HP Indigo

Q: Who founded Indigo and when?

A: Indigo was founded by Benny Landa in 1977.

Q: How did Benny Landa get started in printing?

A: He developed a small portrait studio from a photo studio he discovered while working in his dad's photoshop. He used his own equipment to produce "Direct-positive" photos, which printed images straight onto paper, avoiding the need for film.

Q: When did Indigo become a full-scale printing manufacturer?

A: Indigo transitioned into a full-scale printing manufacturing company in the early 1990s.

Q: When was Indigo acquired by Hewlett-Packard?

A: Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought Indigo in 2001, transforming it into HP Indigo.

How HP Indigo Technology Works

Q: What are the key components used by HP Indigo presses?

A: HP Indigo presses use a Photo Imaging Plate, a Heated Blanket, and ElectroInk.

Q: How does the Photo Imaging Plate work with ElectroInk?

A: A charging unit generates a uniform charge on the Photo Imaging Plate. This charge acts as a roadmap, attracting ElectroInk particles to form the image in the correct places.

Q: What happens after the ink is on the Photo Imaging Plate?

A: The ink/image is transferred onto a heated blanket, which solidifies the inks into a smooth film.

Q: How is the image transferred to the paper?

A: Sheets of paper are fed into the machine, and the blanket transfers the image onto the sheet.

Q: How is the printed sheet dried?

A: The sheet is dried by internal and external heating lamps and air.

Q: What happens to the sheet once it's dry?

A: Once dry, the sheet is delivered onto the stacking unit, ready for the next process.

Commercial Advantages of HP Indigo

Q: What are the commercial benefits of using HP Indigo?

A: Due to minimal setup requirements, it's efficient for printing collated sets for Perfect Bound and Stitched Books, making finishing processes easier for operators.

Q: What is its standing in the digital printing market?

A: It is the biggest-selling commercial digital printing system in the world.

Pros and Cons of HP Indigo

Q: What are the main advantages (Pros) of using HP Indigo?

A:

Quick turnaround time due to minimal setup.

Provides exceptional print quality.

Q: What are the main disadvantages (Cons) of using HP Indigo?

A:

Not suitable for jobs with quantities over 500, as these are typically run on Litho presses for greater speeds.

Colors may not always perfectly match those from other presses. For example, a repeat order printed on Indigo (300 quantity) might have a slight color difference from an earlier, larger order (2,500 quantity) that was printed on a Litho press, even if it's the same job.

Scratches can occur easily on the artwork due to the soft ink used.

Products Printed on HP Indigo

Q: What types of products are commonly printed on HP Indigo presses?

A:

Posters

Leaflets

Stitched Books

Perfect Bound Books

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