CHICAGO – HP today announced that Bradford & Bigelow has signed an agreement to purchase an HP Indigo W7200 Digital Press at PRINT 09, a decision based on high productivity and total cost of ownership advantages that advance the firm's transition from book manufacturer to a complete provider of sustainable supply chain solutions for the publishing industry.

"Bradford & Bigelow, through its Digital Book Factory operation, has taken progressive stances in its embrace of digital productivity and supply-chain management," said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business – Americas, HP. "The HP Indigo W7200 Digital Press fulfills an important role in the book production market and will enhance Bradford & Bigelow's value as an innovator in the publishing world."

Saving publishing customers money with state-of-the-art solutions
The press, purchased during the PRINT 09 trade show Chicago, will be delivered to the Newburyport, Mass.-based firm following the show, where it will increase production capacity in Bradford & Bigelow's growing Digital Book Factory operation, which offers shorter-run, cost-efficient production. The press aligns with the company's overall philosophy of offering a streamlined supply chain that helps publishers significantly reduce lead times, back orders, obsolescence, and shipping and administrative costs.

"As a company that has built its reputation by delivering high-quality digital and offset printing, Bradford & Bigelow sees this as an important new addition that can transition a sizable portion of offset work to digital," said John Galligan, president, Bradford & Bigelow. "With this solution, our offset pressroom will be dedicated to the work that fits it best, and our customers will have even more options for improving cash flow, shortening lead times and reducing obsolescence by leveraging the HP Indigo W7200's state-of-the-art, just-in-time manufacturing capabilities."

The press, which prints at speeds of 240 letter-size four-color pages per minute (ppm), or 960 letter-size ppm monochrome, is one of the world's most productive digital presses for the printing of dedicated applications demanding the true look and feel of offset. Designed to provide a competitive advantage in book manufacturing and applications such as direct mail and transpromotional statements, the press prints on virtually any standard, off-the-shelf offset or publishing paper, enabling the use of lower-cost media for enhanced profit opportunities.

Also to be installed with the press is the newest version of the HP SmartStream Production Pro Print Server, a digital front-end solution that supports fast-growing digital applications, giving print service providers greater capabilities to pursue new, high-margin jobs.

"The quality, speed and robust front end of the HP Indigo W7200 make this machine a terrific addition to our Digital Book Factory," said Heather Richardson, executive vice president, Bradford & Bigelow.

More information about the HP Graphics Solutions Business at PRINT 09 is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/GSBatPRINT09. Up-to-date information about HP's activities at the show is also available through the HP_IPG Twitter feed, or by searching for #hpprint09 on Twitter.