With demands on the print industry ever changing it can be difficult to decide when is best to upgrade your kit but HP may have found a solution to the dilemma of scalable technology with the release of its new range.
Image Reports’ assistant editor Benjamin Austin has spoken with the company to learn more.
The print industry, particularly in the large format market, is seemingly hitting a renaissance period.
The latest projections show demands for its services are rising and will continue to do so through the decade.
Image Reports’ latest Widthwise survey showed that 41% of large format printing operations in Great Britain and Ireland had seen an increase in profits since early 2023, with only 6% anticipating a downturn in digital large format printing.
It is an ever-demanding industry with businesses requiring up-to-date technology to keep up with fluctuating workloads – all the while being conscientious about their environmental footprint.
The hardware alone can be a headache for businesses as they are constantly weighing up investing in their futures while being able to maintain the foresight to scale their outputs to their customers, as well as making sure it does not strain their resources.
These dilemmas are seemingly ones printer manufacturer, HP, has taken a closer look at as it hits the market with its new FS series.
A new approach to flexible technology
It stands for flexible and scalable with the products – the FS50 and FS60 – revolving around those concepts.
The idea is the two lines would offer multiple upgrades as they are developed and can be applied to the hardware as and when the customer requires it.
Oscar Vidal, HP’s global director of product and strategy, large format print, sees it as a way customers can future-proof their businesses without the constant investment into more hardware.
He said: “This is not a static market anymore, it’s dynamic, and if the technology is dynamic too, that helps adapt to the reality of the work.
“We are in an industry that is constantly moving and can be quite volatile – one minute you have a massive amount of work, the next you go rather quiet.
“In this high production space, the level of change requirement keeps evolving, and having to make a large investment every time was becoming too much for what customers were paying for.
“They have been telling us to have an investment that can overtime become richer in terms of performance and the FS50 and FS60 are products that have been designed with upgradeability in mind.”
The products were released on November 5 with some customers already installing them as early bird users.
Helping businesses through future challenges
They are also fully replacing the Latex 2700 which, at this current stage, is identical in performance to its predecessor.
However, Oscar explains it is in the new models’ future upgradeability where the two series differ.
He continued: “The 2700 has some upgrades but not as many so from that perspective they are different.
“For the future, the FS will have greater upgradeability and though we aren’t announcing any upgrades yet, if you are investing in this platform, you will have something that is future-ready.
“And that’s of course if the customer wants to upgrade – to some they might not need it.”
There are four printers in the series with each sharing the same core specifications; the ability to print at 3.2m maximum width and with colour speed of up to 89m2/hr.
Each one has individual features unique to its model and with changes that can be made to meet the demands of the customer.
They will all make use of HP’s 4th generation of latex inks – a product the company has 16 years of experience working with.
Oscar said: “The main target users are high-volume customers with higher volume needs and it’s these people that need to evolve more rapidly.
“They ask us about adaptability and if we have a more scalable device and so this is a response to those customers.
“The reception so far has been positive with the market very much appreciating the fact they can bring this product, with high-quality work, into their approach and the concept of scalability has been very well received.”
The company held a webinar presenting on the FS50 and FS60 on November 14 where it discussed all the features of the new lines.
New software introduced with the kit
The printers will also be compatible with HP’s new Live Production software which was also made generally available from November 11.
It was first exhibited at drupa in May 2024 and the company says it further highlights its commitment to enabling print services providers (PSPs) to expand and scale large-format print applications in an ever-changing market.
The software will allow its users to stop, reprioritise, or even move jobs to different printers; all from either a control panel or remotely with a mobile device.
Basic features will come built into the printer’s software but access to more advanced commands will require a weekly subscription to what HP is calling its Professional Print Service Plan Programme.
The agreement covers the basic services of the printer while allowing access to the more advanced features within its programming.
It is not exclusive to FS models and will be available to all HP users.
Some companies have already seen benefits from the software. Pickwall, an Australian removable wallpaper company, explained it ‘needed better control over production’, especially when printing unattended, and noted how valuable it would be to monitor printer status, perform remote actions, and receive ink notifications.
Similarly, Ast Signs, a UK branding specialist, said it ‘appreciated the ability to move and structure the print queue remotely’, as this was previously only possible by cancelling and manually reorganising prints.
HP is making efforts to heed the words of its customers, thinking about ways to allow for business growth in a rapidly changing market and helping them find ways to overcome future challenges at little to no expense.
“Adaptability is the key to supporting PSPs’ growth and profitability,” said Oscar.
“By investing in innovations in hardware and software, PSPs can stay ahead of the curve in this technology-driven industry.
“This scalable platform ensures that PSPs can make strategic investments, optimise their workflows, and drive profitability in an ever-changing market”.
