HP Inc. announced at Labelexpo a new portfolio of solutions for digital printing and embellishment of labels in any quantity for any application, in a move to transform labels and packaging printing from analog to digital, enabling converters to profitably grow their businesses into new markets.

HP also announced the HP Indigo GEM, the breakthrough one-pass digital embellishments solution, is now available for pre-ordering at Labelexpo. Integrated with the HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press, the GEM produces highly decorated labels simply and efficiently.

The new solutions come only 15 months after the extensive drupa 2016 technology rollout. Customers are already benefitting from these new capabilities in color accuracy and consistency, higher productivity, and a widened range of applications.

“Our LEP technology unveiled at drupa last year was a leap forward, and fully launched to customers. The innovation now continues, as we expand our capabilities and bring the industry’s most powerful digital label printing solutions that will help converters double their digital business over the next few years,” said Alon Bar-Shany, general manager, HP Indigo, HP Inc. “With these solutions converters can streamline and reinvent the production floor and print any label, no matter the complexity, to successfully help meet new market demands.”

At Labelexpo 2017 in the Hall 5 Patio HP is demonstrating all its new capabilities, including the HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press integrated with the HP Indigo GEM, HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press with HP Indigo Pack Ready Lamination for flexible packaging production enabling immediate time to market, and the HP Indigo 8000 Digital Press, the most productive narrow-web press in the industry2 .  In a store-environment experience, HP Specialty Printing Systems (SPS) OEM partners will demonstrate solutions based on the new SI-1300 desktop labeling print engine and other technology.

Any label for any job, printed digitally
Inline with the HP Indigo WS6800, the HP Indigo GEM is a fully digital one-pass printing press for embellishing with foil, screen, tactile, varnish and other special effects, using one workflow, one operator, and one design file without the need for tooling. The HP Indigo GEM utilizes GEM Coat and GEM Clear, sold by HP Indigo. Developed with JetFX, shipping of the GEM is expected to begin in the spring of 2018.

New opportunities with high-resistance labels
Pack Ready for Labels is a new solution supporting the production of high performance, high-resistance labels to help meet the industry’s highest standards, including for household and chemical products. It includes an upgraded Inline Priming Unit as an option on the HP Indigo WS6800 Digital Press and supplies including varnish and primer that will be sold by Michelman.
The new Inline Priming Unit also delivers enhanced press utilization, and better serviceability.
Innovation in inks

HP Indigo also announced a new HP Indigo ElectroInk Silver, now in beta customer testing. The new ink formula is capable of generating a wide gamut of metallic colors, combining metallic effects with digital capabilities in one printing process. The new ink is set to expand the application capabilities enabled by HP Indigo’s technology, and open a new field of package design opportunities for converters and brands to stand out on the shelf.