HP Adds To Its Portfolio

HP chose a sunny, seaside hamlet in Spain to show off its latest printers, a range of products that essentially completes its graphic arts portfolio.

By Bob Neubauer

As the sun rose over the nearby Mediterranean Sea, graphic arts journalists from all over the world gathered recently in a hotel auditorium in the coastal village of Sitges, Spain, to hear about Hewlett-Packard's latest technology innovations.

With new digital offerings ranging from wide-format printers to high-volume, commercial-quality color presses (including the first commercial press co-developed by HP and Indigo), HP now says it has the industry's most complete graphic arts portfolio.

HP couldn't have picked a better location for a mid-winter gathering, with bright sun and mild temperatures providing a nice break for travelers from colder climates.

At the opening press conference, HP Executive Vice President Vyomesh Joshi noted that the company's products (which include Indigo technology, thanks to the purchase of that company a few years ago), are ideal for several new markets HP plans to enter, namely forms, catalogs, brochures and packaging.

"We absolutely believe Indigo is the right technology," he stressed.

He also said HP has solved the problem of color matching between offset and digital with CMYK Plus, which HP press releases called "a new benchmark for color science and management capabilities." CMYK Plus allows HP printers to take standard CMYK files that were prepared for offset and use them to produce output, without any manual intervention. The resulting colors are consistent with those produced by offset presses in hue and lightness relationships.

The HP Showroom

After the opening press conference, HP ushered journalists into a showroom where it had assembled its full range of printers, both new and existing models. IPG took special notice of several new models (most of which are launching at Drupa).

First among these was the 50-ppm HP Color 9850mfp (which Joshi insisted was not a "me too" product for this range, but rather a necessary step to give HP customers the full range of products). Based on a Konica engine, the printer uses polymerized toner to produce 600x600-dpi resolution images while printing 50 ppm in either color or black and white.

HP has enhanced the media handling capabilities of the printer, which can output up to 13x19˝ sheets and heavy stock up to 110 lbs. in all trays (or 140 lbs. in the bypass tray). The 9850mfp comes with an upgraded EFI controller, a reversing automatic document feeder, an input capacity of 4,250 sheets and the ability to replace toner while the printer is running.

Another new polymerized toner product, the 85-ppm HP 9085mfp monochrome printer, became available in March. It also offers 600x600-dpi resolution. The HP 9085mfp handles a range of paper weights, sizes and stocks, and with an optional 4,000-sheet high-capacity input tray, it can feed up to 6,150 sheets total. Its reversible automatic document feeder accepts both one- and two-sided originals. Its monthly duty cycle is 750,000 pages. (At under $50,000, the 9085mfp is about half the price of the new Xerox DocuTech models, argued Bill McGlynn, HP's vice president of Digital Publishing Solutions.)

On the wide-format side, HP showed off two new six-ink models, the HP Designjet 30 and 130, with 2,400-dpi resolutions. They use new fade-resistant HP inks and media that reportedly resist fading for 70 years. Images are enhanced with automatic color calibration and HP layering technology. The HP Designjet 30 supports sheets up to 13x19˝ while the HP Designjet 130 handles cut sheets up to 18x24˝. The 130 also includes a 24˝ roll that can switch from standard to large-format media without intervention.

Entry Level High-speed Color

For in-plants just entering the digital production color market, HP has replaced its HP Indigo 3000 with the new 68-ppm HP Indigo press 3050, available with up to seven-color printing capabilities. Its paper path has been improved with increased paper feed reliability, especially for low-weight papers. New software improves press stability. HP also offers "no commitment" consumables pricing and one year of free service. Current users of the 3000 can get free upgrades (see your dealer).

The next step up from the 3050 is the new HP Indigo press 5000, the first commercial press co-developed by HP and Indigo. It can print 4,000 full-color letter-sized pages per hour. Like the 3050, it is compatible with new Series 4.0 HP ElectroInk, said to deliver longer photo imaging plate life, offer enhanced adhesion characteristics for coated stocks and improve resistance to rubbing, scratching and cracking.

The 5000 incorporates substantial innovations in paper handling, inking systems and production software tools, including tools for imposition, job control and a remote user interface. New color management tools offer configurable ICC-based color management, and CMYK Plus technology offers automatic, consistent color management. Also, HP Adaptive Half-toning analyzes text as it's being printed and adds dots to fill in gaps at the edges, ensuring crisp text and images. HP says color produced by the 5000 will not change in consistency from what is printed by an offset press.