HP in large-format aim as purchases rebranded

HP has dropped the Nur and Macdermid Colorspan brand names as it gears up to make large-format print a focus at Drupa.

HP ac­quired the two firms last year and will now rebrand them within its Scitex and DesignJet portfolios.

One analyst said: “When HP acquired the brands, they paid a lot of money for the goodwill. It is a bold move to totally erase that and essentially relaunch the printers.”

The Nur Tango and Nur Fresco ranges have been discontinued due to overlap in the portfolio, while the 5m-wide Nur Expedio Revolution has been rebranded as the HP Scitex XP5300.

HP also announced plans to show what it touts as the “most comprehensive portfolio of large-format solutions on the market” at this year’s Drupa.

At its newly built 13,000m2 facility in Caesarea, Israel, this week, the manufacturer showcased five new large- format printers, alongside its new latex ink printing technology.

The new water-based HP latex ink combines with the latex layer to form a durable bond that does not sink into the surface of the printed object.

Nils Miller, HP senior scientist for ink and media, said: “The water-based latex inks offer the benefits of solvent inks, including outdoor durability, without imposing the typical environmental considerations of solvent inks.”