Design-build business Antonina Studio Ltd has revealed how its investment in a new HP Latex R530 printer has allowed the company to bring more work in-house, simplify complex workflows and expand its production capabilities.
Based in Jerusalem, Israel, Antonina Studio Ltd – which is co-owned by Shelley and Asaf Alexander – is an established business that has been designing, producing and delivering complex museum, exhibition and visitor-centre projects for many years. By offering design, fabrication, printing, multimedia integration and installation under one roof, the company has built a strong and loyal customer base across a range of sectors.
Such is the diversity of its client base and overall service offering that the company is committed to constantly upgrading and improving its production setup. This approach led the business to one of its most recent investments – an HP Latex R530.
“We were operating an eco-solvent printer that never fully met the quality standards and flexibility required by our projects,” said Shelley Alexander. “Over the years, we also worked extensively with UV printing technologies and gained hands-on experience with different platforms. This gave us a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of each technology and helped us define exactly what we were looking for in our next investment.
Why Antonina chose the HP Latex R530
The duo identified the need for a solution that could not only support the wide variety of materials used in museum and exhibition production, but also provide reliable results, a comfortable working environment, and a workflow that suited the way the business operates – allowing it to continue to grow and evolve.
“We have been designing, producing and delivering complex projects for nearly two decades,” said Shelley. “We were seeking a new printer that would support our established creative and production-driven studio, enabling us to expand our capabilities, streamline workflows and bring even more processes in-house.”
After considering several options, it elected for the HP Latex R530 – its first HP Latex investment – taking delivery of the new machine from approved HP partner Mafil Ltd in October last year. The printer was professionally installed by the reseller and high-level training that helped Antonina Studio Ltd integrate the new technology smoothly into its existing production environment was included.
The only compact all-in-one rigid and flexible HP Latex printer, the R530 has a top printing speed of 24sq m/hr in indoor mode and the ability to print on materials of up to 1.6m wide and as thick as 5cm. Key features include three-litre ink cartridges, running water-based HP Latex Ink in various colours and white, as well as an intuitive touchscreen for easier use and HP’s high control belt system for consistent printing across all media types.
Picking up on this last point and the machine’s ability to print on a wide range of materials, Shelley said this flexibility was key in their decision to invest.
“The HP Latex R530 stood out because it allowed us to move between rigid and flexible materials without changing production methods or relying on multiple systems,” she said. “For a company that regularly works with wood, PVC, acrylic, aluminium composite panels, exhibition structures, and custom-fabricated elements, that makes a real difference.
“What impressed us most was its ability to bring together both rigid and flexible material versatility, image quality, ease of operation, and a much more comfortable working environment in a single machine. The investment was not simply about replacing a printer; it was about simplifying production, reducing unnecessary complexity, bringing more work in-house and reducing our reliance on external suppliers to improve turnaround times.
Making complex production straightforward
While bringing more production in-house has been of great benefit to Antonina Studio Ltd, the co-owners were also keen to highlight how the new machine simplified what they described as “complex workflows”.
“Before, certain applications required multiple machines, different production methods or external suppliers,” said Asaf Alexander. “Now, we can complete a much wider range of applications internally while maintaining consistent quality throughout the process. This has improved efficiency, shortened production timelines, and increased our flexibility when responding to client requirements.
“The HP Latex R530 has changed the way we approach production planning. Instead of asking which machine can produce a particular application, we now focus on how efficiently we can deliver the final result. It has also given us confidence to pursue applications that previously required more complicated production workflows.”
However, it is not just the co-owners that have been impressed by the new printer. Shelley and Asaf said the feedback from operating staff in the production room has been extremely positive, with the team talking up the machine’s ease of use.
“One aspect that particularly impressed our team was how intuitive the machine is to operate,” said Shelley. “Both the printer interface and the workflow design make daily production straightforward, even for team members with little or no previous printing experience. The learning curve was remarkably short and was essentially completed within two days.”
A healthier workplace without compromise
Another benefit for production staff at Antonina Studio Ltd has been an improved working environment. As highlighted by Shelley, the company was using an eco-solvent printer, which meant the team had to put up with strong solvent odours on a daily basis. However, with the use of HP Latex Inks, which are water-based and odourless, this is now an issue of the past.
“For us, sustainability is not only about environmental responsibility,” Asaf said. “It is also about creating a healthier workplace, reducing exposure to potentially harmful substances, and delivering products that can be confidently installed in sensitive public environments.
“Many of our projects are installed in public indoor environments where air quality and environmental considerations matter. HP Latex technology supports these goals without requiring us to compromise on the quality or variety of applications we produce.”
More than a printer, a growth platform
While the HP Latex R530 is the first HP Latex machine to be installed at Antonina Studio Ltd, such has been the success of the investment that the company could consider adding more HP technology to its line-up to support its wider growth plans.
“We continuously look for opportunities to expand our production capabilities and strengthen our ability to deliver complete solutions in-house,” Shelley said. “Our experience with the HP Latex R530 has been very positive, and HP technologies will certainly be considered as part of our future growth plans.
“The HP Latex R530 has become much more than a printer. It has become a key part of how we design, produce and deliver complex projects.”
