32   Sign Update      ISSUE 190 MARCH 2020

      RIGID SUBSTRATES   Feature

Exciting developments in ink and imaging technology mean direct-to- substrate printing processes are more accessible to more signage and graphics businesses, who are using these systems to produce outstanding work. By its nature, printing directly to a material increases efficiency; jobs that may have typically involved printing onto vinyl, which was then applied to a rigid substrate by hand, can now be completed with that step removed. With less vinyl used there is also a reduction in consumables cost and waste, with resultant environmental benefits too. Furthermore, modern direct-printing solutions deliver a vast range of substrate options. Simon Nuvoletta, UK&I Marketing Manager, Large Format Printing, HP Graphics Solutions Business, explains, “The HP Latex R printer series has been developed as a hybrid technology, able to handle both roll materials and rigid substrates. This latter category includes paper foamboard, plastic foamboard, PVC foam, plastic corrugated, acrylic, polycarbonate, polystyrene, compressed cardboard, corrugated board, honeycomb board, aluminium composite panels, wood and even glass and ceramic – a world of opportunities for graphics companies to explore. The HP Latex R2000 has been designed to allow continuous loading of boards, reducing operator intervention and boosting productivity.”

materials compatible with the R2000 is so broad we can offer several alternative, more sustainable, materials to our customers: fabric, wood, repurposed and recycled materials, and polyester, which has less impact than PVC. "The market is actively demanding more environmentally conscious products. Direct-printing with HP Latex gives us a competitive edge to retain existing and attract new customers, while limiting our own impact on the environment." Andy adds that the decision to invest in the HP Latex R2000 was made with PressOn's printer operator team: "There is no extraction required with Latex and no difficult odours, which improves the internal environment for operators." PressOn has completed a variety of innovative direct-to-substrate projects using the HP Latex R2000 printer, including hoarding graphics for Dulwich College in London. The school took the opportunity to turn the hoarding, essential for public protection during building works, into an informative timeline display. PressOn printed the graphics directly to aluminium composite, laminated the substrate for outdoor protection, and adhered it to a plywood hoarding. The timeline included both images and 'a lot of very small text, so absolute precision was essential', says PressOn, but thanks to the R2000 'we were able to reproduce the graphics with complete clarity, and to the very highest quality'.

Plenty of options for HP Latex

Strength of Latex Nuvoletta  continues, “Both the HP Latex R2000 and Latex R1000 utilise HP's breakthrough Latex ink, which achieves vibrant colours and glossy whites in a water-based formulation that is kinder to the environment than UV or solvent.” It was the sustainability benefits of HP Latex that first attracted PressOn, a large-format digital printing business based in Kent, to the technology. "We replaced a UV printer with a new HP Latex R2000 in 2019, as we found Latex ticks more boxes than UV," explains Andy Wilson, who founded PressOn with fellow Managing Director Nigel Webster in 2000. "Firstly, the water-based Latex inks are easier to recycle. Secondly, the range of

The HP Latex R2000 can handle a broad range of rigid media

The HP Latex R Printer series is ideal for medium sized print service providers