The rollout – the company’s most extensive graphic arts push to date – supports HP’s Print 2.0 strategy to capture more digital pages from the analog print market and enable printing customers to take advantage of new market segments and business opportunities.

Spanning high-speed inkjet production, offset- and photo-quality liquid electrophotographic printing as well as large-format printing, the new offerings will be featured at drupa, the world’s largest printing equipment exhibition, in HP’s booth in Hall 8A, May 29-June 11, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

New products and technologies are being previewed this week at a Tel Aviv event for customers, partners, press and analysts. Highlights include:

• A high-speed 30-inch (762-mm) inkjet platform for high-volume production of books, transactional/transpromotional mail, direct marketing materials and newspapers.
• New HP Latex Printing Technologies that offer an environmentally responsible large-format printing alternative for a wide variety of outdoor and indoor applications.
• An expanded portfolio of HP Indigo presses, including the new HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press designed for high-volume print service providers and enhancements to the market-leading HP Indigo press 5500.
• The company’s first-ever graphic arts workflow portfolio – the HP SmartStream Digital Workflow Portfolio – which offers customers greater flexibility with specific solutions to address a broad range of market segments and application needs.

These solutions and others bolster HP’s efforts to target the estimated $663 billion print production page value opportunity projected for 2010.⁽¹⁾

“Today’s announcements further cement HP’s leadership in the graphic arts market, accelerate the analog-to-digital conversion and propel digital technology as a mainstream product offering,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Graphics and Imaging Business, HP. “These new technologies and products will change the digital printing industry in terms of value, volume and environmental footprint.”

Positioned to build demand for digital applications, HP’s Graphic Arts portfolio offers a variety of alternatives to traditional printing technologies that will empower print service providers to achieve profitable growth. The company’s 50-plus graphic arts solutions comprise the industry’s largest all-digital portfolio, one that can be used to print in virtually any format, from postage stamps to building wraps.

Several of the newly announced products incorporate HP Scalable Printing Technology, a proprietary inkjet technology that enables the creation of high-performance color print devices capable of delivering reliability and low operating costs, as well as laser-quality text, crisp graphics, brilliant images and fast print speeds.

World’s first 30 inch-wide production inkjet platform

Leveraging its $1.4 billion investment in Scalable Printing Technology, HP introduced the HP Inkjet Web Press, a high-speed color digital printing platform that increases productivity and lowers the cost of printing for the high-volume commercial market.

The Web Press, which is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2009, is designed to revitalize wasteful, low-margin, analog-driven printing processes by offering an unprecedented combination of print width, color quality, productivity and cost for graphic arts industry professionals in the direct mail, transactional and transpromotional printing, book publishing and newspaper industries.

Capable of printing in full color on rolls up to 30 inches wide at 400 feet per minute (122 m/min.), the HP Inkjet Web Press is compatible with a wide range of uncoated media to enable efficient printing of book signatures, full broadsheet newspapers and other documents.

New large-format signage/display platform

Designed with the environment in mind, HP Latex Printing Technologies offer print service providers a compelling alternative to traditional large-format printing methods.

New water-based HP Latex Inks produce odorless prints⁽²⁾ and offer high-quality, consistent performance on a broad range of HP and non-HP large-format media. Coupled with HP Thermal Inkjet Technology, HP Latex Inks additionally provide: durable output, with outdoor prints achieving display permanence up to three years unlaminated;⁽³⁾ sharp, vivid image quality; broad outdoor and indoor application versatility; high productivity; and, a low total impact on the environment.

New HP Wide Scan Printing Technology has been designed together with HP Latex Inks to deliver high-speed, quality printing. The first HP printers using HP Latex Printing Technologies are to be announced at drupa in May.

Increased production and profits – available at drupa with HP Indigo

HP unveiled a new generation of print engine that uses its industry-leading liquid electrophotographic process, which produces the true offset- and photo-quality results of HP Indigo digital production presses. Three new HP Indigo models – the HP Indigo 7000, HP Indigo W7200 and HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Presses – all offer faster speeds and greater productivity than current models to deliver significant improvements in break-even costs compared to analog print methods.

The first of these new presses available to the market will be the HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press in June, which cost-effectively and efficiently produces large numbers of static jobs with run lengths ranging from one copy into the thousands. It also produces variable-data work requiring the “every page is different” capabilities of digital. The press runs at speeds of 120 four-color pages per minute for highly efficient throughput and industry-leading quality in general commercial printing, photo merchandise production and other high-volume applications.

The HP Indigo WS6000 and W7200 models are highly productive, web-fed digital presses designed for industrial and commercial applications, respectively. The WS6000 model, a label and packaging press expected to be available in early 2009, offers twice the productivity of the successful HP Indigo ws4500 press and is targeted at labels and packaging converters with significant volumes of medium- and short-run jobs.⁽⁴⁾ Ideal for high-quality dedicated publishing, direct mail and transactional/transpromotional offerings, the W7200 press is a high-volume commercial press expected to be available in the second half of 2009.

In addition, HP’s best-selling digital press, the HP Indigo press 5500, has been enhanced with options allowing greater productivity with an additional feeder, an in-line connection to the HP Indigo UV Coater and a kit for enabling printing on thicker media.

The leading digital label press, the HP Indigo press ws4500, is now offered with an EskoArtwork digital front-end to enhance both quality and productivity; in addition, the HP SmartStream Labels & Packaging Security Manager places unique identifying 2-D barcodes or color tiles on pharmaceutical labels to enable E-pedigree and track-and-trace.

HP offers the right workflow for a range of scenarios

HP Indigo presses will be the first hardware devices to employ the HP SmartStream Digital Workflow Portfolio, an open environment designed to meet a broad range of market segments and application needs and provide workflow management from job creation to fulfillment.

Combining HP SmartStream and partner components results in greater flexibility, with specific solutions that are customizable and scalable to the unique business needs of print service providers operating in key market segments, such as general commercial printing, direct marketing, publications printing, photo merchandise and labels and packaging.

The HP SmartStream Production Pro Print Server and HP SmartStream Production Plus Print Server, Powered by Creo, for example, provide print service providers with capabilities to increase efficiency, adapt to emerging markets and discover new growth opportunities.

Future additions to the HP SmartStream portfolio will offer workflow components for other HP Graphics Arts businesses, including HP Scitex, HP Inkjet High-Speed Production Solutions and HP Designjet.

Customers deploying next-generation HP digital printing technology may take advantage of financing, leasing and asset management solutions from HP Financial Services, the leasing and financial services subsidiary of HP. HP Financial Services makes it easy for customers to intelligently and economically manage their graphic arts technology investment and also helps them manage to the lowest total cost of ownership – from planning and acquiring technology to replacing and retiring it. Additional information is available at www.hp.com/hpfinancialservices.

HP advances its leading imaging and printing portfolio

Working with its original equipment manufacturer partners, HP announced solutions that incorporate core HP Thermal Inkjet Technologies in outlicensed products for the mail printing, product identification printing, optical disk (CD/DVD) duplication and retail transaction printing markets.

These new offerings include the HP Scanning Imager 1000, a platform based on HP Scalable Printing Technology and designed for direct-to-disk CD/DVD printing in high-quality process color at speeds up to three disks per minute.

As a result of its customers’ success, HP solutions are among the fast-growing, widely used solutions in their respective markets worldwide, including large-format commercial and industrial printing, large-format technical printing, high-volume digital production printing, digital label printing and mail addressing.

• HP Indigo press page volume has grown in excess of 40 percent each quarter since 2003, and presently HP Indigo presses worldwide print a total of 15 billion impressions annually.
• HP large-format printers have increased in annual print volume by 25 percent, with 1.8 billion square feet (549,000 square meters) printed on HP equipment in 2007 worldwide.
• Following the recent acquisitions of ColorSpan and NUR Macroprinters, HP is the world’s leading provider of UV-curable large-format printing.

More information on HP’s announcements in the run-up to drupa is available at www.hp.com/go/predrupa. Additional details on HP’s Graphic Arts portfolio and its upcoming exhibit at drupa 2008 is available through the HP Graphic Arts Portal at www.hp.com/go/graphicarts.

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $107.7 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

⁽²⁾ Printers using HP Latex Inks use internal heaters to dry and cure the latex polymer film. Some substrates may have inherent odor.

⁽³⁾ HP image permanence and scratch, smudge and water resistance estimates by HP Image Permanence Lab. Display permanence tested according to SAE J1960 using HP Latex and solvent inks on a range of media, including HP media; in a vertical display orientation in simulated nominal outdoor display conditions for select high and low climates, including exposure to direct sunlight and water; performance may vary as environmental conditions change. Scratch, smudge and water resistance tested using HP Latex and solvent inks on a wide range of HP media. Laminated display permanence using Neschen Solvoprint Performance Clear 80 laminate. Results may vary based on specific media performance.

⁽⁴⁾ Compared to the HP Indigo press ws4500.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected results; and other risks that are described in HP’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2007. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

So recapping the day.

Show floor for exhibitors was pretty busy. Lots of people milling about. Started at the Kodak booth talking about Unified Workflow, Web to Print applications. Kodak had a lot of kiosks, and computer demo areas, no big equipment, no big announcements at the booth. Kinda light on the show but got to see the document imaging scanners which I have been trying to see for awhile. Talked to Jeff Hayzlett, Kodak’s CMO about his appearance on The Apprentice - Celebrity Edition and he told me to stay tuned for the live finale.

Headed to the Xerox booth next. Not too much new, XMPie was a separate booth, more on that later. Got a good look at the DocuColor 8000AP. Impressive light production device that finally doesn’t slow down for heavier weight stocks, although it still does in mixed mode. Got a good look at Xerox’s new wide format eco-solvent Ink Jet printers. Color looked washed out, but was fairly fast in output. RIP is being OEM’d from someone, can’t remember the name, but it can be driven via Onyx or other DFE’s. Spoke to a product manager about the target audience, aimed at commercial printers and their customers from an in-plant space. Sounds like they are going after the quick sign printer shop. Ink wells were small, no word on if they have a larger tank option. Pricing was vague, but at least no click. Buy the ink, buy the paper. Xerox will sell 5 stocks at the beginning, with profiles pre-built for color in the RIP. You can use 3rd party stocks, but you are on your own to build color profiles.

Headed to the Canon booth and saw their new 135 ppm black and white device. Had a good conversation with Joe Caplan about workflow and their partnership with Printable. Ironically, I haven’t found printable at the show again. No booth at Graph Expo, no booth at On Demand, not a good sign. Canon seems to be spreading themselves further into the commercial print space with the c7000 color device which is a fuser oil less toner device with very good image quality but not a 300,000 / month or greater production machine. I am a little concerned over the long term high volume capabilities of it, but time will tell.

GMC Print Net T had a good demo / walkthrough of their authoring tool and workflow. Still no transparency support from Adobe apps. But oh well, time will tell. Great composition tool, incredibly powerful and customizable but lacks the web to print customization, but can be plugged into many systems if needed.

XMPie had a separate booth, despite their recent purchase by Xerox. Got a good demo of their Udirect and Uimage products. Tied to the Adobe sweet of products but they do have a server version and a new focus on cross media, Purls (or Rurls, response urls) and some basic visitor tracking. Image personalization is self contained, no reliance on 3rd party guys like DirectType or DirectSmile. Can do sprite based personalization via photoshop actions or standard text layer interactions. Very limited info on the email blast options and how you author emails, but one person can’t answer all my questions.

Those are my brief notes from my first day. Lots more to see and talk about but figured I’d hit the highlights.

We will bring you our limited coverage from the show. Today was the travel day for us, plane ride was bumpy but quick. All checked into the hotel, EVDO works, catching up on emails and gearing up for the show tomorrow.

We will try to hit the highlights for those that can’t make it here to Boston for the show. If you are here, leave a comment and maybe we can meet some of our readers.

Fujifilm plans to expand digital printing of personalized greeting cards, notebooks and other photo specialty products

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan., 2008 — Capitalizing on the growth in the photo specialty market and to meet customer demand, FUJIFILM U.S.A, Inc. is now digitally printing spiral-bound photo calendars with the installation of Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) iGen3™ 110 Digital Production Presses at its Fujicolor Processing Labs.

“Xerox was a logical first choice to be our digital press supplier because of the strong, global corporate relationship established between Fujifilm and Xerox over the years” said Joe Palaggi, vice president of operations and business development, Fujifilm U.S.A, Inc. “But the deciding factor for choosing the Xerox iGen3 was its high productivity and image quality”

The addition of the Xerox iGen3 electrophotographic presses to the processing labs is a first for Fujicolor. Prior to the installation, the company produced photo specialty items on silver-halide equipment or outsourced them to be printed digitally. The productivity and reliability of the iGen3 presses allow Fujicolor to better manage the higher volumes and quick turnaround required during its peak processing periods, such as this past holiday season. Prior to installing the iGen3 presses, turnaround times were measured in weeks to produce the popular spiral-bound photo calendar. Now that process is measured in days.

Fujifilm uses Xerox’s flagship 110 page-per-minute iGen3 digital presses to produce calendars ordered through retail photo departments, and it plans to expand production to include other ink-based photo specialty products such as folded greeting cards and notebooks. The photo calendars are produced on Xerox Digital Color Elite Gloss Cover paper.

“By strategically placing our iGen3 presses across the country we’ve been able to provide a more competitive offering to our retail partners, not only with pricing, but also with faster turnaround and delivery with the high image quality they expect” said Palaggi.

San Diego, CA, February 28, 2008 – Printable Technologies®, Inc., a leading provider of integrated marketing, web to print and personalized direct marketing solutions, today announced that it will introduce two new major enhancements regarding their FusionPro® Links and FusionPro® Web products at the On Demand Expo in Boston, MA, March 4 - 6, 2008.

FusionPro Links version 2.5 boasts a new campaign-centric workflow that helps marketers better reach their customers with individualized communications, while gathering enhanced response data to more easily understand and respond to their customers’ needs. FusionPro Links creates a customized online response experience using personalized URLs and microsites for variable data publishing (VDP) marketing campaigns.

The new Intelligent Forms feature in FusionPro Web allows users to further customize the types of data entry forms they create for web-based ordering of simple to complex collateral, as well as versioned and variable data. Key features include the ability to create matrices of dynamic data to pre-fill forms in areas such as pricing, customized choice lists and altered data entry based on the particular person logged in.

“Printable Technologies is eager to share these new technologies for intelligent marketing with the attendees at this year’s On Demand Expo,” said Coleman Kane, President and CEO, Printable Technologies. “By offering feature-rich personalized marketing technologies and intelligent collateral management systems, we are giving print service providers a wider range of offerings to support their business objectives.”

To learn more about these and other products from Printable Technologies, please be sure to visit Printable in Booth #349 at the On Demand Expo. For additional information on FusionPro Links version 2.5 and Intelligent Forms, contact Dustin Ritter or visit www.printable.com.

About Printable Technologies

Printable Technologies is a world leader providing Software as a Service including Cross-Media Variable Data Publishing (VDP), One-to-One Marketing Campaigns, and Web to Print solutions to corporate enterprises, creative agencies and the graphic arts industry.

The FusionPro VDP solution suite—consisting of desktop, online and server-based VDP applications—is used to manage dynamic cross-media campaigns consisting of variable text and images, perform high-speed data merge, and generate production-ready output data streams.

The complete marketing campaign execution and tracking solution from Printable Technologies—FusionPro Links—consists of a powerful data-driven direct mail solution with personalized URLs, and microsites.

The FusionPro Web marketing collateral management system delivers online ordering and e-commerce, mail list purchase and management, versioned and variable documents, job submission and file transfer.

Solutions from Printable Technologies integrate with ERP solutions, content management solutions, shop floor management applications and production workflows from Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Xerox, Kodak and more.

More than 1,700 corporate customers use solutions from Printable Technologies to serve over 400,000 end users; more than 100 of the Fortune 500 offer desktop access to Printable Technologies products. Clients can scale over time from the powerful VDP solution on the desktop to web-based and server-based solutions customized to meet the needs of organizations small and large.

For more information go to http://www.printable.com or call 800.220.1727.

Low order minimums, quick delivery

HAMILTON, Ohio, Monday, February 25, 2008 7:00 AM EST —SMART Papers has launched the i-Xpress™ for HP Indigo Paper Program. It offers HP Indigo press owners the widest selection of premium RIT-certified uncoated and coated papers including more than 200 colors, textures, finishes and weights.

HP Indigo press owners can now offer their customers hundreds of paper choices and meet their quick turn project demands. The i-Xpress™ for HP Indigo Paper Program includes products from the entire range of SMART Papers premium-branded coated and uncoated papers including Kromekote®, Knightkote® Matte, Carnival®, Synergy®, Genesis® and Passport®. This program brings HP Indigo press owners the largest single source of premium digital papers in designer colors, textures, finishes and weights.

“This program is unique within the market and significant for HP Indigo press owners,” said Gwen Dillingham, Digital Papers Product Manager at SMART Papers. “Until today, sourcing a wide variety of HP Indigo-compatible sheets that are tested and guaranteed—and in any order size—has been difficult. Our new program changes that.”

The i-Xpress™ for HP Indigo Paper Program offers papers in 18″x12″ digital sizes. The program’s minimum order is two cartons per item. Papers are available within eight days of order placement.

All papers within the i-Xpress™ for HP Indigo Paper Program are treated on both sides and have no shelf life issues. The papers are multifunctional and guaranteed for pre-printing, offset, laser and direct imaging.

The i-Xpress™ for HP Indigo Paper Program is centered on offering customers a variety of choices. It allows HP Indigo press owners to offer the right designer color, texture, finish and weight that best enhances their customers’ print project.

About SMART Papers

Hamilton, Ohio-based SMART Papers is the largest independent North American manufacturer and marketer of premium cast coated, matte coated and uncoated text, cover and writing papers. The company markets a wide range of premium papers, including the well-known brands of Kromekote®, Knightkote® Matte, SMART Digital™, Pegasus®, Carnival®, Synergy®, Passport®, Genesis®, Magna Carta® and SMART Brights®. Customers include paper distributors, printers, designers and specialty converters throughout North America.

SMART Papers’ high-value premium branded products are used in producing annual reports, greeting cards, announcements, stationery, book covers and end-leaf, advertising and marketing collateral, packaging products, direct mail envelopes, security papers, tickets, high-end labels and gift wrap. Visit www.smartpapers.com, call 800-443-9773, or contact your local paper merchant for more information. Customers may also order papers in any quantity at www.smartpapersstore.com.

Contact:
Gwen Dillingham
Digital Papers Product Manager
SMART Papers
513-869-5149.

February 21, 2008 – Boston, Massachusetts and Appenzell, Switzerland – At ON DEMAND, GMC Software Technology, the standard in personalized communication, will showcase the latest capabilities and enhancements to its PrintNetTM software suite. Demonstrations will be conducted in GMC Software Technology booth 759 highlighting the software suite’s ease of use, support of open standards, Web tools and integration; advanced job flow and customization as well as personalization capabilities.

Graphics arts and communications professionals will get a first-hand look at how PrintNet can accelerate application development, improve document effectiveness and maximize productivity for a variety of marketing, transaction, transpromo, on demand and electronic communications applications. These include many key personalized communications applications that are in high demand today:
• Transpromo 401K transactional statements with embedded marketing messages
• Promotional marketing flyers and postcards
• Interactive, web-based communications
• Invoices using color IPDS print streams

GMC Data & Design Center
PrintNet Designer provides high impact, personalized communications for transactional, promotional, transpromo and on-demand applications. Capabilities include variable data document design and layout, graphical workflow, advanced color management, content collaboration, approval and proofing, version control, and message management. Web-based PrintNet Interactive creates personalized one-to-one documents online using template formats. With PrintNet, companies can increase personalized customer service, while maintaining a consistent look and content to satisfy corporate branding and compliance.

GMC Automation Center
PrintNet PA provides business process automation and output management for multi-platform, high-volume production and delivery environments. Automated document processing follows enterprise business rules, with a central point for processing, delivery and zero-defect document production. PrintNet Transform is used to convert, repurpose and drive more value from legacy applications and print streams without reprogramming.

GMC Web Center
PrintNet Connect is a web services solution for automating all customer communications — documents, web and email — through integration of web-based workflow. Seamless document production is available on a web services platform. WebProof is a web-based document approval and proofing system.

###

FOSTER CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 19, 2008–EFI (Nasdaq:EFII), the world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced the availability of two new models in the award-winning QS superwide format printer family. The addition of 4- and 6-color configurations to the industry leading QS2000 and QS3200 family of printers offers ease-of-entry options for sign printers and graphic display manufacturers who wish to add digital UV production to their product mix.

“On the heels of installing our 300th QS-series printer,” said Chuck Dourlet, vice president of marketing EFI VUTEk, “we are expanding options for our customers even more. By introducing ease-of-entry options for the QS family, we are offering greater flexibility to the graphic communications market enabling more service providers to migrate to digital production using a proven UV platform.”

The QS2000 and QS3200 offer superior image quality at 1080 dpi on both rigid and flexible substrates up to 3.2 meters wide and up to two inches thick, with changeover from flexible to rigid substrates in less than a minute, and uses EFI’s industry leading QS Series UV inks. With this expanded offering, customers can now choose from systems with four colors, six colors, or six colors with white ink for a superwide format printing solution that best meets their financial and production needs. Additionally the QS 4C and 6C models are field upgradeable enabling customers to enhance printer capabilities as needed.

For more information about the VUTEk product line and other solutions from EFI, visit www.efi.com.

About EFI

EFI (www.efi.com) is the world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation. EFI’s award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company’s robust product portfolio includes Fiery(R) digital color print servers; VUTEk(R) superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Jetrion(R) industrial inkjet printing systems; print production workflow and management information software; and corporate printing solutions. EFI maintains 23 offices worldwide.

NOTE TO EDITORS: EFI, VUTEk , Jetrion, and Fiery are registered trademarks of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT:
EFI Public Relations
Jane Cedrone, 603-279-6811
jcedrone@efi-vutek.com

SOURCE: EFI

The university has recently installed a Kodak NexPress 2100 digital production colour press for use in its Marketing and Communications department, as it brings in-house the production of its personalised prospectuses and direct mailings, which has been one of the major reasons for its success with student enquiries and enrolment numbers.

Read more… 

Source: graphicrepro.co.za

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