator to safely and efficiently handle oversized, heavy media in tight production spaces. The new media lifter can be used with all spindles, load media up to 661 lbs. (300 kg) and 16 feet (5 meters) long, and features safety straps to safely load rolls for transport.

Reducing bottlenecks in finishing, the new, heavy-duty Fotoba JRU170 motorized feeder works with the  XLD170 series Fotoba digital print cutter and the HP Latex 3500 printer for an integrated finishing workflow, with the ability to carry and feed rolls up 440 lbs. (200 kg), finishing up to 3280 linear feet/hr. (1,000 linear meters/hour). This new solution offers more automated and unattended production to increase workflow efficiency, reducing operator time and minimizing space needed for finishing.

“Our company was looking for a new solution that could significantly increase productivity, including making more unattended and overnight printing a possibility, while keeping up with the industry’s most advanced technology,”  relayed Oscar Stucchi, president, Biesse srl. “With the HP Latex 3500 printer and the Fotoba JRU170 motorized feeder, we now have an advanced finishing workflow in place to achieve competitive quality at faster turnaround times, with projects regularly running overnight.”

Additionally, the recently announced 3M Screen Print UV Gloss Clear 9760LX  for third-generation HP Latex inks is now commercially available, and features a five year vehicle warranty when used with 3M premium solutions.

Metrics capabilities for HP Latex Mobile tablet app
Now available for the HP Latex Mobile tablet application, new metrics capabilities enable users to review compiled metrics around printer activity, ink and media levels. In addition to viewing within the tablet application, users can also email metrics information to a paired computer in order to view ink and media usage in more detail, as well as review productivity per printer or job, helping customers improve production planning and operation.

Available in 12 languages, the free HP Latex Mobile application for tablets and smartphones is compatible with HP Latex 300 and 3000 Printer series, including the recently introduced HP Latex 3500 and 3100 Printers.(2)

HP at SGIA Expo 2015
The top supplier for digital wide-format printing systems worldwide,(1) HP is showcasing its latest portfolio of solutions at SGIA Expo, including:

• The HP Latex 310, HP Latex 360 and HP Latex 370 printers, representing the No.1 low-volume printer series and allowing more customers to take advantage of the benefits of third-generation HP Latex technology.
• The recently introduced HP Latex 3500 printer, ideal for high-volume, dedicated application production, enabling more unattended operation with heavy-duty roll-handling and 10 liter ink cartridges.
• The new HP Scitex FB550 and FB750 industrial printers, which can print on rigid and flexible media, and offer a new tabletop roll holder design for flexible substrates for easy and efficient short-run printing and safe-media loading.
• The fastest large-format monochrome and color printer ever, the HP PageWide XL 8000 printer, offering up to 50 percent savings in total production costs.(3)
• The 60-inch HP Designjet Z6800 photo production printer, printing up to 50 percent faster than previous HP devices(4) and featuring advanced color management to deliver high-value indoor applications and gallery-quality prints lasting up to 200 years.(5)
• Available in the U.S. and Canada, the 54-inch HP Latex 110 printer, ideal for customers seeking easy, affordable entry into large-format printing without a large upfront investment.

More information about HP’s large-format sign and display printing solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/graphic-arts, on the HP Graphic Arts YouTube channel, @HPGraphicArts on Twitter and on the HP for Designers Facebook page.

About HP Inc.
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(1)   Based on IDC market research as of August 2015 specific to the low-volume digital large format market:

Size=42-44”, 45-71” and super-wide
Toner/Ink Type=Aqueous, Solvent, Eco Solvent and Latex
Media Output: Roll-to-Roll
Source: IDC WW Quarterly LFP Tracker, Final Historical 2Q15, Aug 2015

(2) Only HP Latex 300 and 3000 series printers are supported. HP Latex Mobile is compatible with Android 4.1.2 or later and iOS 7 or later, and requires the printer and the smart phone or tablet to be connected to the Internet.
(3) HP PageWide XL 8000 printing at up to 30 D/A1 pages/minute for large-format printing of technical documents, GIS maps, and point-of-sale (POS) posters compared with printers under $200,000 USD as of March, 2015 including 36-inch wide LED printers (printing up 22 D/A1 pages/minute) and printers based on Memjet technology (printing up to 800 D/A1 pages/hour) based on internal HP testing. Production costs savings based on HP PageWide XL 8000 Printer compared with a combination of a monochrome LED printer and a color production printer, both under $150,000 USD, as of April, 2015; testing criteria and production cost detail assumptions available upon request.
(4) The HP Designjet Z6800 Production Printer delivers 54 percent faster printing speeds than the HP Designjet Z6100 Printer (demonstrated by internal HP tests).
(5) Display permanence rating for interior displays/away from direct sunlight by HP Image Permanence Lab, and by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. on a range of HP media

Source: HP.