The Viscom Dusseldorf exhibition (1-3 October) saw the first public showing of the the new HP Designjet L25500 latex printers, on the HP stand (Hall 8a, booth G20).
These eagerly awaited printers, available in both 42" (1065mm) and 60" (1525mm) widths, are expected to bring many of the benefits of the larger L65500 latex printer, released at what we fully expect to be a more affordable and broadly accessible pricepoint.
A hugely interesting product, not least because, if priced correctly, it could see significant numbers of existing large format solvent inkjet users making the move over to what is claimed to be a significantly cleaner and greener print process.
Not since the launch of the Designjet 5000 have HP made such a relevant and timely product launch. Many industry-watchers consider the 5000-series as the printer that cemented HPs' position as a force in the wide format print marketplace, more importantly it was arguably the printer that finally saw them wrestle market leadership away from the then dominant Encad Novajet.
In the time since then, HP have made further inroads at the commercial end of the display print market, through acquisition of industry innovators such as NUR and Scitex.
Whilst those acquisitions were at the volume-production end of the market, this new product launch is perhaps the machine that will capture the imagination of the mainstream sign and display print industry, and we'll possibly see HP repeating the successes of the Designjet 5000.
We feel sure that many senior figures at HP will indeed be hoping to see history repeat itself in this manner, as it hasn't all gone their way, particularly in the sign market where their lack of a viable in-house solvent print solution (forget the rebadged Seikos', when compared to the success of their aqueous printers the Seiko relationship bore little fruit), allowed Roland, Mimaki, and to a lesser extent here in the UK, Mutoh, to outsell HP by significant numbers.
The L25500 printers themselves will allow for outdoor and indoor application versatility with print-quality and display permanence comparable to low-solvent printers, whilst reducing the impact of printing on the environment. This allows owners to create an improved printing environment for their employees, whilst targeting the business of environmentally conscious customers.
As said, HP are without doubt dominant in the affordable wide format aqueous printer market, and through acquisition have much to offer at the high end, but they need this affordable latex ink solution to bridge that gap, in so doing HP could then have the all-encompassing and genuinely viable cradle-to-the-grave wide format product portfolio that they need.
If the Designjet L25500 can delivers all that it provisionally promises, can print at production speeds, and the price is attractive enough to make it a viable alternative to the current solvent-based offerings from other manufacturers, then we'd fully expect to see HP picking up a number of important resellers, and maybe, just maybe, they will have a real success on their hands.
Click here for the latest News from the official HP L25500 launch at Viscom Dusseldorf, including pricing and availability.
You can also read the Official HP L25500 Press Release right here on LFR by clicking here.
