After three years in development, HP has unveiled its latex printing technology solutions. This forms part of HP's plans to reduce the environmental impact of outdoor printing.
Juan Onic Maritz, design category manager at HP IPG SA, says: “Outdoor printing is a booming business. In 2004, the global outdoor signage revenue was $6.5 billion, and in 2008 it reached $15.4 billion.”
Call me irresponsible
Maritz points out that vendors are now being held responsible for the way they manufacture technology. “In the European markets, companies are strongly promoting green technology and we are seeing a lot of them migrating to use latex print technology.
“Solvent ink is typically used in most outdoor signage prints and this is an aggressive chemical; which allows for pollutants to get into the air during the printing process and also seeps into the water table. Because of the profitability, people have been turning a blind eye to this fact.”
Level playing field
Maritz explains that many of the larger digital printing organisations and franchises are snapping up the smaller print companies. However; he notes that latex printers level the playing field in terms of competition in the retail sector.
“Latex infuses excitement in the market again because a small operation can use these machines and print a whole spectrum of applications at an affordable cost, whether it be outdoor signage, vehicle wraps or pull-up banners.”
Maritz adds that, compared with solvent ink, latex ink is more recyclable and does not require daily maintenance because latex printers have an automatic cleaning process. In addition, latex can be used in a single platform to create prints for both indoor and outdoor environments.
HP expanded its HP Planet Partners programme in Europe and the US, allowing customers to recycle prints produced with HP latex inks as well as HP 789 Latex Designjet ink cartridges and printheads for free. HP pays for the shipping charges and handles sorting and recycling.
Designed under the HP Eco Solutions programme, the HP DesignJet L25500 printer creates exhibition graphics, indoor wall murals, and fabrics to outdoor banners, bus shelters, and vehicle wraps. The high-resolution printer prints an image quality of up to 1 200dpi.
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