Get the Most from Your Latex Printer

If you’re considering working with HP Latex print technology — or if you’ve purchased a latex printer that you’d like to get more use out of — you’ve clicked on the right blog. Let’s take a look at how HP Latex technology can help you improve production times, save money on consumables and offer more products to your customers.

Save Money: While your initial investment on equipment may be higher than other print technologies, the cost of consumables such as ink and media are quite a bit lower. In fact, latex ink costs are nearly half the price of aqueous inks. Media, such as banner material, can cost 10-30% less than aqueous versions, depending on the material. Those overall, long-term savings are significant.

Improve Workflow: When an HP Latex printer is installed in your facility, a tech will spend time with your team providing operation instruction, so the learning curve is quick and easy. Once in production, since latex inks don’t need to be coated, you’ll save the time and expense that come into play with coating canvas, for instance. With latex, there’s no need to add a protective coating, so just select a roll of gloss canvas, print, stretch and go — all within the same day! Plus, the durable latex inks are fade- and scratch-resistant and can last up to five years without a protective coating or laminate.

Offer More Solutions: This may be the biggest opportunity for print service providers. With latex, you can expand your offerings into all the major digital print market segments, including fine art and photo reproduction, canvas wraps, indoor and outdoor signage, trade show graphics, adhesive vinyls for a multitude of applications, and the exploding specialty décor market. More and more materials are currently being manufactured for latex production, including fabrics and wallcoverings.

The Latex Difference: When using HP Latex-certified materials, you are ensured that not only will you get accurate, consistent results, but in many cases you’ll be able to offer your customers products that have been verified for environmental and human health safety, which you cannot achieve with solvent technology, for instance. Often, hospitals, hotels, schools and corporations look for these verifications and certificates to help them achieve LEED certification for their buildings. You can make a big difference in helping them reach this goal!

Last year, HP introduced its Latex Print & Cut bundle, pairing latex printers and top-of-the-line cutters. Check out the video below to learn about the applications you can produce, like stickers, decals or vehicle graphics, and how they stack up to the competition.

To discover all the HP Latex printer options, please visit LexJet.com and call a LexJet print specialist at 800-453-9538 today.

Go Latex and Print Earth-Friendly

While opting for latex print technology is a great choice to add versatility and more market opportunities to your business, it can also open up another highly effective selling point: Environmentally friendly print options. Here are four products that are specifically made for latex (or latex-compatible) that will make your customers feel good about their next print project:

HP PVC-free Durable Suede Wall Paper

FOR DÉCOR: HP PVC-free Durable Suede Wall Paper was designed specifically for HP Gen 3 Latex Inks to create beautiful, customized wallcoverings that are Type II compliant without a top coat, so they can be used in sensitive environments like healthcare settings or schools that are also subject to lots of wear and tear. The wall paper also meets sustainability standards with FSC certification, which ensures the product comes from responsibly managed forests; and Greenguard Gold certification, which ensures it is safe for use around sensitive populations, like the elderly and children. These attributes can lend a hand to building designs being considered for LEED certification points, which scores the healthy environment for commercial buildings.

FOR RETAIL: The all-new HP Durable Backlit Fabric, pictured above, is another latex-compatible option that answers the demand for a lightweight fabric for backlit signs, but also ensures extra safety, thanks to approved fire certifications (B1 and NFPA 70). The fabric is also REACH compliant, which regulates and ensures the safety of chemicals used to create products and their potential impact on human health and the environment.

FOR SOFT SIGNAGE: Specifically designed and coated for latex printing, EnduraFab Frontlit FR is another fabric solution for a variety of applications, including indoor signage, tablecloths, drapes and SEG frames, to name a few. PSPs and their customers can rest assured when using EnduraFab Frontlit FR, thanks to it passing NFPA 701 flame retardant standards under fire test conditions.

FOR HIGH-VOLUME POSTERS: PSPs running industrial HP Latex printing now have the all-new LexJet Satin Poster Paper 200g, a PVC-free option with a paper base that’s coated for durable, water-resistant prints that won’t bleed. PVC-free options are beneficial because they do not contain harmful chemicals that can be found in some vinyl materials. PVC-free materials have been growing in popularity in Europe and in the décor market, and is becoming a hot topic in signage, too. Plus, this poster paper is recyclable after use, making it an attractive option for some customers.

To learn about more environmentally friendly media options, give us a call at 800-453-9538.

News You Can Use from Our Printer Partners: Canon, Epson & HP

We know you rely on us to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry, so over the past few weeks we’ve collected some exciting news from our partners at Canon, Epson and HP in regards to new printers, helpful software to make production easier and award-winning technology.

Canon imagePROGRAF TX-Series

New Canon Printer Designed for CAD/Engineering: The all-new Canon imagePROGRAF TX-Series pairs the exacting standards of high-end photo printers with high-speed production for super-fast, intricately detailed output. It’s also a money-saver with 5-color ink tanks available in 700 ml, 330 ml or 160 ml. It’s compatible with low-cost LED paper and makes production easier with an automatic media loading system that’s super simple and unlike other wide-format printers on the market. This game-changing printer will be available in November. Also, be sure to ask about 0% financing available on all Canon imagePROGRAF printers.

Epson SureColor S80600

Epson S-Series Receives High Accolades: Each model of the Epson SureColor S-Series solvent printers received a Pick Award from the Buyers Lab (BLI), an independent evaluator of document imaging software, hardware and services. The Epson SureColor S40600 was named Outstanding Entry Level CMYK 54″/64″ Eco-solvent/Latex Device. The Epson SureColor S60600 was awarded Outstanding High Production CMYK 54″/64″ Eco-solvent/Latex Device, and the Epson SureColor S80600 received the award for Outstanding Gamut Expansion 54″/64″ Eco-solvent/Latex Device. “These awards give special recognition to manufacturers and products that perform above their peers in our exhaustive lab tests, and all three S-Series models did extremely well in our tests – providing accuracy that any color-critical print shop would appreciate,” said David Sweetnam, director of research and lab services, EMEA/Asia, Keypoint Intelligence. Through the end of 2017, Epson is offering the largest discount ever on these machines. Call us for more details.

HP Latex 115 Print & Cut Bundle

HP Expands Print-N-Cut Portfolio & Support Solutions: The HP Latex Print & Cut bundles have sparked a lot of interest among printers who want to expand into printing stickers, decals, labels and more, with ease of use and minimal equipment footprint. The HP Latex 315 and 335 Print & Cut Bundles are geared to high-volume shops. HP has recently released the HP Latex 115 Print & Cut Bundle as an entry-level option, as well. To support these new machines, HP Signage Suite now has easy-to-design applications for Print & Cut as well as tools to help manage production. If you attend a qualifying event, you can save big on a bundle. Watch the video below for details on HP Signage Suite, and give us a call at 800-453-9538 to learn more.

Take an Early Lunch and Learn About Printers with LexJet

We’re hosting two educational webinars in July to help you decide which printer is the best for you and your growing business. We’ve teamed up with the pros at HP and Canon to produce these webinars, so register today to reserve your spot. Plus, when you attend a webinar, you’ll get extra savings on your purchase that you can pair with our monthly printer rebates.

HP Latex Webinar: Join us for a webinar with HP’s John Stevens to learn the latest about HP’s Latex printer technology on Thursday, July 13, 11 a.m. When you attend this webinar, you’ll save $1,000 on an HP Latex 315 Print & Cut bundle, HP Latex 335 Print & Cut bundle or HP Latex 570; or save $3,000 on an HP Latex 560. SIGN UP NOW

Canon PRO-Series Webinar: On Thursday, July 20 at 11 a.m. EST, you’ll discover the latest advancements in Canon PRO-Series printers and how they can help improve your output while simplifying your workflow. Attendees will receive an additional 5% off their PRO-Series printer purchase. SIGN UP NOW

If you’ve got questions, our LexJet printer specialists can help. Give us a call at 800-453-9538.

HP Introduces Latex Print and Cut Solution Bundle

At today’s ISA Sign Expo kickoff in Las Vegas, HP announces its new HP Latex Print and Cut solution, featuring two special equipment bundles with the HP Latex 315 54-inch printer and HP Latex 54 Cutter, and the HP Latex 335 64-inch printer and HP Latex 64 Cutter. Both bundles also include HP FlexiPrint and Cut RIP for a streamlined workflow.

The new print-and-cut bundle solution will be available to the market on June 5, 2017.

HP is positioning this new latex bundle to compete with Roland and Mimaki solvent integrated print/cut devices. The bundles, HP says, allow print providers up to 50 percent faster production and the ability to print and cut, utilizing the two separate machines simultaneously, as opposed to the print or cut that the solvent machines offer.

HP Latex 315 54-inch printer and cutter

The HP latex printer and cutter solution opens opportunities for printers to offer new applications for their customers, like stickers, cut-out window graphics, wall decals, magnets and even customizable clothing, when utilizing a heat press, as well.

UPS Store Owners Visit LexJet’s Experience Center

Earlier this week, several owners of UPS Stores visited LexJet’s Experience Center, housed in its Sarasota, Fla., headquarters. It was a chance to not only put names to faces, but also get hands-on, up-close experience with the latest print technology and accessories and learn real-life strategies for growing their stores’ business.

“It’s always great  to have customers visit our state-of-the-art Experience Center where they can interact with the newest print technologies available in today’s market,” says LexJet national sales representative Vince Bejar. “Plus, they get the chance to talk to our experienced print technicians to learn about ways they can improve their current print operation/workflow.”

LexJet’s Michael Clementi leads a printer demonstration.

During the session, the UPS team learned about growing their blueprint and scanning services with the Epson SureColor T-5270 printer; they discovered the ease of use with the Canon PRO-4000 printer; and the advantages of printing with HP’s Latex technology.

The LexJet team also covered print finishing techniques, like using the hinge method to adhere yard signs, as well as bottom line advice on profit margins with tools like a pricing calculator that the UPS Stores could implement immediately.

“During a time when we all do so much communication over the phone or online, it was great to meet face-to-face with people I work with on a nearly daily basis,” Bejar says. “We hope to offer more of these types of hands-on visits soon.”