WOW! WOW! WOW! HP announces its “PageWide” wide-format print technology. The “revolution” will begin next summer.

Below my comments, you’ll find the Press Release that HP released this morning.

Because I’m in the middle of a long, long road trip, I’m going to keep this post short.  I will have further comments this weekend.

I feel very fortunate to have been invited to San Diego, CA for HP’s DesignJet Production Premiere event, which took place this morning (Monday June 10^th).  Just a guess, but I think there were around 50 analysts and technology publication writers and publishers at this morning’s event.  People from across the U.S. and from South America.  Two reprographics industry people attended today’s event, myself and Ed Avis (Ed is the Managing Director of the IRGA; visit the IRgA web-site for Ed’s write-up.)

The “headline” for this post said, “WOW!, WOW!, WOW!”  And, I used those words because, hold on to your hats, Reprographers, this new technology is “game changing” technology.  HP’s PageWide wide-format print systems are going to change how you operate your business, they are going to change your approach to equipping FM’s, and, if you are a reseller, they are going to change what you offer to A/E/C firms.  This new technology is also going to have an impact on your pricing and margins.  HP’s PageWide print technology is “revolutionary”, not just “evolutionary” technology.

HP’s line-up of PageWide printers will not be available until the 2^nd half of 2015.  HP has not yet named this new line of printers, but, if I were to give it a name, I’d call the first one, the HP DesignJet Revolution 1000.  This new line of printers is going to completely disrupt the market for technical document printing (A/E/C drawings and other technical documents.)  We are talking about a revolutionary new technology.

Prior to today’s event, I kind of thought that HP had incorporated Memjet technology in this new line of technical document printers.  Not so!  HP’s “PageWide” printers use HP-designed/developed/manufactured print-heads; these print-heads are approximately 8” wide, and multiple print-heads are connected together to yield a wide-format PageWide printer.  This morning, we saw a high-volume production unit, which prints at up to 40” wide.  Apparently, HP intends to release three or four different models during the 2^nd half of 2015.  Equipment pricing was not announced, and HP said that that information won’t be released until it is ready to begin taking orders.

HP says that the high-volume production model will be “the fastest (wide-format) printer ever”.

Key points:

-       color at twice the speed of LED with lower running costs!

-       uses pigment inks (instant dry, excellent color gamut, no fade)

-       durable; prints resistant to water, highlighter and smudge

-       prints on plain bond paper (and will also be able to print on a variety of other media)

-       built-in Adobe rendering engine (very fast processing time)

-       sustained productivity

-       very fast print speed!

-       reliable print heads

-       options for stacker or on-line folding unit

More in a later post!

Here’s the Press Release HP issued this morning:

HP Disrupts Production Printing Market with New Large-format PageWide Technology

HP PageWide Technology, Designjet printers deliver high-volume quality prints at high speeds and lower costs

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2014 — HP today announced the scaling of its inkjet-based PageWide Technology for large-format printing, delivering high-quality prints at faster speeds and lower costs.

This innovative technology, which consists of more than 200,000 nozzles on a stationary print bar and spans the width of the page, enables users to produce a variety of black-and-white and color applications, such as drawings, maps and posters. HP PageWide Technology will disrupt the $1.3 billion production printing market currently dominated by monochrome light-emitting diode (LED) printers.⁽¹⁾

HP also is expanding its existing large-format portfolio with new devices and software designed to meet specific business demands for high-volume, production printing. The new products include:

·   The HP Designjet T3500 Production eMultifunction Printer (eMFP), the most productive large-format color multifunction printer in its category,⁽²⁾ ideal for use by enterprises.

·   The HP Designjet T7200 Production Printer, a full-color large-format printer built for central reprographic departments (CRDs) and reprographic houses with high-volume print demands.

·   HP Designjet SmartStream, a software program that streamlines the complete printing workflow.

These solutions can handle the volume and diverse print needs of enterprise organizations; CRDs; architectural, engineering, construction (AEC) and design firms; public sector agencies; quick printers and small- to medium-sized reprographic houses. 

“Our customers are continuously seeking cost-effective and reliable printing technologies that improve the way they work,” said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Graphics and Inkjet Solutions Business, HP. “The new large-format HP PageWide Technology will disrupt the production printing market by offering customers an affordable option for high-volume quality prints, transforming an industry that typically prints in monochrome to now print in color without compromising  speed.”

Pioneering inkjet printing: HP leads with technological advancements

For more than 30 years, HP has led the inkjet printing market by investing in printhead and ink research and development. Building on the success of its HP PageWide Technology from industrial production to small business printing, HP will offer customers dependable and economical operation for high-quality, large-format printing at high speeds.

With inkjet technologies, the ink vehicle, which carries the colorant to the surface of the printer, is crucial to the stability of the ink, the drop ejection process and the overall print result. The HP PageWide printhead is built with thousands of identical drop generators that offer uniform volume, speed and trajectory for precise printing. The technology also regulates the speed and penetration of Original HP pigment ink to accelerate drying and to control dot size, feathering and color-to-color bleed for high-quality prints.

Together with HP Thermal Inkjet Technology and HP pigment inks, the new HP PageWide Technology for large-format printers reduces the cost per page and offers the flexibility to use low-cost photo papers for graphically rich applications. Additionally, the PageWide platform prints the full page in a single pass for decreased turnaround time.

Rethink productivity:  Large-format solutions designed for quality, volume, speed

The compact 36-inch HP Designjet T3500 Production eMFP requires no warm-up time and features an ultra-fast processor and a high-productivity scanner with batch-scanning, multipage PDF creation and scan-to-email capabilities. The device also allows for unattended and low-cost operation, producing monochrome prints at the same cost per page as LED MFPs.⁽³⁾ For printing jobs requiring high security, it is built with a self-encrypting hard drive, secure disk erase and controlled access printing.

The 42-inch HP Designjet T7200 Production Printer is capable of handling three heavy media rolls. It can produce both color and black-and-white prints on a wide range of media, from bond to glossy photo paper, with a low cost of operation comparable to monochrome LED printers.⁽³⁾

The HP Designjet SmartStream software makes print management more efficient by streamlining workflow for highly demanding print environments. It offers true PDF management, along with accurate and error-free prints with the HP Crystal Preview technology. It also can reduce job preparation time by up to 50 percent on multipage print jobs.⁽⁴⁾

For IT managers, HP also introduced a new HP Designjet Universal Print Driver, which allows users to manage their entire HP Designjet fleet with a standardized single driver. This reduces the amount of time and cost in testing and deployment—and in keeping the software across all HP Designjet printers up to date.

Customers also can increase efficiency with optional hardware accessories and software tools, such as the new HP Designjet HD Pro Scanner, stacker and online folder.

Pricing and availability⁽⁵⁾ 

·   Large-format HP PageWide printers will be available in the second half of 2015.

·   The HP Designjet T3500 Production eMFP and HP Designjet T7200 Production Printer are now available worldwide with estimated starting list prices of $14,750 and $12,644, respectively.

·   The HP Designjet SmartStream Pre-Flight Manager and Controllers are expected to be available worldwide on June 30 for an estimated starting list price of $1,295 and $795, respectively.

More information about the latest additions to the HP Designjet production printing portfolio is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/DesignjetProduction2014 and at www.hp.com/go/designjet. Videos and updates on the new products are available on the HP for Designers Facebook page, the HP Graphic Arts YouTube channel and the @HPGraphicArts Twitter handle.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society.  With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions for customers’ most complex challenges in every region of the world.  More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) Based on HP internal data.

(2) Compared with large-format color MFPs under $25,000. Based on the fastest-rated color speeds published by manufacturers as of January 2014. Test methods vary.

(3) Compared with large-format low-volume LED printers with print speeds of up to 7 Arch D pages per minute.

(4) Conclusion based on an HP internal test measuring the time required to extract pages from a 50-page document and print them using several printers compared with using equivalent software products.

(5) Pricing and availability will vary by country and are subject to change.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing HP’s businesses; the competitive pressures faced by HP’s businesses; risks associated with executing HP’s strategy and plans for future operations; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the need to manage third-party suppliers and the distribution of HP’s products and services effectively; the protection of HP’s intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties; risks associated with HP’s international operations; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its suppliers, customers, clients and partners; the hiring and retention of key employees; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; the execution, timing and results of restructuring plans, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost and the anticipated benefits of implementing those plans; the resolution of pending investigations, claims and disputes; and other risks that are described in HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, and that are otherwise described or updated from time to time in HP’s Securities and Exchange Commission reports. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.