Wow—has it been that long? It was 15 years ago—tempus fugit—that HP launched its Latex line of wide-format printers, and in that time it has become many print businesses’ go-to device; I don’t know how many display graphics and signage shops I have spoken to over the years who consider their Latex device to be their workhorse. The value proposition for Latex has always been its versatility; it can print on a wide variety of substrates—even, and especially, textiles—and its water-based ink is much much more environmentally and pressroom friendly than solvent inks.

Naturally, HP has tweaked and improved the line over the years, adding white ink and even an “R” series that supports printing on rigid materials. This week, the company announced a new line, the “entry-level” Latex 630 series, aimed squarely at small and midsize print service providers. The new series comes in four “flavors”: the base HP Latex 630, HP Latex 630 W (offering the ability to use white ink), HP Latex 630 Print & Cut Plus (offering, as you would expect, print and cut functionality), and HP Latex 630 W Print & Cut Plus (offering white ink and print and cut capabilities).

At a virtual press conference held earlier this week from HP’s Innovation Center in Barcelona, Spain, Oscar Vidal identified three trends that are impacting HP’s Latex customers: the digital transformation, personalized experiences, and increasing e-commerce. For display graphics providers in particular, their customers are challenged by bringing traffic back to physical retail locations post-pandemic. “Print has a very big role to play in this,” said Vidal. “Large format is the most adequate tool to transform spaces.” He also cited research that expected printed décor to grow in the double digits.