In a press conference on the opening day of PacPrint, HP made several announcements, including:
a) The company had approached the Cancer Council and was now a major contributor to this very worthy cause and will continue to help the council where they can with both financial aid as well as covering all their printing requirements. b) 40,000 Latex printers had been sold since Latex's inception. c) A new HP Latex 315 Print & Cut had been launched. d) As previously published, HP had also launched their Latex 3200 and Latex 3600 printers. The 3200 was on display at PacPrint.
HP announced some of Australia’s most experienced printing companies, including Cactus Imaging, NR Signs, Visualcom and Lamont Sign Solutions, had invested in HP Latex large format printers, and are already experiencing significant business growth and diversification as a result.
More than 40,000 HP Latex printers have been installed around the world, including Australia. Ahead of PacPrint 2017, these local customers explained how water-based HP Latex technology has enabled wider application and versatility, expanding their business operations. A number of HP Latex printers were on display at the show including the brand new HP Latex 315 Print & Cut solution, along with the 3.2m wide HP Latex 3200.
Expand high value applications
Cactus Imaging National Business Manager, Keith Ferrel, credits his recently purchased HP Latex 3000 and 3500 for enabling the business to expand into new territory.
“Two years ago, before we invested in the HP Latex 3000, and subsequently the 3500, outdoor billboards constituted 85 per cent of our business,” said Ferrel. “Today that number is 60 per cent, despite our billboard volume actually increasing – because our Latex business has grown so substantially. A lot of that growth has come from entirely new applications. For example, we have a large demand for Latex in transit advertising, as we’ve found it more durable than UV inks.”
Better working environment
The water-based HP Latex inks offer a more environmentally friendly solution, while driving and diversifying business demand. No special ventilation or hazard warning labels are required when printing with HP Latex.
The benefits of Latex extend beyond the bottom line, according to NR Signs Director, Tony Worrad, who compared the ink to the solvent inks it replaced.
“The water-based HP Latex Ink is better for our operators, who say switching from solvent to a HP Latex 360 has made a huge difference,” said Worrad. “When customers find out we have a non-solvent printer, it opens doors for us in government buildings and other places where regulations or health concerns may have previously kept us out.”
Visualcom Director, Paul Martinovich, said HP Latex Ink has been a major positive change, both for the business and from the perspective of the operators.
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| The new HP Latex 3600 model. The HP Latex 3200 was on display at Pacprint |
“The fact we’re not exposing our people to inks with harzardous chemical warning labels and high solvent concentrations, is a great thing both for me personally, our staff and our clients,” said Martinovich. “The HP Latex Ink produces a high quality result, with scratch resistance, a great colour gamut, while being suitable for internal applications, at the same time as providing a better working environment. It’s no wonder we’ve just come off the biggest month in the history of the company – without the volume and speed of the HP Latex 1500 and 570, we’d have been in a lot of trouble.”
Driving sustainable business growth
In a positive sign for the industry at large, HP Latex is also driving growth across the country, with Townsville-based Lamont Sign Solutions’ Director, Stephen Lamont, confirming demand has also surged in the north.
“Within the first six weeks of installing the machine, we experienced significant growth,” said Lamont. “We hoped customers would naturally gravitate to the tremendous capabilities of the HP Latex 1500, and that is what has happened. Before we never sold to fellow sign writers because they had their own wide format machines, but with the 1500 we now sell them our printed billboard material at a similar rate to what they were getting previously from large printing companies, but with a quicker turnaround.”
Mobile app empowering new workstyles
Looking ahead, Visualcom’s Paul Martinovich is impressed by the potential of HP Latex technology, and singled out the HP Latex Mobile app as a major development. The app enables users to remotely monitor their printers and job status, while providing consumables alerts and compiling metrics related to ink and media usage.
“We’re still learning every day with the HP Latex 1500 Printer, and thanks to the HP Latex Mobile app, we can monitor the presses off-site, and no longer need to babysit our equipment,” said Martinovich. “But what is clear is that HP has set out to build a printer and app that is user friendly and versatile, and makes the operational side fast, easy, and stress-free.”
