HP launches new Indigo digital presses for portrait and high volume printing at PMA 2010

At PMA 2010, HP Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., will unveil two new Indigo digital press solutions with capabilities that improve photo printing quality and color consistency. HP also announces Indigo press output has received a 45-year Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR) Display Permanence rating, the first of its kind for a digital press.

The new HP Indigo WS6000p Digital Press offers professional portrait output for the portrait studio market as a high-quality, low-cost replacement to silver halide solutions. Available in June, the new HP Indigo WS6000p Digital Press brings HP’s liquid electrophotographic printing technology to the portrait studio market. Designed to replace silver halide output solutions, the new roll-to-roll press delivers photo-realistic imaging with in-line lamination for professional portrait output quality at a low cost. Unlike other digital presses, the solution includes light cyan and light magenta inks, offering a photo-realistic output when added to the standard CMYK ink set.

An enhanced HP Indigo W7200 Digital Press improves color management and consistency, and is specifically designed for high-volume printing of photo specialty products, including photo books.The launch of the enhanced HP Indigo W7200 Digital Press for photo specialty applications raises the level of quality and productivity for photo specialty printing, one of HP Indigo’s fastest-growing segments, with a 30-percent year-over-year increase in 2009 for new HP Indigo press placements used in photo specialty applications and a 47-percent year-over-year increase in photo specialty page output for the segment’s annual, holiday-driven October 1 to December 31 peak production season.

The enhanced W7200 press supports this level of industry growth. Designed to meet large photo-specialty firms’ production needs, the press prints 240 four-color letter-size pages per minute at volumes up to 7.5 million pages per month. It also includes new, linked color management utilities on both of its print engines for more accurate, consistent photo prints. Optional inline finishing options include cutting, offset stacking of book blocks, cutting and lamination.

HP also announces a new production software solution from HP partner M-photo, which provides comprehensive workflow solution for professional photography labs using the HP Indigo W7200 and other HP Indigo press models. The software, which also works with silver halide output devices, helps eliminate finishing time and reduces costs with tools to streamline lab management, color correction and image creation.

Additionally, HP announces the ARTtrust self-certification system for photographers and artists using HP Designjet Z Series Professional Photo Printers. ARTtrust is a simple self-certification system that enables photographers and artists to provide individual identity to any HP Designjet Z series pigment print produced using Vivera Pigment inks on compatible media or paper.

A joint development between HP and Prooftag, and endorsed by Wilhelm Imaging Research, the ARTtrust solution allows registered photographers and artists to activate an ARTtrust Tag, register newly certified prints, provide information and proof of authenticity and promote their work. Tags and membership cards will be sold on this same website by ARTtrust Co., a subsidiary of Prooftag.

Companies that support and promote include Canson INFINITY, Hahnemühle FineArt, ILFORD Imaging, and Innova Art. Early adopters of the ARTtrust system include world-famous photographers and artists who are members of the HP Experts & Mentors program, including Joel Meyerowitz; Thomas Hoepker; Martin Parr; Douglas Kirkland; and Digital Atelier artists Dorothy Krause, Bonny Lhotka and Karin Schminke.

“In this age of refined mechanical reproduction, the temptation to forge photographic works of art is easily satisfied,” said Meyerowitz. “We have been hoping and waiting for a foolproof method of security and maintaining the authenticity of our work. ARTtrust has appeared at precisely the right moment.”