HP Introduces New Color Press
HP introduced the graphic arts industry's largest, most productive commercial digital color press, bringing the concept of mass customization to printing by combining the personalization features of digital printing with the efficiencies of high-volume production.
With its unmatched width and its 600-foot/minute (183-meter/minute) speed, the HP T400 Color Inkjet Web Press prints up to 5,200 full-color, letter-size pages per minute - 44 percent more than the closest solution from competing vendors.
HP unveiled the press at the offices of O'Neil Data Systems, a Los Angeles-based data-driven marketing communication firm that now uses all four systems in the HP inkjet web press portfolio - the HP T200, T300, T350 and the new T400.
HP also introduced several additional solutions, including an HP magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) system and third-party coated media, as well as workflow and finishing solutions from members of the HP Graphic Solutions Partner program. HP additionally is offering customers an option to upgrade HP T300 presses to the faster T350 platform.
"With more than 25 installations worldwide, our inkjet web press systems are changing the business dynamics of applications such as publishing, transpromo and direct mail," said Christopher Morgan, senior vice president, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. "With the significant throughput capacity the new HP T400 offers, customers can now break into a world of true mass personalization and customization and take advantage of substantial new growth opportunities."
The HP T400 offers high-quality imaging by reproducing sharp text and images, as well as uniform area fills. New HP A50 process-color inks work with new HP A10 printheads, which use HP Scalable Printing Technology in a compact, 1,200-nozzles-per-inch printhead design. New, advanced web tension controls and dryer systems provide reliable, fast and consistent productivity.
Users of standard-size (20.5-inch) digital web press finishing equipment can produce two jobs simultaneously on the HP T400, using an optional slitter at the end of the press to convert the roll into side-by-side webs. Scalable job impositioning tools for high-level prepress efficiency from Ultimate Technographics - a member of the HP Graphics Solutions Partner program - allow operators to impose separate variable-data jobs side by side on the web.
Other HP Graphics Solutions Partners, including finishing and paper transport system suppliers EMT, Magnum Digital Solutions, MBO and Muller Martini, are presenting solutions they offer to support the HP T400 platform. Additional industry suppliers, including CMC, Compart, GMC Software Technology, Hunkeler, Lasermax Roll Systems, Tecnau, Videk and WEKO, also are showcasing solutions for use with HP Inkjet Web Presses.
Pitney Bowes is highlighting high-volume transactional/transpromotional uses for a new HP Inkjet Web Press technology. The HP T400 will become part of a new IntelliJet 42 solution for transactional/transpromotional markets, extending the range of IntelliJet size and speed configurations.
"Pitney Bowes is delighted to be collaborating with HP to introduce this new solution to high-volume transactional mailers," said Ramesh Ratan, president, Document Messaging Technologies, Pitney Bowes. "This is another example of how we are working together to create solutions that can help our customers deliver increased efficiency and productivity to generate more powerful and valuable customer communications."
Scheduled to be available later this year, the HP T400 is part of a broader production printing portfolio that includes HP Indigo liquid electrophotographic imaging presses. With a global install base in excess of 5,000 presses, HP Indigo is a market leader in high-value, offset- and photo-quality digital printing.
For more information, visit www.hp.com.