HP INDIGO LEP TECHNOLOGY REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF PRINT

Transcription

1 HP INDIGO LEP TECHNOLOGY REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF PRINT

2 ! HP Indigo, a pioneer in Until today, HP Indigo continues to lead and disrupt the digital printing market and enables digital printing, triggered a customers to innovate, blaze new trails and capture lucrative opportunities for growth. revolution in the printing industry by unveiling the world s first digital printing press in 1993 HP Indigo Digital Presses deliver high quality prints with the widest color capabilities and substrate versatility. With unique digital printing technologies, color and ink coverage capabilities, HP Indigo printing routinely matches and, at times, exceeds the quality of traditional offset printing. As a fully digital process, HP Indigo customers are well positioned to handle the increasing demand for variable data printing jobs, shorter runs, reduced inventory, eco-friendly sustainability and all the other benefits and innovations that HP Indigo has to offer. This book describes HP Indigo s digital printing process, how it works and its unique features. It details HP Indigo s distinctive Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) digital color printing technology and highlights the advantages when compared to other printing technologies.

3 3 FOUNDATIONS OF HP INDIGO LIQUID ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY (LEP) 1

4 ! HP Indigo technology combines all the advantages of its patented LEP printing process into a powerful digital printing solution over an extensive portfolio of digital presses for a wide variety of applications including General commercial print, Photo, Labels, Flexible Packaging and Folding Cartons HP INDIGO ELECTROINKS ElectroInk is the special liquid ink used in all HP Indigo presses and is electrically charged to control its placement onto a photoconductor plate. Because of the ink s unique composition, print quality and performance are virtually independent of the pigment, thus enabling the largest set of inks available in the digital printing industry. THERMAL OFFSET TRANSFER The HP Indigo LEP technology employs a thermal offset transfer process where offset signifies that there is an intermediate transfer member involved, which is wrapped around with a blanket. During the process, very thin ink layers are dried on the blanket and not on the media. Since media is isolated from the stresses of heat and wetness, HP Indigo presses are able to print on the widest variety of substrate types, surfaces and thicknesses. DIRECT CONTACT Similar to conventional offset printing, ink transfers through direct contact all along the process, as opposed to inkjet where ink is jetted through the air. With LEP, ElectroInk is always precisely controlled, leading to superior print quality even at the highest speeds. As we review the details of each step in the imaging process, you will quickly understand why the combined characteristics of ElectroInk, Thermal Offset Transfer and Direct Contact Transfer, work together to produce an exceptionally high-level of print quality and versatility. 2

5 HP INDIGO ELECTROINK 3

6 WHAT IS HP INDIGO ELECTROINK? CARRIER LIQUID HP Indigo ElectroInk Unique liquid ink used in all HP Indigo presses. Contains very small particles (about 1-2 microns) dispersed in carrier liquid. PIGMENTS The ElectroInk particles: Contain pigments that are encapsulated by resin Electrically chargeable - electrical fields control their placement to the imaging plate, resulting in high resolution images Due to this structure, pigment dispersion and particle charging are virtually not pigmentdependent ELECTROINK PARTICLES ~2 MICRON RESIN 4

7 HP INDIGO ELECTROINK IS HIGHLY VERSATILE AND EFFICIENT Virtually pigment-agnostic: can leverage a wide variety of pigments for a wide range of inks Easily mixed to create off-press spot colors. No other digital printing technology today has this capability Creates very thin ink layer, reaching highest coverage and deep color with the lowest quantity of ink Illustration: Virtually any small particles such as metallic flake (for silver ink) and titanium dioxide (white) can be encapsulated 5

8 LARGEST VARIETY OF INKS IN THE DIGITAL PRINTING INDUSTRY Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Violet Green Orange White inks Vivid Inks Fade Resistant inks Fluorescent inks Silver Transparent Light Inks Spot Colors ElectroInk Primer Invisible inks 6

9 THERMAL OFFSET TRANSFER 7

10 THE HP INDIGO ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS The HP Indigo printing engine performs the following sequence: 1. Charging unit generates uniform charge on the electrophotographic Photo Imaging Plate 1 4. Ink transfers from the plate to the blanket using electric field 2. Exposure of the plate by a scanned array of laser diodes remove charges from the image area Image (in film form) transfers from the blanket to media 3. One of the colored Binary Ink Developer (BID) units engages with the plate, developing an image on it 5 For each color separation this process is repeated - this is Multi Shot process HP INDIGO ONE-SHOT PROCESS (FOR WEB PRESSES AND HEAT SENSITIVE MATERIALS) - ALL COLOR SEPARATIONS ACCUMULATE ON THE BLANKET 8

11 THERMAL OFFSET TRANSFER STEP I Image is transferred from plate to blanket PLATE The inked image transfers from the plate to a heated blanket using electric field BLANKET IMPRESSION DRUM The heated blanket melts the resin particles within the ElectroInk, thus merging them into a smooth tacky film The carrier liquid is evaporated,captured and recycled within the press 9

12 THERMAL OFFSET TRANSFER STEP II Image is transferred from blanket to substrate as a ready dried film PLATE Upon contact with the cooler substrate, the thin ElectroInk tacky layer quickly solidifies and transfers with almost no changes in dimension or shape ofthe image BLANKET IMPRESSION DRUM As the blanket is soft and compliant to the media, the thin layer closely follows the topography of the substrate, completely tracing and reflecting its surface 10

13 ACHIEVING HIGH PRINT QUALITY TRUE OFFSET LOOK AND FEEL The thin ink layer accurately replicates the media s gloss and texture keeping each media s special characteristics PRINT QUALITY IS NOT MEDIA DEPENDENT As the ink is dried and the image is defined on the blanket rather than on the media, print quality remains high and is not affected by the transfer MEDIA PROPERTIES WILL NOT BE AFFECTED The process doesn t affect the media, as opposed to most other digital technologies where media is directly affected by the absorption of the ink (wetness) or drying (heat) 11

14 A THIN LAYER THAT REPLICATES THE MEDIA S GLOSS AND TEXTURE AND DOES NOT INFLUENCE MEDIA PROPERTIES Xerography/Dry toner UV Inkjet Water-based Inkjet HP Indigo LEP 12

15 DIRECT CONTACT TRANSFER 13

16 HIGH PRINT QUALITY AT ANY SPEED Like analog technologies, ink transfers mechanically, and not through air Maintains physical contact at each step of the process: from ink developer, to plate to blanket and media Provides high speed and high quality as print quality is always controlled IN ALL OTHER DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, PRINT QUALITY IS AFFECTED BY SPEED Illustration: ElectroInk transfers with direct contact in multi shot process 14

17 Home HP Indigo ElectroInk Thermal Offset Transfer HP INDIGO LEP BENEFITS 15 Direct Contact Transfer LEP Combined Benefits

18 THE UNIQUE COMBINATION of HP Indigo ElectroInk, thermal offset transfer and direct contact transfer delivers: Unmatched color and ink capabilities Widest media and application versatility High coverage Printing Highest speed for high print quality applications 16

19 UNMATCHED COLOR AND INK CAPABILITIES 97% P WIDEST COLOR GAMUT Reach up to 97% of PANTONE range PANTONE MATCHING SPOTS Mixed per customer demand UP TO 7 COLOR STATIONS ON EVERY PRESS Multiple layers of ink while switching separation order enables: Wide color range Sandwich printing Different white opaqueness Special effects such as water marks Outside image Block Inside image Substrate Sandwich printing Y M C K White ink White ink K C M Y 17

20 Home HP Indigo ElectroInk Thermal Offset Transfer Direct Contact Transfer LEP Combined Benefits UNMATCHED COLOR AND INK CAPABILITIES UP TO 7 COLOR STATIONS The unique architecture of HP Indigo presses gives the freedom to not only vary color sequences, but to also add multiple passes or hits of the same color to increase opacity or achieve special effects. The technology also supports reducing the number of separations with a three-color Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM), which uses only CMY to create the process colors, eliminating the black imaging cycle. CMY printing with EPM typically enables a 33% increase in productivity, saving time and ink and often enhances the quality of skin tones in photo applications. Each one of these outcomes can be achieved seamlessly on the same single engine, offering a level of flexibility that is second to none. 18

21 UNMATCHED COLOR AND INK CAPABILITIES COLOR ACCURACY, CONSISTENCY & MONITORING Achieving accurate color is often a top concern for brands and customers. HP Indigo has developed a suite of integrated tools to simplify and automate color management while complying with the toughest color standards, so that customers can satisfy the demands of color-critical clients and global brands. HP Indigo presses are built to ensure that color quality and output always remain consistent and repeatable over time, across different presses and different sites. Every HP Indigo press is equipped with a built-in spectrophotometer which is used for measuring and matching target colors, substrate profile creation, color monitoring and calibration. HP Indigo presses comply with industry color emulation standards, passing tolerances significantly tighter than required. Managing color involves constantly measuring, monitoring and calibrating to compensate for any variations in press conditions and through calibration, return to a baseline that was initially established on the press to match the desired color target. By automating these functions with HP Indigo PrintOS color solutions, color accuracy is simplified for operators and is consistently achieved without compromise on print quality or press productivity. 19

22 BROADEST MEDIA GAMUT Virtually endless variety of media types, offering the broadest gamut of substrates in the digital print industry including: Off-the-shelf coated and uncoated Synthetics Self-adhesives Heavy and light media Colored Metalized Canvas TRUE DIGITAL FLEXIBILITY FOR SHEET-FED PRESSES: ABILITY TO SEAMLESSLY SWITCH BETWEEN MEDIA TYPES WITHOUT STOPPING THE PRINTING PROCESS, USING DRAWER FEEDERS FOR MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY 20

23 FOR A VERY BROAD RANGE OF APPLICATIONS Balloons Professional photo Pressure sensitive labels Photo book GCP Tubes Heat transfer Flexible packaging In-mold labels (IML) Folding cartons Publishing Blister pack Plastic cards Cards Shrink sleeves Wall paper Direct mail 21

24 REACHING HIGH COVERAGE AND DEEP COLOR WITH THE LOWEST QUANTITY OF INK Due to the high efficiency of HP Indigo ElectroInk, high coverage and deep color is not only feasible but, in fact, the norm for HP Indigo customers HP Indigo customers print high coverage routinely with 3-4 colors and with additional color separations, can go up to coverage levels of 500% and even more, with no impact on print quality and at a feasible cost Other digital printing technologies are challenged to reach high coverage without compromise on image quality 22

25 HIGHEST SPEED FOR HIGH PRINT QUALITY APPLICATIONS The positioning of every drop of ElectroInk is fully controlled and predictable from the starting point until it reaches the media. Because ink is transferred mechanically via direct contact transfer, and not through air, it maintains precise physical contact at every step of the process: from ink developer, to plate to blanket and media. The result is very accurate ink placement, leading to superior print quality even at high speeds. Moreover, due to the small size of ElectroInk particles, even the finest type characters and linework stay sharp and well defined on the paper, while also keeping the background contamination-free. 23

26 AT HIGHEST SPEED FOR HIGH PQ APPLICATIONS HP Indigo s process speed, or linear speed, is the speed at which ElectroInk is transferred to the media as partof the Indigo printing process Throughput is affected by the number of separation. Speed of 1 separation is 4 times faster than for 4 separations This speed is currently 2.35m/ sec comparable to the speed of sheet-fed offset - with no limit on speed seen yet This speed has virtually no impact on PQ and is maintained for any type of media due to the Direct Transfer CMY print (EPM) enables 33% increase in productivity. Current engine architecture of 7 colors surrounding the plate enables versatility (color switching) and small footprint of the press 24

27 HP INDIGO LEP - A SINGLE TECHNOLOGY THAT ENABLES: AT ANY COVERAGE WIDEST VARIETY OF INKS EXISTING IN DIGITAL PRINT FOR THE BROADEST SET OF APPLICATIONS AT HIGHEST SPEEDS AT HIGHEST PRINT QUALITY STANDARD AT ANY POINT ON THE COLOR GAMUT ON VIRTUALLY ANY SUBSTRATE, ROLL-FED AND SHEET-FED 25

28 RESHAPING THE INDUSTRY Reshaping General Commercial Print with endless innovations Expanding digital printed labels to sleeves and In Mold Label Lead Label markets for 20 years, with 80% market share Redefining flexible packaging industry Mastering photo books market Disrupting folding cartons market 25 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS INNOVATION, WITH LARGEST R&D INVESTMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY 26

29 GREAT TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ENOUGH The HP Indigo LEP technology has been a cornerstone to HP Indigo's success and is constantly evolving to consistently deliver best-in-class printing with the widest color and media capabilities available in the market today. Beyond that, HP Indigo is not just a digital press, it's a full digital printing ecosystem, including automation tools, partnerships and services, which allows customers to innovate and grow, and to redefine the boundaries of print. 27

30 4AA7-4149ENW HP Graphics WW Marketing Created by HP GSB WW Marketing team.