Four Reasons to Choose HP Latex Printing Over Eco-solvent

HP (Booth 1832) Latex inks are the only proven water-based inks in the industry capable of printing on a wide range of coated and uncoated substrates. HP Latex technology is unique, combining more advantages into one technology than any competitive alternative, making it the first choice in today’s market for printing flexible signs, display graphics and interior decoration. This piece explores four key considerations for selecting HP Latex printing over eco-solvent printing.

Instant dry, same day delivery

In today’s competitive environment, turnaround time to deliver an order is critical. Most of the applications produced with eco-solvent are laminated, and before applying the lamination, prints must be ‘degassed’ for 24-48 hours to avoid the appearance of bubbles and other artifacts.

Alternatively, HP Latex inks are ready to finish and ship as soon as they come out of the printer as there are no solvents to evaporate.

And they don’t smell.

More applications, high image quality and enhanced durability

When comparing eco-solvent and HP Latex print service providers (PSPs) need to consider the media breadth and application coverage. This is one of the most important benefits of latex compared to eco-solvent, due to the huge range of flexible materials, coated and uncoated, that you can print with HP Latex. It’s not only about doing vinyl and banners, but expanding to films, papers, textiles, canvas, wall paper and others.

Both eco-solvent and HP Latex give excellent image quality and color gamut that’s almost photo-realistic. However, the big advantage of HP Latex is its ability to get high quality and sustain it print after print across a wide range of applications, thanks to the printers’ automatic maintenance and calibrations.

Print durability is also a major competitive differentiator. Let’s consider two aspects of durability: light fade and scratch resistance. Regarding light fade, both eco-solvent and HP Latex use pigmented inks and as a result give similar light fade performance. What is unique to the third generation of HP Latex Inks is their scratch resistance. Eco-solvent prints are easy to scratch – just try it with your finger nail – so most of the time you will need to laminate them.

Better for customers, operators and the environment

Eco-solvent inks are by definition made of a solvent vehicle, which can be hazardous, and need to be evaporated and carefully controlled. While we have seen an improvement in the smell of eco-solvent inks, that doesn’t mean they are safer. They still carry the ‘dangerous goods’ logos in the cartridges.

Some competitors claim that latex inks contain solvents, with the aim to create confusion. HP Latex inks are sophisticated formulations, containing many components which ensure that the printhead stays wet, surfactants, which allow the ink to better adhere to uncoated substrates, and the anti-scratch agent, which protects the print once cured. None of those components are hazardous in the quantities used in the ink or to print. HP has internal experts that actively design the inks so that they are compliant with most demanding regulations.

No cost trade-offs

Although most people care about environmental sustainability, they are not as willing to pay more for a sustainable print. With HP Latex, we make sure that prints do not cost more to produce. With each new generation of HP Latex Printers, we have reduced the energy required to cure the ink by half, to the point of making it a non-issue. We also price all our inks and consumables to have a comparable or even better cost per page than original eco-solvent inks, and we have introduced bigger supplies to meet the needs of demanding customers.