For the past few years, HP has used the ISA Sign Expo to roll out new entries in its Latex series of wide-format printers targeted toward the sign and display print provider market, and this year is no exception. Latex has been available in a roll-to-roll configuration since its inception, and now HP adds a new dimension to Latex—and is looking to take on ultraviolet (UV) wide-format printers.

Last night at a pre-ISA Sign Expo 2018 event in Orlando, HP announced its HP Latex R Series. “R” is for “Rigid” Technology which will be the foundation of a brand-new product family for the company. In a briefing earlier this week, Joan Pérez Pericot, General Manager for HP’s Large Format Graphics Business, stated that while UV-curable technology has been in the marketplace for some time and has many benefits, it also has many challenges, commenting, “UV-curable printing has an odor; can have a low gamut and dull colors; often has ink peeling off and edges chipping and cracking due to the hardness of the ink especially during finishing; and can be difficult to color match with other printing technologies. For some time, our customers have been asking us to bring to market a rigid version of our popular and successful roll-to-roll Latex printing technology, and our Latex Rigid both answers that demand and addresses UV-curable challenges. Not only does it deliver vibrant colors, but it also preserves the look and feel of the material. We believe this brand-new product family incorporates the only technology that can offer a broad range of applications, from flexibles to events and exhibits, decoration, car wrapping, outdoor signage, window graphics and more, all in what we believe will be the only true hybrid printer on the market.”

Pericot pointed out that this multipass printing system will feature newly engineered odorless, eco-friendly water-based inks that are safe for operators and the environment, with output that can be used in sensitive environments such as hospitals and schools.