O’Neil Adds HP Indigo to Address Short Run and Variable Data Printing

PALO ALTO, CA—November 6, 2006—HP today announced that O’Neil Printing, a 98-year-old commercial sheetfed printing operation in Phoenix, Ariz., recently installed a six-color HP Indigo press 5000 to drive high-value short-run web-to-print collateral and other quick-turnaround applications.

O’Neil specializes in high-end commercial printing, using stochastic imaging for its offset presses to produce top-quality annual reports, calendars, brochures, posters, sell-sheets, product catalogs and other materials. The addition of the HP Indigo press 5000 not only supports the firm’s reputation for superior color print production, but also enables more cost-efficient on-demand collateral and targeted direct mail to a client base that includes state universities, financial institutions, medical product manufacturers and art galleries.

“HP digital color technology delivers a high-impact solution by marrying high quality color, variable data and short-run capabilities – all in one press – creating better returns on communications investments,” said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo division, HP. “For companies like O’Neil Printing, it’s the ideal solution for supporting their commitment to the best color quality and also in expanding their service offerings for personalized content fast.”

An employee-owned (ESOP) company since 1999, for the past three years O’Neil Printing has invested in front-to-back end improvements that meet the needs of a changing marketplace and provide the kind of value its customers have come to expect, including full-service mailing and a web-to-print ordering system called O’Neil Direct.

Matching digital to offset
“The hole in our service offering that was yet to be filled was short-run full color and variable full color,” said O’Neil General Manager Tony Narducci. “Strategically, we wanted the digital solution that was most like our offset solution in terms of look, feel, and quality.”

After careful testing of all leading digital presses in the marketplace, with samples from each press submitted to customers for feedback, O’Neil ultimately chose the HP Indigo press 5000. “The responses we got for samples other than those from the HP Indigo were, ‘Well, that’s pretty good for toner,’” said Narducci. “The HP Indigo 5000 was clearly the closest in quality to the offset printing we provide. It’s a totally different world.”

After hiring an experienced HP Indigo press operator and enrolling other team members in HP Indigo press and prepress training, the firm embarked on a digital operation that has become one of its fastest-growing departments. The new HP Indigo press has opened the door to a wealth of high-value variable imaging options, from direct mail to personalized invitations and similar targeted collateral.

The HP Indigo press 5000, the most advanced high-end digital printing press on the market, is designed for extremely demanding production environments. Pantone licensed, it prints in up to seven colors, delivering offset quality on a wide range of substrates, and is supported by a complete range of specialized solutions partners.

About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2006, HP revenue totaled $90.0 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.