HP expands graphic arts portfolio

HP has expanded its graphic arts portfolio to offer customers a wider range of digital solutions that feature ‘industry-leading productivity, print quality and color consistency’, according to a statement.

The new solutions, which focus on accelerating HP’s growth in key areas of the printing market, enable customers to offer ‘high-quality services, differentiate from competitors and, in turn, increase revenue opportunities’. Highlights of the news announced at the 2007 HP Graphic Arts Summit include:

• Two new HP Indigo presses – including the flagship HP Indigo press 5500, which is also available in a special photo package, and the entry-level HP Indigo press 3500 – that are designed to bring industry-leading productivity and digital offset print quality to commercial printers;

• The company’s first branded finishing accessory, the HP Indigo UV Coater;

• The HP mPrinter 1700c, the company’s first process-color device for original equipment manufacturer partners;

• The HP Designjet T Printer series, offering new levels of print quality and dependability to the technical market; and
• The HP Designjet Z6100 Printer series, which offers a market-leading combination of speed, quality and consistency to print service providers and technical work teams.

Featuring more than 50 digital solutions that enable the professional printing of everything from postage stamps to building wraps, HP’s graphic arts portfolio is designed for a wide variety of customers, including commercial printers and specialty businesses such as photo merchandise providers, direct mail houses, graphic design firms and technical organizations. By 2010, the value of pages printed in the global graphic arts market is projected to be $98 billion.

The new solutions in particular focus on four key areas of the printing market: marketing collateral, direct mail, photography and technical, which includes architectural, engineering and construction, computer-aided design (CAD) and geographic information systems (GIS).

‘The digital solutions announced today are not only easy to use, cost-effective and high quality, but also enable commercial printers to grow their businesses with broader service offerings and increased profit margins,’ said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Graphics and Imaging Business, HP.