TYPES OF OUR PRINT TECHNOLOGY

HP Latex Print Technology

End-to-end sustainability—a better approach

HP Latex Technology has fundamentally changed the environmental profile of signage, decoration and textile printing. With an end-to-end approach, HP continues to set the standard for more sustainable large-format printing.

Recognized as one of the most sustainable companies in the world,18 HP has the commitment and the scale to address current—as well as anticipated—environmental requirements, and to continue leading the change in signage printing.19 By working closely with our partners and customers, and closely managing each component of the printing system (printer, inks, and printheads), we can design and deliver products that provide an end-to-end

large-format printing solution that’s better overall:

• Better for printing companies and print operators
• Better for the end-customer, enabling more differentiation<.li>
• Better for the environment

HP Latex Technology carries a broad set of credentials addressing the full spectrum of health and environmental concerns from ink chemistry and indoor air quality—for both print production and display—to lifecycle considerations that earn recognition for products as environmentally preferred overall. This document provides a description of each of the environmental certifications and eco-labels applicable to HP Latex Printing Technology.

Eco-Solvent Inkjet Printing

The benefits of eco-solvent printing

Eco-solvent inks have their colours suspended in a mild biodegradable solvent, which means that the ink has virtually no odour as they don’t contain as many volatile organic compounds. They’ve been around since the early 2000s and originally were designed for general signage work.

The lack of smell is a real plus point for eco-solvent inks. In some solvent inks not only do you get a strong smell during the printing process, meaning you need to consider the placement of your printer, but they can also leave an odour on the printed material itself. This can rule out printing onto material that will be displayed or used indoors.

Having less volatile organic compounds also means that the eco-solvent printing cartridges are not so damaging or deteriorating, to your printer components and as such, you won’t need to do full system cleans quite so often – although as with any type of printing you will need to do regular cleaning and maintenance of your printer from time to time.

Eco-solvent printing does require more heat in order to dry and this can affect the type of material you can print on. What’s more, the ink is not as durable as solvent inks. While it’s adequate for outdoor printing work, it’s best to only use it for applications that need to last a two.

Aqueous/Inkjet Inkjet Printing

Large format aqueous inkjet printers are the most common printers available on the market today. Their name reflects the fact that water is the primary “carrier” component of the ink used in these printers. All available reports indicate that the worldwide market for large format aqueous inkjet will continue to grow, driven by trends in the technical document and digital graphics printing markets.

Wide format aqueous inkjet systems provide the fastest output with typically the highest resolution. Aqueous inkjet printers can print on both indoor and outdoor materials, and with lamination, the outdoor longevity can be substantially increased. They rule the market in photographic and fine art printing, as well as trade show printing, graphic design and prepress proofing.

The advantage of these aqueous-based printers is their ease of use.

Dye Sublimation Printing

This is the technical bit! Sublimation printing is the application of sublimation inks onto a surface using a heat press to provide the required combination of heat, time and pressure. This combination causes the inks to be converted from a solid to a gaseous state enabling them to penetrate the sublimatable surface so that a permanent, full-colour image is formed. The colour penetrates the surface of the item so that the result is colourful, long-lasting and resistant to scratching, unlike some other printing methods that merely print onto the surface of the item.

Dye-sublimation printing is always done on a polyester, polymer, or polymer-coated item. At high temperatures, the solid dye converts into a gas without ever becoming a liquid. The same high temperature opens the pores of the polymer and allows the gas to enter. When the temperature drops, the pores close and the gas reverts to a solid state. It has now become a part of the polymer. For this reason true dye sublimation cannot be done on natural materials such as 100% cotton. Natural fibres and non-coated materials have no “pores” to open.