QPS used the show at Birmingham’s NEC to give the ink its first global showing, following six months of beta testing. It is now commercially available.
The ink has been developed as a colour-matched alternative to the HP FB250 Series inks. QPS managing director Chris Bailey said: “The new ink is designed to mimic the genuine HP inks on the FB500/700 series printers. That’s what it’s aimed at. It is a plug-and-play, with no flushing and no alteration of RIP settings.”
QPS said the ink was suitable for flexible and rigid applications and can also be used with any additional HP250 Series colours or clear options.
Bailey is confident that even if sales of the ink start slowly, they will pick up. “We don’t expect a vast volume to start with because people are justifiably nervous of going to third-party ink, and that’s always been the case. Very quickly, because of Nazdar’s name, word will get out that it’s reliable and does what it does,” he said.
The ink is available in three-litre boxes in cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan and light magenta and two-litre volumes in white. Bailey said the inks were originally due to be unveiled at Fespa Digital in Amsterdam, but were slightly delayed and released just in time for Sign & Digital UK.
This year’s QPS stand at Sign & Digital UK was its largest ever, covering 72sqm. It exhibited a range of Nazdar inks, including the 130 Series on a Mimaki JV300 wide-format inkjet, which was shown for the first time at Fespa Digital 2015, and the 203 Series, designed as a colour-matched alternative to Roland Eco-Sol Max 3 inks.
QPS is the main UK distributor of Nazdar digital inkjet products. It also sells a range of Neolt UV printers and provides technical services support.