First worldwide installion of HP Latex 3000 industrial printer at PressOn

Rochester-based PressOn is the first worldwide customer of the new 126”-wide industrial HP Latex 3000 printer and its machine is installed and ready to meet the demand for high quality, self-adhesive vinyl graphics.

“The print industry in the UK has generally been in decline, but large format digital printing continues to grow,” says Andy Wilson, managing director of PressOn. “Since purchasing our first HP printer from print solutions provider CWE Solutions in 2002, our mind-set has been purely digital which has been a great advantage to our growth.”

In order to meet the demands for high quality digital print, PressOn developed a £600,000 growth strategy to acquire a number of large machines including a Kongsberg XPi24 digital cutter purchased from CWE Solutions in August 2012.

A strong proponent of HP latex technology, PressOn initially looked to purchase an additional HP LX850 to join its existing HP line-up.  However it soon became evident that - in order to keep up with client demands - an industrial roll to roll machine would be required.

“The HP Latex 3000 will enable us to take on further work and utilise its increased speed and industrial design to improve customer response times,” says Wilson. “Additionally, with 5 litre ink cartridges and 1.5 litre sub-tanks, the 3000 gives us true, unattended overnight printing, reducing operator costs but maximising achievable production time and increasing our revenue potential. ”

According to Wilson, the HP Latex technology is much more stable than UV technology, especially for self-adhesive vinyl graphics. “With UV you have inherent issues with installation and removal of self-adhesive vinyls. The HP Latex technology is a much more stable and makes for easier finishing and laminating.”

In addition to reliability and speed, cost-per-click was critical in the company's decision making.  Wilson estimates on last year’s print work alone they would have added an extra £50,000 in profits had they been operating the HP 3000.  Wilson concludes, ”CWE Solutions has helped us bring creative solutions to the marketplace in an innovation fashion. Today’s client isn’t just about price. You need to be able to do the job differently, reliably, and in a sustainable way while embracing new technology.  The HP 3000 will allow us to use technology to our advantage and embrace those last-minute print jobs that others see as a challenge.”