HP Helps BPGraphics Excel on Print's Leading Edge

HP has announced that BPGraphics is successfully transitioning more of its analog screen-printing work to UV digital printing with the installation of an HP Scitex FB7500 Printer.

The Phoenix-based company—a large-volume customer that owns 11 HP Scitex printers—also is working to streamline color management across its digital production platforms as a beta user of the new version of ColorServer Suite from GMG GmbH & Co. that is customized for use with HP Scitex printers.

Less Labor, More Productivity

The new printer and color management software offer a number of benefits that can substantially improve productivity at BPGraphics. With its 65x126-inch media capacity and print speeds that reach 5,380 sqft/hr, the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer quickly and affordably produces longer-run jobs—work that the company previously completed using an analog screen printer.

"The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer's biggest advantage for us is its ability to do short runs as well as long runs, using one operator instead of two—all on a device that offers excellent quality on the same substrates we use on our screen printer," said Curt Carpenter, president, BPGraphics.

The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer also gives the company distinct advantages in proofing for longer-run signage and point-of-purchase jobs that once ran on its analog technology.

"Giving Customers Eexactly What They Want"

"We can do one-off proofs on the printer using the actual substrate for the final job, make any changes that customers request, and then print the entire job," said Carpenter. "Proofing on the actual production device gives us confidence that we are giving customers exactly what they want when we are printing a job."

BPGraphics has recently transitioned longer-run jobs that were once considered analog-only to digital printing, such as a recent job for 500 point-of-purchase standees that were efficiently produced, with more accurate proofing, on the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer.

The printer also helps BP Graphics better serve a growing number of customers who, instead of purchasing 500 copies of a specific design, are likely to prefer a versioned run—100 copies of five different designs, for example—as a way to customize and improve their marketing efforts. Customized and versioned work can prove impractical for a screen printing device because of the numerous screen change, set-up and makeready costs they incur. Digital devices like BPGraphics' fleet of HP Scitex equipment, however, can profitably accommodate those versioning requests.

The HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, with its extensive rigid media capabilities, complements a pair of HP Scitex TJ8300 Printers that extend BPGraphics' high-volume, high-end offering to flexible media graphics applications.

Streamlined Profiling and Calibration Across a Fleet of Printers

The GMG ColorServer Suite installed at BP Graphics gives the company a new level of color management consistency across its digital large-format printers. GMG, a member of the HP Graphics Solutions Partner program, designed the latest version of its ColorServer product with tools to simplify color conversions between color spaces. Users have the option of working with pre-loaded HP Scitex model settings on the server. Plus, the server includes GMG SmartProfiler software, which can further reduce the amount of time needed for printer profiling and calibration.