Mid-August should see the first shipments of the HP Latex 3000 Printer, which will make its worldwide debut at Fespa 2013. The announcement coincides with the rebranding of HP Designjet and Scitex latex printers and supplies, now under the umbrella HP Latex, part of the HP Large Format Graphics portfolio.
HP Latex printing technologies were introduced in 2008 as a water-based alternatives to solvent ink technologies. HP said that since then more than 15,000 of its latex printers have been shipped worldwide and more than 100 million square metres have been printed with HP latex Inks. HP expects these numbers to triple by 2016. It expects the new HP Latex 3000 Printer to help drive this growth, allowing a broader range of sign and display producers to shift from solvent and UV-curable 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. “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.”
The HP Latex 3000 is a 3.2m wide roll-fed machine, with a newly designed printhead offering 1200dpi native resolution. It uses third-generation HP 881 Latex Inks said to provide a scratch resistance comparable to hard-solvent inks on certain substrates.
Stated speed is up to 77m2/hr on indoor applications and up to 120m2/hr on outdoor applications. Standard carbon-fibre, 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 the printer running smoothly. Add-ons include HP On-site Uptime Parts Kits, HP Ramp-up Service and HP Customer Care Programmes.
In terms of the rebranding, note that the full latex printer range now comprises:
· The HP Latex 260, formerly the HP Designjet L26500
· The HP Latex 280, formerly the HP Designjet L28500
· The HP Latex 600, formerly the HP Scitex LX600
· The HP Latex 820, formerly the HP Scitex LX820
· The HP Latex 850, formerly the HP Scitex LX850
· The HP Latex 3000
HP Latex inks and supplies also will be rebranded to reflect the updated product naming.