HP Previews Drupa Products

Last week HP held a pre-Drupa press event in Tel Aviv, Israel, where it unveiled several new technologies. In the spotlight were its Ink-jet Web Press, Latex Inks, SmartStream Digital Workflow Portfolio and three new Indigo digital presses. All will debut at Drupa.

Causing quite a stir among the debuted products was the 30˝ HP Ink-jet Web Press—reportedly the world’s first 30˝ digital ink-jet web press designed for high-volume production of books, transpromo mail, direct marketing materials and newspapers. The new web press, which prints at 600 dpi at speeds up to 400 fpm, will be available in the summer of 2009.

However, it was Indigo that took center stage at the four-day event, with attendees witnessing firsthand the digital press’s diverse printing capabilities. Press kits, postcards, name badges, hotel key cards, wine bottle labels and even bongo drums—all printed and personalized on Indigo presses—illustrated Indigo’s reach across a range of printing substrates and applications.

Front and center was the new Indigo 7000, a cost-efficient digital press that produces photo quality material at speeds of 120 ppm in four-color. The 7000 will be available in June.

Also new is the Indigo W7200, a high-quality commercial press designed for publishing, direct mail and transpromo applications. Next was the HP Indigo WS6000 label and packaging press that, according to HP, “offers twice the productivity of the HP Indigo ws45000 press.” Both the W7200 and WS6000 models are slated for availability in early 2009.