PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 9, 2007 -- As the globally popular band The Police reunite for a sold-out tour to mark their 30th anniversary, HP is supporting guitarist and accomplished photographer Andy Summers to create a rare, behind-the-scenes visual documentary of life on the touring circuit through a photography exhibit "I'll Be Watching You: Inside The Police 1980-1983."
The striking photographic exhibition, composed of 38 exclusive black-and-white images, as well as a range of promotional materials, are being printed using HP digital technology.
"We are honored that Andy has placed his trust in HP technology to bring his creative ideas to life in print," said Francis McMahon, North America Marketing Director, HP Graphic Arts. "Not only are we able to deliver a glimpse in to the lives of The Police in the early '80s, we're also able to demonstrate the power and excellence that HP digital print technology now offers professional photographers."
Presented in conjunction with Rockarchive.com, Summers is hosting a series of gallery exhibitions throughout 2007, with stops in Las Vegas, California, Miami, Boston, Toronto, New York, London, Denmark and Barcelona. The traveling exhibit captures the spirit and sentiment of The Police spanning the years 1980-1983 with provocative photographs.
Achieving digital excellence with HP
Chicago-based digital printer RT Associates, Inc. used HP digital printing technology to manage the production of the exhibit and corresponding promotional materials, such as localized posters, invitations, and certificates of authenticity.
Each of the exclusive photographs featured in the "I'll Be Watching You" exhibit and available for sale was printed on the HP Designjet Z3100 Photo Printer series, a recent addition to HP's professional printing portfolio, and using HP Vivera pigment inks on HP Professional Satin Photo Paper, which was donated by GPA, resulting in vivid, museum-quality prints with outstanding longevity.
"I think printing black-and-white is one of the biggest challenges in fine art printmaking," said Andrew Behla, Andy Summers photography campaign creator. "We're thrilled with the results achieved with the HP Designjet Z series printer. It provides an amazing level of detail capturing the candid nature of the rock world."
RT Associates, Inc. used the HP Designjet 5500 to produce large-format signage and banners for the gallery shows. In addition, it used the HP Indigo press 5000 to print small, cost-effective quantities of gallery-specific materials, such as personalized invitations, using variable data printing capabilities. Other materials produced with the digital press include limited-edition exhibit catalogs distributed at private gallery events and personalized certificates of authenticity, which are mailed to individuals who purchase the photographs.
"Our portfolio of HP Indigo and HP Designjet devices enabled us to successfully execute this large-scale project providing high-quality color output and consistency across applications," said Bob Radzis, president, RT Associates, Inc. "With our HP assets, we were able to meet Andy's demands for high-quality output while delivering a cost-effective solution across a broad range of capabilities, and we did it all on an aggressive timeline."