Inkjet & Digital Printing
HP Enhances Digital Business for Frederic Printing with Versatility and Productivity of Web Press
Tuesday 25. August 2009 - Second commercial installation of breakthrough colour solution expands digital printing's range in commercial printing
HP today announced the successful installation of an HP Inkjet Web Press at Denver, Colorado-based Frederic Printing, a Consolidated Graphics (NYSE:CGX) company.
This cutting-edge technology will enable Frederic to secure a distinct competitive advantage and enhance its business with a range of colour print services.
The press is compatible with many of the standard, offset media and processes that customers require and provides Consolidated Graphics with a highly cost-effective platform to offer quick turnaround and low-waste capabilities in mainstream book manufacturing.
The HP Inkjet Web Press’s 122 metres (400 feet) per-minute speed and unprecedented 762 mm (30 inch) size enables Consolidated Graphics to produce full-colour maps, personalised direct mail and other commercial print products that require high throughput rates.
“This press installation is yet another example of Consolidated Graphics’ commitment to ensuring its customers benefit from the strategic and cost advantages of digital print,” said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager, Graphics Solutions Business – Americas, HP. “Consolidated Graphics already has one of the world’s largest digital printing platforms across its more than 70 locations, and with the HP Inkjet Web Press, the company is creating new opportunities that other technologies simply cannot address.”
Thriving with new possibilities in high-volume production
The press, the second installed worldwide, pairs proven HP Scalable Printing Technology thermal inkjet imaging with a writing system designed for reliable pixel printing. This combination helps print service providers drive profitable growth by offering addressable 1,200 x 600 dots per inch imaging in a speed and size combination that can produce 2,600 A4 or U.S. letter-size pages per minute.
The HP Inkjet Web Press is supported by an array of industry-leading partners to enable real-world production operations. The HP Inkjet Web Press at Frederic includes EHRET Control roll unwinding and sheeting equipment from MBO.
“The installation of the HP Inkjet Web Press exemplifies Consolidated Graphics’ ability to stay at the forefront of digital print technology with innovative, world-leading equipment that our competitors don’t currently offer,” said Aaron Grohs, executive vice president, Sales and Marketing, Consolidated Graphics. “As a result, we are able to provide our customers with the best overall value and the most customised solutions to meet their changing needs.”
The press was formally unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring executives from Consolidated Graphics and HP, along with local public officials.
Consolidated Graphics is a leading provider of digital colour in high-volume commercial printing. The company already ranks as the world’s No. 1 user of HP Indigo presses, which are employed in Consolidated Graphics facilities to produce photo books, direct mail and commercial print jobs requiring offset- or photo-quality imaging and high ink coverage. Last year, the company completed the largest-ever HP Indigo purchase agreement, installing 36 presses at various plants in North America and Europe and pushing its overall HP Indigo count to more than 50 presses.
Available later this year, the HP Inkjet Web Press delivers image quality and durability on any low-cost, uncoated paper, as well as on a range of coated media. The HP Inkjet Web Press also offers attractive capital acquisition and operating costs, including the ability to purchase consumables as needed without click charges.
In addition to the installation at the Frederic Printing facility, the HP Inkjet Web Press is also installed at O’Neil Data Systems in Los Angeles, where it has been doing commercial printing work since January. Installations at two leading book manufacturers – Courier Corporation in the United States and CPI Group in France – are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009.