24% Production Boost From Super-Wide Printers

HP today announced that Image Transform, a Des Moines, Iowa (USA) imaging and graphics company, has created one of the most advanced digital super-wide format production facilities in the region.

HP today announced that Image Transform, a Des Moines, Iowa (USA) imaging and graphics company, has created one of the most advanced digital super-wide format production facilities in the region.

By adding two new printers and upgrading another model, the company now operates three HP Scitex XL1500s, one that is two metres wide and two that are five metres wide, enhancing the company's flexibility and versatility.

Image Transform is also switching to HP Supplies to increase overall print quality.

Gal Barak, director and general manager of HP Scitex Americas, said: "Truly dynamic and forward-thinking customers, such as Image Transform, select the most effective technology to create the best possible wide-format industrial production environments.

Not only does Image Transform realise the benefits of the technology, the company is building systems that incorporate the best possible combination for high-speed, high-quality output - HP Scitex printers and supplies." By upgrading from an HP Scitex XL1200 to the HP Scitex XL1500, Image Transform is able to boost its throughput by as much as 24 per cent, said the company.

The upgrade also enables Image Transform to improve the quality of its printing with a proprietary multi-layer HP screening algorithm software.

With the algorithm, the HP Scitex XL1500 is said to produce skin tones and solid colours that are superior to the output from competing machines, it is claimed.

Ron Cherkas, founder and owner of Image Transform, commented: "The cost of the upgrade was a token expense when compared to what we've gained.

It used to take us four and a half hours to print three billboards on the machine.

After the upgrade, it takes only three hours.

That translates to a whole shift of profitability per week." To make the HP Scitex XL1500's faster print times as effective and as profitable as possible, Image Transform is adopting a complete HP systems approach to its HP technology, switching from third-party supplies to HP Scitex XL300 Supreme inks.

Cherkas explained: "With the dramatic improvement in speed, we could not afford to have the longer purge time and waste that occurred with third-party inks.

In addition, the higher ink density of HP Scitex XL300 Supreme improves the quality even though we are printing billboards in less time." A growing client base and the positive results from the first HP Scitex XL1500 led Image Transform to a new round of capital equipment investment.

In 2006, the company installed its second five-metre HP Scitex XL1500, as well as a two-metre-wide HP Scitex XL1500.

The second five-metre machine meets demand for more solvent-based billboard and signage work, whilst the two-metre printer accommodates a growing volume of dye-sublimation work in addition to solvent-based printing.

The HP Scitex XL1500 offers super-wide-format print in 2m, 3m and 5m widths.

With claimed maximum speeds of 1,333 square feet per hour at resolutions up to 340 dots per inch (dpi) x 740dpi and the ability to print in four, six and eight colours, the HP Scitex XL1500 is claimed to provide speed, quality and versatility.

HP Scitex Supreme inks are exclusively developed for HP Scitex printing systems and for highly demanding and value-added applications, claimed the company.

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