Last Updated on 05/22/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
If you want to print big, HP has unveiled some new printers just for you
It’s not everyday that companies launch new printers, let alone new large format printers, but that is exactly what HP (Hewlett Packard) has done with their new DesignJet Z Printer series. The California-based company has had a long history in the printing world, but as more and more document and image sharing has moved online the printing world in general has sharply declined; not much unlike the camera industry.
HP Unveiled their new DesignJet Z6 and Z9 large format printers at the FESPA Global Print Expo in Berlin, Germany this last week. According to HP, the market for large format printing actually grew by 7% in 2017, which is a good sign as it shows people are utilizing images for large prints and posters. Some of the features in these new Z Series printers is fairly state of the art too; Including a new verticle trimming feature as well as printing and ink optimizations that result in prints coming out of the Z Series printers 2.5x faster than before.
Other Key Features
- HP Pixel Control: Achieve true-to-color prints and an expanded color gamut with RGB HP Vivid Photo Inks, featuring chromatic red, chromatic green, and chromatic blue, the i1 embedded spectrophotometer5 and HP Pixel Control. HP Pixel Control is truly digital color pipeline designed for outstanding, consistent image quality delivered by controlling every print-ready pixel. Combining HP HDNA with HP Pixel Control, users get amazing image quality with just nine inks versus 12 compared to the previous generation HP DesignJet. The new printers also offer HP Professional PANTONE Emulation to match Brand identity colors.
- Dual drop technology: Produce prints with clear details and high-contrast color with dual drop technology powered by HP Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) and high-definition printheads. The HP DesignJet Z9+ features an upgradable configuration for a higher gloss output6.
- Tools to create: Simplify large format printing with a redesigned poster application in the HP Applications Center7, which also includes Adobe Stock, Unsplash, Vecteezy, and Pattern Design, offers customers access to the necessary tools for creating beautiful, original signs, and posters. The HP Applications Center also embeds augmented reality (AR) technology to ignite the creation of more meaningful and engaging content for print.
- Indoor and Outdoor Durability: Create prints with highly-stable pigment HP Vivid Photo Inks that provide water-resistant, fade-resistant prints8 for long-term indoor display and, when printed on suitable water-resistant media, outdoor display. HP Vivid Photo Inks gives PSPs the assurance that the prints they make for their customers will last as long as possible.
- Security: Take advantage of the industry’s most secure printers with HP Secure Boot, whitelisting, authentication solutions, and HP JetAdvantage Security manager to safeguard printers and data for enterprise and government.
- HP PrintOS: Remotely manage the print production environment from anywhere at any time with HP PrintOS now offered on the HP DesignJet Z Printer series.
The reality is that most of you, unless you run a fairly high volume business, probably don’t need one of these for yourself unless you sell a lot of prints of your work for art purposes or something. However if you happen to run a photography co-op or gather with a group of photographers this could be an excellent way to get some better prints .
HP says that the Z6, Z6x10 will be available following June 1st, while the more advanced Z9 model will be bringing up the rear July 1st. More details can be found over on the HP website for those interested.