HP sets sights on designers

HP Inc. has collaborated with designers the Yarza Twins and Silas Amos and Smirnoff to launch the beta programme of HP SmartStream Designer for Designers (D4D) which enables designers to create up to 20 variations of a design, and effectively take more creative control of the digital print process. During a three-month pilot starting today, up to 500 designers can register to request to join the beta programme, and 15 super users will be selected to provide feedback.

  The Yarza Twins have used the software to create individualised designs for Smirnoff, in response to the beta programme brief ‘Every one is the same. Every one is different’. “A key benefit of digital print is the ability to produce limitless variations of a theme. As designers it was thrilling for us to experiment with HP SmartStream D4D to push the creative boundaries,” said Eva Yarza. “Once we conceptualised our approach for the Smirnoff designs, D4D brought it to life.”   Marta Yarza added: “HP SmartStream D4D opens up new opportunities for us to show our creative potential to clients and puts us at the cutting edge of design innovation.” Inspired by the Smirnoff No. 21 brand, the Yarza Twins designed 21 characters along with 21 hats and 21 bodies. These design elements were ‘shuffled’ using HP SmartStream D4D so that each design outcome is unique. The HP Mosaic component of the software was also used to take one single design that celebrates the famous eyebrow silhouette of the Smirnoff label and adapt it by zooming, rotating, switching colours to create endless unique, eye catching outcomes. These designs were used across a wide range of HP printing technologies to produce items like bottle shrink sleeves, bottle labels, corrugated boxes, point of sale, posters, chair wrappings, wallpaper, t-shirts etc.   HP SmartStream D4D is a simplified version of HP SmartStream Designer for Adobe Illustrator CC2018 - the full scale commercial software already used by owners of HP digital presses. “Digital print has the ability to make packaging and print more agile and limitless, but until now there has been a gap between concept and creation,” said Nancy Janes, HP’s global head of brand innovation. “With HP SmartStream D4D, designers can for the first time play with the powerful software used to create some of the most memorable and impactful packaging campaigns from global brands. We want to call on those designers who want to be a part of the future of digitally printed designs to sign up for this beta programme.”