While the 1.6m-wide S300 and S500 printers were unveiled in late April, HP has unveiled the flagship 3.2m-wide S1000 at the Munich show.
Described by HP large-format production general manager Joan Pérez Pericot as a “superwide workhorse”, the S1000 can print both direct-to-textile and transfer at speeds up to 220sqm/hr. With a maximum resolution of 1,200dpi, the CMYK machine is capable of running backlits at around 130sqm/hr.
Fespa represents the S1000's public debut, after it was shown under an NDA last month. It is capable of taking rolls weighing up to 300kg, although HP will be working on a jumbo roll upgrade in due course, according to Pérez Pericot.
He said: “We are discovering a space in the market between the low-cost and high-end machines that we think the S1000 will cover very nicely. We cannot disclose pricing at this stage, but it is very competitively priced for this level of performance.
“As we have carried out a progressive launch on the Stitch family, we hope that the S1000 will be one of the biggest things at Fespa 2019, and already customers have shown a lot of interest. It’s going to be an exciting show.”
HP will make the S1000 available to market in July, following shortly after its two 1.6m-wide siblings, the S300 and S500, which will begin shipping in June.
The entry-level 34sqm/hr Stitch S300 is designed for ease-of-use and like the S500 and S1000, it is capable of both transfer and direct-to-fabric printing.
While it's the same width as the S300, the 110sqm/hour S500 is designed for high-production operations and runs a symmetrical eight-head dual-CMYK configuration.
“Our entry into this market is late, but we have been surprised by the tremendous excitement we have witnessed as people have seen the machines,” said Pérez Pericot.
“Features like the replaceable printheads, robust ink usage and colour performance, and the easy-to-use technology that draws from other HP assets such as the Latex family have all been met well, convincing use that we can leverage those assets to cause a real disruption.”
Going forward, the Stitch branding will be an umbrella term for all HP machinery in the textiles sector.
HP will exhibit at booth number F30 in Hall A5 at Messe Munich from 14-17 May.
