LAS VEGAS, March 2, 2009 -- HP today expanded its professional printing portfolio as part of its effort to target the estimated $663 billion page-value opportunity for the global graphic arts market and accelerate the analog to digital transformation.(1)

Unveiled at the 2009 PMA tradeshow in booth F150, HP’s comprehensive portfolio of digital printing solutions is designed to help creative and technical professionals explore new business opportunities – from gallery-quality prints to technical drawings and proofing.

Highlighting the new offerings is a customized photo specialty solution that allows for high-volume production of lay-flat photo book covers. HP also entered into new alliances to provide solutions that offer unmatched image quality and the reliability needed to drive customer success for industry professionals.

“HP’s new professional printing solutions offer customers a diverse set of choices and create opportunities for them to bring rich content to life,” said Michael Hoffmann, senior vice president, Graphic Solutions Business, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “We are fully dedicated to creating profitable growth for photographers, technical professionals, photofinishers and print service providers alike by providing the most robust digital printing portfolio in the market.”

Innovative solution for high-volume book cover and lay-flat photo book production
HP’s new high-volume, high-productivity photo specialty solution uses a customized version of the new simplex roll-fed HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press. Printing at a speed of 120 letter-size pages per minute in four colors, the press’s larger image size (317 mm x 980 mm) enables high-volume production of lay-flat photo book covers. It also facilitates more efficient impositioning and higher productivity for photo cards and similar products.

This customized photo specialty solution, expected to be available in July, comes configured with HP SmartStream print server solutions for high-volume commercial print production. The HP Indigo WS6000 connects with HP Indigo commercial unified workflow and provides the same HP Indigo print quality across the different applications and platforms.

HP also plans to introduce finishing partner solutions to provide near line end-to-end solutions for creating lay-flat photo books, book covers and cards with the new HP Indigo press.

HP Announces inaugural Expression Photography Award competition in association with Magnum Photos
HP, together with Magnum Photos, is sponsoring a unique global photo contest aimed at emerging and professional photographers, emphasizing the value of storytelling through the use of photographs. A jury of world-famous Magnum photographers including Alec Soth, Jonas Bendiksen, Paolo Pellegrin and Susan Meiselas, will look for compelling documentary photography under the inaugural theme of “Communities.”

The overall winner of the Magnum “Expression Photography Award” will receive a $10,000 grant to continue his or her work, a mentorship from a Magnum photographer and an HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer and supplies. Two honorable mentions and the remaining 17 finalists will also receive awards to support their photographic work. Additional information is available at http://expression.magnumphotos.com.

Demonstrating innovative opportunities for creative professionals
HP is extending its collaboration with Nikon to optimize HP Artist Software technology for the new Nikon D3x camera and the HP Designjet Z3200 in addition to the Nikon D3 camera. HP Artist Software technology simplifies the capture-to-print workflow for fine art reproduction. David Saffir, fine art photographer and printmaker, will demonstrate the solution for Nikon in HP booth F150.

In addition, HP is collaborating with renowned printmaker Dorothy Simpson Krause to present captivating imagery that explores the intersections of traditional art and bookmaking and digital technology. Working with print service provider Acme Bookbinding, Krause will present a limited edition of her book “Losing Ground,” printed on the HP Indigo 5500.

To create environmental awareness through the use of photography, Krause has also leveraged HP’s broad graphic arts portfolio to print her work for fine art exhibitions with the HP Designjet Z3100 and the HP Scitex flatbed printer.

More information on the products and solutions mentioned above, including pricing and availability, along with other HP announcements at PMA, is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/pma2009.

About HP
HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

1. HP internal estimates.

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