HP announced new products and media partner initiatives that take digital label converting even further into mainstream production environments. Both HP booths at Labelexpo showcase the value HP Indigo presses offer in mainstream label converting scenarios, including jobs requiring multiple stock keeping units (SKUs) and medium-run prime label production.

“The HP Indigo ws4500 and WS6000 digital presses give label converters and their customers greater flexibility, faster turnarounds and superior supply chain management and inventory control compared to analog flexographic and offset label manufacturing,” said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo division, HP. “These advantages, along with a complete suite of prepress, workflow and finishing solutions, have made HP Indigo one of the world’s best-selling press lines in the global label converting industry.”

The company is presenting its HP Indigo WS6000 in a “Tower of Production” demonstration, highlighting the longer cost-effective run lengths, volumes and number of jobs that can be printed in an eight hour shift as compared to conventional flexography. Working in production conditions to an eight-hour schedule, the WS6000, operating at a four-color printing speed of 30 m/min. (98 fpm), is printing a variety of labels on various substrates, recreating the environment at a typical label converter.

There have been 50 worldwide HP Indigo WS6000 installations so far in 2009. Both the ws4500 and the WS6000 can be used for label, flexible packaging and shrink sleeve applications. Additionally, the WS6000 can be used for folding carton printing. Prepress solutions from EskoArtwork, finishing systems from AB Graphic International and HP’s Business Development services also have a presence in HP’s Labelexpo exhibit.