HP recently hosted an analyst event to preview its approach to drupa 2024. The discussion centered on Indigo, PageWide Industrial, and Software announcements, including the near-term product roadmaps. By scheduling just ahead of DSCOOP, HP was able to use the exhibit area to show the Indigo machines in operation. HP did not bring an inkjet press to the event, so they were unable to demonstrate the inkjet presses to the assembled analysts. There is a case to be made that by adopting a hybrid approach utilizing both high-speed inkjet and Indigo technologies, print providers can optimize their operational efficiency and expand their market reach by accommodating a wider range of print needs. However, HP kept the messaging about their Indigo and PageWide platforms separate and distinct which was a missed opportunity.

[caption id="attachment_7224" align="aligncenter" width="633"] Left to right: Nachum Korman, VP of Industrial Print Go-to Market, Annette Friskopp, VP of HP PageWide, Haim Levit, SVP of HP Industrial Print, Noam Zilbershtain, VP of Indigo & Scitex. Photo Source: HP[/caption]

Ahead of drupa 2024, many hardware vendors are hosting events to bring analysts and journalists up to speed on their most recent announcements and what they plan to show in Dusseldorf. HP hosted one of those events in Indianapolis just ahead of the most recent DSCOOP gathering to preview its approach to drupa 2024. The discussion centered predominantly on Indigo and Software announcements while also covering important updates to the PageWide Industrial portfolio capabilities.

Our regular readers may ask how Indigo announcements are relevant to inkjet print shops, which is a fair question. However, a careful review of applications, throughput requirements, shift capacities, customer substrate requirements, and color quality expectations reveals a world where high-quality toner and high-speed inkjet devices live together in harmony.

Building a Powerful Print Shop

HP's high-speed inkjet technology is known for its speed and productivity, which makes it ideal for large-volume printing jobs that demand rapid turnarounds. HP PageWide Industrial web presses use advanced thermal inkjet (TIJ) printheads that deposit ink on substrates with precision and speed, allowing for continuous printing that can greatly outpace traditional methods. The appeal is its ability to maintain high quality, and color consistency, at incredible speeds, making it a favorite for transactional documents, direct mail, publishing, and a growing range of commercial applications.

On the other side of the equation, HP Indigo's liquid toner technology offers exceptional print quality and color accuracy. Indigo features a unique ElectroInk technology that utilizes tiny color particles suspended in a liquid attracted to a charged blanket and transferred to the media. This process allows for sharp, vibrant prints that match or exceed offset printing standards. The versatility of the Indigo printers enables them to handle a wide variety of substrates and specialized applications, including high-end photo books, packaging, and labels.

The synergy between these two technologies comes from their complementary capabilities. While high-speed inkjet excels in efficiency and cost-effectiveness for high-volume printing, Indigo fills the niche for high-quality, customizable print runs that require finer detail and richer color depth. By integrating these technologies within one production workflow, print service providers can offer a broader range of services.

For example, some shops use high-speed inkjet systems for the bulk printing of a marketing campaign's text components and then employ Indigo printers to create high-quality, personalized covers or inserts that require specific color matching. This maximizes productivity by allocating tasks based on suitability and enhances the overall product value through superior print quality, where it matters most.

The integration of HP's inkjet and Indigo technologies can also be a boon for sustainability efforts within the print industry. Both systems boast more energy efficiency and waste reduction capabilities than traditional printing methods. The inkjet printers produce less waste by eliminating the need for plates and excess paper trimming, while the Indigo presses use recyclable ElectroInks and operate with a zero-waste imaging oil recycling system.

Adopting a hybrid approach that utilizes both high-speed inkjet and Indigo technologies allows print providers to optimize their operational efficiency and expand their market reach by accommodating a wider range of print needs—from simple transactional documents to complex, high-quality marketing materials and customized products.

Certainly, there are many operations that benefit from one platform or the other, versus a combination, but in many cases the combination is powerful. Unfortunately, HP rarely discusses the comparative merits of the solutions side-by-side as part of an overall portfolio which is a disservice to their current and potential customers.

The Pre-drupa Roadmap

The HP event focused on the roadmap for Indigo solutions revealing a variety of Indigo solutions targeted to folding carton, labels, security, publishing, and commercial applications in web-fed and sheet-fed configurations. They also discussed their long-term roadmap with the LEPx technology, which enables faster printing. It uses the same HP Indigo ElectroInks and the same Binary Ink Developers (BID) but enables up to 5 times higher throughput and productivity independent of the number of color separations. Indigo units are installed worldwide, often in commercial and publishing shops, with increasing challenges that include more jobs in lower volumes, faster turnarounds, and varying demands for graphic richness.

In the inkjet announcements, representing a small portion of the overall agenda, HP revealed upgrades to its newest inkjet platform, the Advantage 2200. One announcement to watch is the Smart Workcell Controller, which can optimize micro batches of high-volume work to reduce waste and help printers meet evolving sustainability goals.

The combination of HP's high-speed inkjet and Indigo liquid toner technologies represents a formidable duo in the print production landscape. This synergy enhances service flexibility, reduces turnaround times, and delivers products that meet the high standards demanded by today's diverse market, ultimately enabling print service providers to stay competitive and responsive to client needs in a rapidly evolving industry. It would be great to see HP Inkjet and Indigo focus on a more even discussion that lifts the synergies of the two platforms. It would also be advantageous to HP to bring their software solutions to parity across the platforms. HP revealed that they see software as part of their roadmap for the future, but perhaps the first step is to create a viable One-HP workflow story. HP has an opportunity to take a leadership position in clarifying the use cases for Indigo and PageWide Inkjet technologies separately, and as a synergistic solution.