HP has announced the success of its new wide-format printer using HP Latex Inks in the United Kingdom; with seven HP Designjet L65500 printers installed since its launch at drupa 2008 last May.
Over 120 units of the HP Designjet L65500 Printer have been installed in Europe, Middle East and Africa and the worldwide response has also been strong.
The HP Designjet L65500 Printer was specifically designed with the environment in mind and is the first printer to feature HP Latex Printing Technologies, including HP Latex Inks and HP Wide Scan Printing Technology. To support the ‘printing with the environment in mind' program, a range of recyclable substrates is also available, providing additional environmental benefits. The HP Designjet L65500 Printer enables print service providers (PSPs) to increase their print capacity and grow their business whilst also reducing environmental impact. Compliant with industry-leading certification, Nordic Swan, HP Latex Inks do not produce ozone emissions during printing and contain no hazardous air pollutants. This means improved working environments for PSPs and a greater range of places—especially indoor locations—where graphics can be used.
In the UK, JKN Digital, of Preston; Kingfisher Graphics, of Stockport; Raccoon, of Edenbridge, Kent; and Stylo, of Watford, are amongst customers who have all installed HP Designjet L65500 Printers to cater to different markets, reduce turnaround times, and improve print quality.
"Like us, many of our clients have become increasingly aware of environmental issues and have a desire to reduce their carbon footprint," said Simon Wheeler, operations director at Stylo. "To help us achieve this, Stylo is launching an eco-friendly print package. This is the major reason for choosing the HP Designjet L65500 Printer. It will give our clients the real choice of eco-friendly printing for all situations—exterior or interior and on a wide variety of recycled or recyclable materials. The speed of the printer helps us to continue to provide fast turn-arounds at a high quality."
Raccoon, part of the Raccoon Group, specialises in vehicle graphics, which are printed at its Edenbridge, Kent, facility for installation at sites around the country.
"We installed the HP Designjet L65500 Printer because we wanted to get rid of solvents," said Richard Clark, managing director, Raccoon. "Not only does the elimination of solvents improve working conditions, but over time, solvents can affect the performance quality of vehicle graphics. We've also found other benefits. We save between 36 - 48 hours on jobs because the need for off gassing is eliminated; we can laminate as soon as printing has finished, which makes us more productive, and we're using some of the time saved to improve quality control."
Further installations of HP Designjet L65500 printers are underway in the UK.
"HP Latex Ink technology offers revolutionary new choices to sign and display PSPs," said Nancy Janes, sign and display country manager, UK and Ireland, HP. "The HP Designjet L65500 Printer has found a market very quickly, in the UK and around the world. New technologies can take a long time to become accepted, but the many benefits of this printer are clearly responding to market demands."
Among other dealers, the HP Designjet L65500 Printer is now also available from i-Sub Digital, of Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The company recently added the printer to its portfolio of large-format printers.
"As dealers, we've been keen to add a more environmentally acceptable solution for our customers and their customers who share our concerns about the environment," said Andy Spreag, director, i-Sub Digital. "We believe that HP Latex Inks have a great future, and that the HP Designjet L65500 Printer is a productive and versatile machine capable of printing on both water and solvent based media at high speeds. It is therefore suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications achieving the quality required for both and with the durability and abrasion resistance normally only achievable with solvent inks. We believe it will receive great interest from customers looking for an alternative to solvent inks."
