HP Indigo Digital Presses continue to lead the market for premium-quality color labels and packaging  

BRUSSELS, Belgium, – HP today announced the industry's most versatile and productive digital label press, the HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press, which is capable of printing more than 40 linear meters (131 linear feet) per minute in full color and features a new in-line priming unit.

Other features for improved productivity include a new common digital front-end (DFE) from EskoArtwork, an improved white ink option and new converting solutions from AB Graphic International, a member of the HP Graphics Solution Partner Program.

HP also introduced the industry's most productive entry-level solution for digital labels, the HP Indigo WS4600 Digital Press, with an option for full-color throughput of more than 21 linear meters (69 linear feet) per minute. Both the WS6600 and WS4600 deliver higher throughput via a new Enhanced Productivity Mode developed by HP.(1)

"With the Indigo WS6600, we can produce jobs of over 10,000 linear meters with the outstanding quality that our customers are demanding and still deliver fast turnaround," said Roger Gehrke, executive manager of Digital Printing at beta user RAKO ETIKETTEN in Wizhave, Germany.

Participants in a blind-test packaging industry label sample evaluation said they preferred HP Indigo print quality over flexography by a four-to-one margin.(2)

"There is increasing demand among top global brands to produce color labels and shrink sleeves on HP Indigo presses, based on their superior quality and rich color," said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo division, HP. "Now with the new productivity enhancements, our customers can use Indigo presses to achieve this level of color quality on almost any job length."

HP is showcasing the new digital presses and solutions during Labelexpo Europe at the HP stand in Hall 9. The new solutions include:

• HP's first-ever in-line priming (ILP) unit for a label and packaging press, a solution that enables the use of standard, untreated paper substrates and gives converters faster turnaround times and greater flexibility in the range of substrates they use. Featuring a new, custom-developed water-based primer from Michelman, the ILP option helps converters further improve their turnaround time and reduce costs. Customers can use the same substrates on their analog and HP Indigo digital presses while eliminating the extra step of off-line substrate preparation.
• A new HP SmartStream Labels and Packaging Print Server, powered by EskoArtwork, version 3.0 that features key improvements(3) including 20 percent faster performance, a better user interface for seamless operation of multiple presses, enhanced color management and variable data capabilities, and bidirectional connectivity to the EskoArtwork Automation Engine. It also integrates with Heidelberg CERM and Tailored Solutions LabelTraxx management information systems.
• White Ink Plus for the Indigo WS6000 series, a more opaque version of the HP Indigo white ink that improves productivity by allowing converters to produce an opaque layer of white ink with only one impression.
• A new UV-light reactive invisible ink for the HP Indigo WS4600, providing additional capabilities in security printing applications for the pharmaceutical market and other industries.
• Both the WS6600 and the WS4600 are available now. Many of the new options will be available in early 2012 as upgrade features for the HP Indigo WS6000 and ws4500 to protect and extend customer investments.

Innovations in label and flexible packaging converting

AB Graphic International will be highlighting its Digicon Series 2 in line with the HP Indigo WS6000 series and featuring a new dual-finishing option that gives customers maximum production flexibility in determining how to convert each job.

AB Graphic is displaying HP Indigo-compatible finishing solutions at its stand and in the Digital Print Workshops at Labelexpo Europe. HP and AB Graphic also are introducing a new, discounted press and finishing unit bundle featuring the HP Indigo WS4600 Digital Press and the AB Graphic Digicon Lite finishing solution.

HP Indigo production lines can finish jobs quickly with a new off-line system from Gallus, one of the world's leading flexographic press and finishing equipment manufacturers. With the system, converters can perform off-line finishing from two HP Indigo WS6000-series presses for greater throughput and shorter turnaround times.

Workflow solutions

HP added two new HP Indigo partners to its HP Graphics Solutions Partner program to expand its workflow solutions portfolio. Color-Logic's Process Metallic Color System enables converters to create colored metallic highlights and effects on labels and packaging, and Prisme Technologies' PrintSYS web-to-print workflow solution provides a turnkey, cloud-based procurement system.

Take-back and recycling program expanded  
HP also announced that its HP Indigo ink cartridge and imaging oil take back and recycling program is now available in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and is open to all HP Indigo customers in those countries. This convenient service, available at no additional cost, can be requested through the MyHPIndigo customer portal.

Leading the industry with a better brand experience

HP Indigo presses offer an all-digital production method that requires little in the way of make-ready, start-up time or minimum run-length requirements. This can help create greater shelf impact and increase customer profit through reduced waste and obsolescence, streamlined multi-SKU marketing and versioning, and faster implementation of new designs. HP Indigo's proven and unparalleled liquid electrophotographic printing process meets top brands' uncompromising demands for top-quality printing and packaging shelf appeal.

HP offers flexible financing solutions for customers deploying the latest HP digital printing technology through HP Financial Services, the company's leasing and life cycle asset management services division. An HP Financial Services representative is on-site at Labelexpo to provide details of applicable offers. Information also is available at www.hp.com/hpfinancialservices.

More information about HP Indigo label and packaging solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/Labelexpo2011 and through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter feed, www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts.