The upgrade of the Indigo 12000 – one of six HP digital presses running at the company’s Uckfield production site – took place last week. It was a planned field upgrade that was originally discussed when the press was first installed in 2016.

The HD technology doubles print resolution and will achieve higher image smoothness, which HP claims surpasses offset quality by printing 1,600dpi with high lpi screen sets up to 290lpi. The high-definition imaging system uses an additional 12 laser beams to achieve the higher resolution.

Pureprint director Richard Owers said: “We do a lot of fine art and publishing work and we have clients who appreciate that extra level of image quality.

“There are markets that have responded to some of the very fine HD litho FM screen work we’ve been doing and, in the same way, we know that they’ll appreciate that absolute best-in-class resolution off a digital press. It’s great to be able to offer that level of fine resolution and high-definition through both digital and litho.”

Pureprint won four awards at the PrintWeek Awards 2017 in October, including Bespoke Digital Printer of the Year and Fine Art Printer of the year.

“Last year the judges for one of our award wins kindly described our digital print work as ‘perfection’ but the HP Indigo high-definition printheads offer a further advance,” said Pureprint chief executive Mark Handford.

Pureprint Group employs over 400 people and turns over more than £65m. The firm has invested over £20m in the last five years, which includes the installation of a Sias screen printer at large-format POS division Imprint last September.