The 12000 HD was announced last autumn and has just become commercially available. It has double the resolution of the existing Indigo models thanks to new high-definition writing heads, and has a top resolution of 1,625dpi. It prints at up to 4,600sph and can produce fine line screens of 290lpi.
Managing director Jon Lancaster signed for the two presses in Israel earlier this week. "The HD technology is a game-changer," Lancaster told PrintWeek. "It's a significant improvement over all the Indigo technology that came before it, and actually over all the print technology I've seen in the marketplace."
The first 12000 HD will be installed at the end of next month, and will have the light, light black (LLK) ink option for producing fine tints and high-end photographic work.
The second press is set for installation in April. It has been configured for packaging jobs, and will be able to handle thicker stock up to 550mic duplex. It will also have the 'One Shot' printing option for printing onto plastics, as well as white ink and the new primer ink. "This will allow us to print onto substrates that haven't been primed, such as metallised materials," Lancaster said.
The firm's existing HP Indigo 10000, which was installed in 2013, will be sold.
Lancaster said the total investment would be around £2m, including some reconfiguration of the layout at the company's Letchworth Garden City factory to allow the two new presses to be located opposite each other. The firm will retain its HP Indigo 7900 for A3 work.
"Our web-to-print business is growing significantly. This will enhance our offering, and gives us a lot of extra digital capacity," he said. "We expect to grow our high-end brochure production and get into photographic work. We are already doing a lot of PUR binding."
Peter Jolly, UK and Ireland country manager for HP's Indigo and PageWide web press business, described the new press as "again raising the bar when it comes to high quality digital print".
“We are absolutely delighted to see a pioneering UK company such as Printed Easy invest in this new technology. To have someone of Jon’s technical reputation and knowledge commit to two 12000 HDs is a great endorsement for the technology," he said.
Printed Easy is the customer-facing trading name of Falkland Press. Lancaster said the business had grown to the extent that it has now become the firm's main brand. It revamped its website with a new responsive design just over two months ago.
The company's setup includes litho printing up to B1 with a six-colour Speedmaster XL106 that can print conventionally or UV, together with extensive in-house finishing including perfect binding. It employs 36 staff and had sales of around £6m last year.
Pictured left-to-right: Printed Easy's Aurelija Zalpyte, Lancaster, Jolly, and Printed Easy's Paul Street.
