HP PageWide Web Press: New Brand, Higher Quality and Productivity in Inkjet

PALO ALTO, Calif.—A rose by any other name may still smell as sweet. But with all due respect to William Shakespeare, a rebranding in some cases can signify a turning point when it comes to product and market possibilities.

Enter HP and its newly-rebranded HP PageWide Web Press high-speed inkjet portfolio.

The company's departure from the HP Inkjet Web Presses was marked by the introduction of two releases during GRAPH EXPO 15 that will fly under the new banner: the HP PageWide Web Press T480 HD and the T470 HD. Of the rebranding, David Murphy, worldwide director of marketing for the HP PageWide Web Press division, believes that "this brand will help create a new definition for inkjet print quality, productivity, and versatility."

"When combining the benefits of quality, productivity and versatility, inkjet is elevated to a new level of economic consideration: more media choices, less waste, more digital value added, and more saleable print jobs for discerning commercial buyers. PSPs can capture new high-volume applications like heavier-coverage catalogs, journals, and marketing collateral," he adds.

Click here to watch David Murphy, worldwide director of marketing for HP's PageWide Web Press division, as he discusses HP's inkjet web press rebranding and product debuts at GRAPH EXPO 15.

The two newly announced 42 inch HP PageWide Web Presses—the T480 HD and T470 HD—feature High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) technology, an innovation recognized with a Must See 'Ems award at GRAPH EXPO 15. Even more, HDNA was awarded "Best in Category" in the program’s Future of Print category.

HP's High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) print head.

With native resolution of 2400 NPI (nozzles per inch), HDNA technology is designed with HP’s unique dual drop-weight architecture. The T480 HD offers a Performance mode and Quality mode. In Quality mode, 1200 nozzles fire standard-size droplets and another 1200 smaller interleaved nozzles fire much smaller droplet sizes. This dual-drop weight technology delivers precise color reproduction, finer image grain, and better rendering of subtle shaping in images. The higher drop weights provide high ink flux for saturated colors and high productivity.

In Quality mode, using dual drop weights, the T480 HD produces 5,236 color pages per minute. In Performance mode, the standard 1200 nozzles are used as the T480 HD produces 6,981 color pages per minute. Remarkable print reliability is derived from the printheads’ built-in nozzle redundancy, an inherent benefit of the design of HP Thermal Inkjet Technology.

These two new HP PageWide Web Presses, which will be introduced in 2016, will use new HP A53 printheads and existing HP A50 pigment inks. Additionally, the installed base of HP inkjet presses using HP A51 printheads can be upgraded to HDNA technology.

"Printing technology must keep pace with the challenging market conditions PSPs face today, including higher job volume, strict color requirements, and the need for competitive differentiation," said Mike Salfity, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. "HP is committed to offering industry-leading digital solutions across its PageWide Web Press and Indigo portfolios that help PSPs meet their clients’ toughest demands and stay ahead of the competition."

Rotomail Italia SpA, one of the largest digital color PSPs in Europe, will become the first company in the world to beta test the HP PageWide Web Press T480 HD in its Milan, Italy-based facility.

Opening the door to additional revenue streams and an extended application range for HP PageWide Web Press customers, HP has also announced:

• A 22 inch duplex priming solution, which makes coated offset media inkjet-compatible, while lowering the cost per print.
• HP Print Beat for HP PageWide Web Presses, helping web press customers visualize and analyze press performance according to print volume, operating efficiency, system health score, press restart rate, and maintenance score.
• Commercial availability of HP Visual Remote Guidance and HP Predictive Press Care for HP PageWide Web Presses, offering press operators access to premium remote support capabilities.
• A new collaboration with Felix Schoeller to manufacture and distribute inkjet coated papers with ColorPRO Technology.
• New HP SmartStream Solutions partners: manroland web systems GmbH, Goss Contiweb B.V., and ColorGATE Digital Output Solutions GmbH.
• Expanded substrate versatility, with more than 300 certified inkjet-compatible papers.

HP believes that its HP PageWide Web Press T480 HD and T470 HD solutions open compelling new opportunities in publishing, direct mail, and general commercial printing. PSPs should be able to capture a wide range of applications, including color trade publications, medical journals, high-end retail brochures, catalogs, posters, and banners up to 108 inches long.