HP Accelerates Growth Opportunities for Graphic Arts Customers with Expanded Digital Printing Portfolio

HP introduces new digital presses, large-format printers, workflow software and finishing solutions

BIRMINGHAM, England, HP today expanded its graphic arts portfolio to help its customers print top-quality, high-value materials and capture a larger share of a $124 billion global digital printing market.(1)

Delivering on its strategy to drive the analog-to-digital print transformation, HP introduced digital presses, large-format printers, finishing and workflow solutions, services, and business-development programs, while also announcing significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of printing.

The company’s broad portfolio helps print service providers grow their businesses through new high-value digital applications ranging from publishing and transpromotional statements to marketing collateral, packaging and large-format signage.

HP is demonstrating its new solutions at Ipex 2010, the major graphic arts tradeshow of the year. HP has the largest stand and display of digital printing technologies at the show, including a simulated production floor and customer presentations that showcase HP’s extensive range of real-world applications.

Highlights include:

* the HP T200 Color Inkjet Web Press, the company’s first extension to the high-volume inkjet portfolio, which offers a lower-cost(2) and smaller, 20-inch solution for print service providers seeking to adopt full-color inkjet web printing
* the HP Indigo 7500 Digital Press, a top-of-the-line, highly automated press designed to replace small and midsize offset presses for high-quality color applications such as photo books, marketing collateral and personalized direct mail
* the entry-level HP Indigo 3550 Digital Press that offers proven HP Indigo quality at a more affordable price
* four new HP Scitex large-format printers, including the first HP Scitex systems to offer odorless HP Latex Inks and two UV-curable printers, significantly reducing environmental impact compared to solvent inks while also delivering superior quality for high-profit signage applications
* the HP Designjet Z5200 Printer for copy shops, quick-printing firms and other small commercial print businesses interested in entering the large-format market
* new HP SmartStream workflow solutions and a range of finishing systems from HP and its partners, which improve productivity by up to 20 percent for commercial print jobs
* the HP Color Print Module, available for the first time in the new Pitney Bowes Envelope Messaging System, for high-value direct mail with color text and graphics personalization

“In the last year, the industry experienced double-digit percent growth for digital color production pages, while analog pages declined,”(3) said Christopher Morgan, senior vice president, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. “This is a clear sign that the market has shifted, as print service providers and other graphic arts professionals are moving to digital systems so they can produce more targeted and creative materials while also improving quality and productivity.”

To help customers achieve maximum reliability and stability across all their digital printing systems, HP has created a new Graphics Solutions Services Organization, which extends the expertise of HP services engineers worldwide to all graphic arts customers.

HP also expanded its Print Care offerings to support a broader range of product lines. Print Care is a set of tools and services that anticipate technical issues and provide performance information to help customers maintain uptime and smooth operations. Features include enhanced diagnostics and guidance tools, remote assistance and production information.

HP’s announcements at Ipex build on the company’s success at the drupa 2008 industry tradeshow, where HP introduced an extensive range of presses and solutions. These introductions over the last two years have helped its customers grow in the midst of an industry downturn. For example, HP has installed more than 350 of its flagship HP Indigo 7000 digital presses and added the new HP Indigo W7200 model for photo specialty applications.

In addition, the HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press – HP’s initial entry into the inkjet web press market – is now in full operation at major customer sites, handling peak print volumes of up to 2 million four-color, single-sided pages per day.

Expected to be available in 2011, the new HP T200 prints 821 four-color duplex pages per minute and has a 23 million page monthly duty cycle. Its innovative paper path makes the press small enough to fit in nearly the same space as a monochrome digital web press. Its convenient size makes it easy for digital print service providers to upgrade from monochrome systems to full-color, high-volume digital printing and eliminate less efficient, offset printing.

HP Indigo 7500: Advanced automation for high-value pages

The high-end HP Indigo 7500 Digital Press introduces the HP Indigo Vision system, which offers automated calibration for highly accurate color matching and increased productivity. Intelligent automation features on the press provide hands-free consumables and substrate calibration, automated Print Care diagnostics and real-time early defect detection technology from HP Labs, the company’s central research arm. With a higher monthly duty cycle of 4 million pages, the HP Indigo 7500 can replace midsize and small-format offset presses on static printing jobs.

Compared to the HP Indigo 7000, the new model consumes 10 percent less energy per printed page and offers significantly improved imaging oil recycling.

More information on HP’s Ipex announcements and demonstrations is available at www.hp.com/go/IPEX, at the www.hp.com/go/HPatIPEX2010 online press kit or through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter feed.

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) Estimated market size for 2014, based on HP internal estimates and independent market research reports.

(2) Compared to the 762-mm wide HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press.

(3) Based on HP internal estimates and independent market research reports.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2010 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.