Kent-based Press on Digital Imaging (PODI) has added a second HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer to its growing portfolio of HP large format digital printers.
PODI's wide service offering covers the full spectrum of indoor and outdoor graphics arts applications. It made the investment through HP dealer, CWE Solutions, of Chessington, Surrey and Sheffield, to boost production and maintain capacity across key vehicle-wrapping and window-film accounts.
According to Andrew Wilson, co-director, Press on Digital Imaging, the HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer's water-based HP Latex Inks, together with its 3.2m-width and dual-roll capability, deliver invaluable efficiency advantages.
"We undertake a tremendous amount of promotional work using self-adhesive vinyl, including a very large contract to produce high-quality livery for wrapping London taxis, which demands extremely fast turnarounds," said Wilson. "With printers that run solvent ink, the solvent remains in the vinyl and requires a 24-hour gassing-off period. This waiting time is completely eliminated with the latex printer, such that we can finish the vinyl the minute it comes off the machine.
"As CWE Solutions suggested, the wider width afforded by the HP Scitex LX850 is also a huge differentiator that dramatically drives up productivity - not because our work always requires huge widths, but by the ability to print more graphics across the roll," he continued. "Add to that the fact that we use two rolls side-by-side, instead of just one, and it's easy to see how the LX850 delivers such a hard punch in terms of the sheer volume of media it can output. We only installed our first LX850 in September, but since that time have already put over 70,000m2 of substrate through it."
Importantly for PODI, the fast speed of the HP Scitex LX850 doesn't come at the expense of quality, which Wilson views as paramount to continuing to serve the vehicle graphics needs of customers. This was also a key criterion for Wilson during initial discussions with CWE Solutions to determine the best device for the company.
"The LX850 delivers the best speed achievable at the high output quality we require," he explained. "Although some UV machines might be faster, they quickly fall down in terms of their suitably for vehicle applications, so it's about fulfilling all criteria - not just one."
Equally, the 1200dpi resolution achievable with the HP Scitex LX850 offers PODI the confidence to meet the exacting expectations demanded by the retail cosmetic brands the company serves.
"Projects undertaken on behalf of prestige brands involve an increased element of stringent, close-visual inspection," he explained. "The high expectation for quality means that we would rapidly lose business if we compromised for a second."
The additional HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer complements three other HP latex printers, including an HP Scitex LX600 Printer and enhances PODI's ability to meet clients' sustainability needs. According to Wilson, the company has won contracts as a direct result of its ability to meet environmental stipulations.
"The promotional wrapping work we do using London taxis would have gone elsewhere had it not been for our HP Latex Technologies, as the client sought tangible proof that the impact on the environment would be reduced," he continued. "The water-based inks and the fact that the media can be recycled once removed from vehicles ticked the right boxes."
The 3.2m (126in) HP Scitex LX850 Industrial Printer delivers increased versatility and productivity with multiple workflow features. These include dual-roll, roll-to-free fall and roll-to-collector handling, and an ink collector that enables printing on porous substrates and textiles, further extending application possibilities.
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