Award-Winning Label Printer Adds Two HP Indigo ws4000 Presses for Short Runs, Proofing and Variable Imaging November 5, 2002 -- HP today announced that Tapp Technologies, Inc., an award-winning wine label producer with facilities in Langley, BC and Napa, CA, has expanded into digital printing with a pair of HP Indigo Press ws4000s. The high-speed, high-quality, narrow-web digital presses provide cost- effective, short-to-medium-run label printing on demand in up to seven colors. Officially launched at Labelexpo 2002 in September, the HP Indigo Press ws4000 has advanced variable data capabilities that also allow easy updating of text and images for individual labels, making it ideal for testing product names and designs. "We’re very excited about our move into digital offset, as we feel it is the future of printing," said Jay Tapp, president and CEO, Tapp Technologies, Inc., which installed its two HP Indigo Press ws4000s last month. "The deciding factor was the massive improvement in graphic resolution with HP Indigo Press ws4000 technology, together with the huge potential savings in set-up and make-ready time. This allows us to target medium-size wineries that have short runs and need cost effective solutions while giving smaller customers access to top offset-quality labels, just like the larger wineries." Considered the world’s premier producer of waterless offset pressure sensitive labels for the wine industry, Tapp Technologies has earned more than 130 international awards and been voted the world’s best offset printer by the World Label Association six years in a row. The addition of the latest HP Indigo digital label press enhances its roster of high-end printing and finishing equipment and allows the company to produce fast RIP-to-press short runs with resolution quality approaching its standard 300-line screen waterless offset lithography. "The HP Indigo Press ws4000 provides us with short-run digital ‘waterless’ offset capability that allows our designers to move quickly to finalize new label designs – in minutes, rather than hours or days," said Jay Tapp. "We can use the ws4000 for proofing as well as producing short runs, and in particular for labels with a promotional component or variable information content. We also expect to do quite a bit of six-color process work. With HP Indichrome and a seventh Pantone color available, there is virtually no limitation to the reproducible color spectrum." According to Vince Pentella, national sales manager, industrial markets, HP Indigo Division,, Tapp Technologies will also serve as a demonstration facility for HP digital offset printing technology in the western United States and Canada. "Tapp has set the bar for waterless offset pressure sensitive labels and will be equally influential when it comes to maximizing the full potential of digital labels," he said. For Jay Tapp, the move into HP digital print is part of his vision of building a wine label company that transcends traditional printing methods. "Any successful company needs to stay on the forefront of technology and be prepared to invest ahead of the curve," he said. "At TappTech, we believe in using state-of-the-art printing and process technologies to produce the finest labels manufactured in the world. We see our HP Indigo investments as the next critical step in the pursuit of excellence – and believe it will translate directly into enhanced service and quality." Additional information about HP products and services is available at http://www.hp.com.