HP Expands ColorLok Paper Program; Study Finds Paper Standard Helps Laser Printers Run Longerm

ColorLok paper quality standard recommended for HP LaserJet printers

PALO ALTO, Calif., HP today announced the expansion of the ColorLok® paper standard with new benefits for commodity-grade office papers for laser printing and a broad recommendation that customers use ColorLok papers with HP LaserJet printers to ensure quality and reliability.

ColorLok papers represent a standard for improved printing for both laser and inkjet printers.

An independent, third-party study conducted by Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI) and commissioned by HP concludes that ColorLok quality standard papers can help maximize the life of laser printers – running up to nine times longer(1) – compared to tested papers that do not meet the standard.

ColorLok papers helped protect critical laser engine parts and kept them clean on the inside, enabling the consistent, reliable performance and quality customers expect. The large-particle mineral filler papers included in the BLI analysis that do not meet the ColorLok quality standard are manufactured in Asia and distributed primarily in China and India.

“HP LaserJet printers, Original HP toner cartridges and great-quality paper work together to deliver the best possible customer experience,” said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president, LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “ColorLok quality standard paper can add to that experience by helping consistently deliver professional prints and maximize a printer’s longevity, according to the BLI test results.”

HP has released a white paper titled “Laser Printer Performance and Reliability Degrades When Using Low-Quality Cutsheet Papers,” which details the trend of poor printing results from low-quality paper and its impact on businesses. Using ColorLok paper in laser printers can lead to four times fewer faults and more than four times fewer paper path obstructions that require user intervention, according to the BLI study.(1,2)

“Our research indicated that compared to the abrasive, large-particle filler papers tested in the BLI study that do not meet the ColorLok quality standard, ColorLok papers can help keep laser printers delivering professional print quality nearly three times longer,”(1,3) said Anthony F. Polifrone, managing director, Buyers Laboratory Inc. “When using ColorLok papers, laser printers are more likely to deliver dependable, professional print quality throughout the life of the device.”

HP also announced that Domtar Corporation is extending the ColorLok quality standard to its entire line of mill-brand papers, starting this fall.

Additionally, HP unveiled a ColorLok promotion with United Stationers, offering customers who purchase any HP Officejet Pro product between Aug. 16 and Oct. 29 a free box of HP Office commodity-grade paper with no extra shipping fees.

As of January 2010, a variety of paper manufacturers, merchants and office products retailers have introduced branded papers that have passed the ColorLok performance specifications, employ the ColorLok logo and are being sold around the world. Some of these companies include:

* Antalis – Europe
* APRIL – worldwide
* Copamex – Latin America
* Domtar – North America
* Georgia Pacific – North America
* HP – worldwide
* International Paper – worldwide
* JK Papers – India and Middle East
* M-real – worldwide
* Mondi – Europe
* Office Depot – North America and Europe
* Papyrus – Europe
* Staples – North America and Europe
* Stora Enso – Europe
* Suzano – Latin America

Papers that use the ColorLok logo must pass a precise set of standards for print quality, as well as physical and electrostatic standards for quality and reliability. Criteria for meeting the ColorLok performance standards include improved image quality, dry time and printer performance. Paper companies may use different means and technologies to meet or exceed that performance.

More information about ColorLok printing benefits is available at www.hp.com/go/colorloklaserprinting. Details about the ColorLok quality paper standard and the specific paper brands sold by each manufacturer are available at www.ColorLok.com.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

(1) Based on testing by Buyer’s Lab Inc. More information is available at www.buyerslab.com. Tested papers that did not meet the ColorLok quality standard were manufactured in Asia and are primarily sold in China and India today and contained high percentages of abrasive, large-particle fillers (ground calcium carbonate, talc). ColorLok papers are validated for smoothness and low percentages of abrasive, large-particle fillers.

(2) Faults include misfeeds, paper jams, double feeds and other misprints requiring user intervention and an average 1.5 minute delay for the cleaning cycle. Paper path obstructions are defined as anything requiring a user to find and remove jammed paper.

(3) Assumes typical printer life is 50,000 pages.