HP is looking to boost the life and appeal of its R-series hybrid Latex printers in rigid media applications with the introduction of an automated feeder/stacker that aims to improve overall productivity from loading to output. Michael Walker joins the queue FINDING THE RIGHT CONFIGURATION Along with UV and solvent/ecosolvent, HP Latex is one of the well-established wide-format digital printing ink technologies that most printers or sign-makers will consider when contemplating a new purchase for flexible media. HP has established a solid position in flexible roll media printing with its water-based ink series of printers since their introduction in 2008, but for the first decade of the technology’s life, the company didn’t have an offering for rigid media print. Rather than attempt to compete in the already well-populated flatbed space, the company chose to go the hybrid route, with the introduction in 2018 of the R2000, a 2.5m width machine that with the addition of tables and feed mechanisms allowed the Latex inks to be printed onto a range of rigid media. A smaller sibling, the 1.6m wide R1000, appeared later the same year and both models were refreshed with ‘Plus’- designated versions in 2020. A new and smaller footprint option for customers for whom the 1.6m width was sufficient appeared in 2025, in the form the of HP Latex R530 (profiled in the Print Monthly July/August 2025 issue). The R530 was intended to bring a smaller footprint, aimed at small-to-medium print service providers (PSPs) who currently lack any rigid printing capability and who may be using mount-and-laminate solutions for rigid substrates. It was also targeted at larger sites with older flatbeds whose print quality is now below market expectations, and even as a high-quality companion in larger sign shops or potentially for offset printers looking to buy a first digital printer. The major strength of HP’s Latex ink is that it is water-based, which allows its use in applications where UV is not accepted, such as interiors in schools and hospitals. The inks have various health/ environmental certifications, including Greenguard Gold and EcoLogo, and the nature of the dried ink is such that the underlying texture of the substrate is preserved, which can be an attractive extra on materials such as wood. Michael Walker is a trade journalist, technical writer, and editor with over 37 years’ experience in the print, prepress, photography, and digital imaging sectors, with a particular interest in the digital transformation of processes. In addition to editing Desktop Publishing Todayand Digital Printer magazines, he is co-author with Neil Barstow of Getting Colour Right (Ilex Press, 2004) and Practical Colour Management for Photographers and Digital Image Makers (2009, self-published e-book) and winner of a Communicators in Business Gold Award. Maximum Media Weight: 400kg Maximum Media Size: 1600 x 1500mm (R1000 and R530 version); 2500 x 1500mm (R2000 version) Media Capacity (Height of Stack): 40cm Input Feed: Via suction cup with independent placement Output Feed: Pneumatic motorised rollers Statistics 36 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 266 - August | September UNDER THE HOOD | HP R-SERIES + NEOLT
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