DÜSSELDORF, Germany, – HP is presenting a unique 4,300 sq.ft. (400 sq.m.) "Digital Supermarket" themed stand at Interpack 2011 to present brand managers, retailers, and packaging and label converters with the business opportunities provided by digitally printed packaging, produced using HP digital solutions including the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press, and printing solutions based on thermal inkjet technologies from HP Specialty Printing Systems (SPS).

The HP stand (FG.15) is located in the courtyard outside Hall 15 at Interpack, May 12-18, Messe Düsseldorf, Germany.

Featuring supermarket shelves stacked with retail items including wine, food, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical, health and beauty, industrial and household products, the HP showcase displays branded products that utilize the power of digital print to create innovative and high-quality packaging and marketing materials.

"Today's brand managers are looking for ways to add value and differentiate their brands," said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo division, HP. "HP Indigo digital printing, with print quality as good as or better than flexo, enables brands to be quickly and easily refreshed and labels and packaging adapted quickly for seasonal promotions, special events or even language versions. Many brand managers have also discovered the benefits of using digital printing for prototyping and market trials, where cost-effective test products may be produced on final substrates."

Other benefits to packaging and label buyers made possible by digital printing are fast response times, shorter supply chains, faster time-to-market and reduction of inventories and waste.

HP's "Digital Supermarket" shows what is possible using the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press. Combined with other partner products, HP is presenting a powerful end-to-end solution enabling converters and brands managers to see the benefits of digital printing, and learn how to apply them to their own products and service offering.

Since its launch, 200 HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Presses have been installed at leading label and packaging converters in nearly 40 countries, enhancing their product offerings as well as their productivity and flexibility.

Transferring jobs up to 13,000 linear feet (4,000 linear meters) from conventional printing to digital, the ability of the press to handle substrates from 12 to 450 microns means that a wide range of substrates may be used to create high-value labels, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging and folding cartons complete with variable data and accurate, reliable matching of PANTONE Colors. For converters wishing to enter new markets and add new revenue streams, attract new customers or sell different products to existing customers, the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press provides the versatility to address these opportunities.

Providing an end-to-end digital labels and packaging solution, the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press is running live at Interpack with an HP SmartStream IN100 Labels and Packaging Print Server (powered by EskoArtwork), a KAMA sheet-fed folding carton converting unit, and a Digicon 2 converting machine from AB Graphic International (ABG) for labels and folding cartons in rolls.

EskoArtwork is demonstrating on the HP stand its packaging design lifecycle management solutions specifically developed for packaging professionals, brand owners and retailers.

Added value inkjet solutions enabled by HP SPS

The ABG Digicon 2 shown on the stand features an HSA MiniTouch printer from HP partner HSA Systems, utilizing HP SPS technology.

Also shown by HP SPS on the stand, and seen for the first time at Interpack, is the new Print and Apply L30 Label Dispenser from HSA Systems. This low-cost solution uses HP TIJ 2.5 technology via its MiniTouch user interface, and the system's ease of use and high flexibility benefits enables not only the printing of security and product tracking information, but also simple short-run digital label printing using blank stocks.

The HSA MiniTouch printer uses black or invisible ink for the production of bitmaps, barcodes, counters, fixed text or dates and times, commonly used for security and product tracking purposes, and enables retailers to provide personal identification and information to individual products, leading to improved stock control.  

Recognizing the digital advantage

Vila Etiketten, of Breda, Holland, has extended its existing HP digital print capabilities with an HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press to cope with increased demand for its range of labels with variable content, such as barcodes for food items, pricing labels for retail items and healthcare products, discount labels for books and much more.

"Many of our customers, who have worked with conventional printers in the past, say they notice the cost savings that come with choosing digital print," explained Robbert Vugts, managing director, Vila Etiketten. "Customers no longer need to order 20,000 labels if they only require a few thousand, and they no longer need to keep excess stock. Instead, they can just re-order labels in short-runs at any time and be confident we will deliver a quick turnaround – a crucial requirement for some of our retail customers who need to order labels to promote the latest campaigns at short notice."

For nearly 20 years August Faller KG has focused on printing folding cartons for the pharmaceutical industry. The company operates at four different production sites in Germany and also produces package inserts, labels and combination products.

"Since we installed the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press, our productivity has increased," said Wolfgang Staudt, director PharmaServiceCenter Labels, Faller. "We are taking on more short-run print for our pharmaceutical customers. Also, the workflow from prepress to finishing has improved with the new press. Our clients require that colors match corporate identities which we achieve perfectly with the press's color management software."

More information on HP products is available at www.hp.com/go/gsb, www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts, or through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter feed, http://www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.