SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL EXPERTISE? WE INTERVIEW BRUCE VAN GREUNEN OF HP AT THE PERFECT COLOURS WORKSHOP
“There is nothing like the buzz of energy in room full of excited people, talking face-to-face and seeing their reactions and being able respond directly. A zoom meeting can be more of a one-way conversation as it not as easy to interact. Print is a passionate business and nothing beats being able to touch and feel the printer and the cool stuff that comes off it.” Bruce van Greunen - HP
It’s a pleasure to back in the field visiting live events. The Metaverse may very well be on the horizon, and we may have all adapted to a new hybrid life post pandemic (all of which has benefits) but for practical experiences there is no substitute for face-to-face events.
We recently attended the Perfect Colours workshop at their demonstration centre in Sheffield.
In attendance were many industry practitioners, crossing Signage, Décor and Textiles. Picture dozens of experts in a demo room filled with HP technology all talking print – all of which assuredly delivered the perfect afternoon at Perfect Colours.
We caught up with Bruce van Greunen, Pre-Sales Consultant, at HP for a short interview.
Armed with decades of practical, technical, and printing industry experience, there isn’t much that Bruce doesn’t know about our industry. It’s always a pleasure to catch up and to learn more about the HP Latex technology, and how it continues to disrupt the market and discover more about HP’s new developments.
What are the benefits of live workshops?
“After the Covid pandemic, I think many people are becoming tired of virtual events and webinars. They were extremely valuable through the lockdown period and do still have a place in today’s hybrid work environment.
HP’s ability to have a professional virtual demonstration cannot be underestimated, saving time and money for a customer or prospect, but being on a Zoom call or a webinar there are so many other distractions, the chat box or incoming emails, or the cat wanting to walk all over your keyboard?
Virtual, is not a replacement for a real face to face events, yet.
There is nothing like buzz of energy room full of excited people, talking face-to-face and seeing their reactions and being able respond directly. A zoom meeting can be more of a one-way conversation as it not as easy to interact. Print is a passionate business and nothing beats being able to touch and feel the printer and the cool stuff that comes off it.”
How does the white ink in the HP Latex 700W and 800W unlock new opportunities in the Décor sector?
“The ability to use HP latex white ink print onto coloured or clear media give you an opportunity to try different applications and effects with the media. In the décor sector we have seen a move to more natural surfaces in textiles and wallpapers which are not always white. If you do not have the option of white ink, colours may not turn out as expected, or they may seem desaturated.
White ink gives the option to emphasise parts of a design. Printing with white ink onto acrylics or glass for kitchen splash backs or room dividers with 3- or 5-layer printing by example.
Let’s not forget that the same white ink is on the HP Latex hybrid machine, the HP R-Series allowing you to print roll to roll or direct to board up to 2.5m to unlock even more opportunities.”
What excites you most about the HP R-Series? Why is this machine so versatile?
“There are many features and benefits of the HP R-Series, but for me the main ones are the absolute versatility of the R-Series printer. Having a true hybrid printer that is a flatbed printer and also a roll-to-roll printer without any compromises - means you can print on many more medias using only one printer.
Printing a 1.2m x 2.4m aluminium composite board or a 100m roll of wall paper is simple on the R series. It benefits from the flexibility of the HP Latex inks both literally and metaphorically, in the sense that the ink has excellent conformability properties. It can be stretched and moulded perfectly SAV for furniture wrapping, or vacuum moulding.
The inks can be printed onto many different media surfaces from paper to self-adhesive to textiles, or ridged media like corrugated polypropylenes or wood and glass.
But also, very important to me is the environmental aspects of the HP Latex products, the fact that the HP Latex inks have very low VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound) or zero HAP’s (Hazardous Air Partials), so they can be applied indoors, there is no odour from the inks and that the 4th Generation of HP latex inks are certified toy safe.
Being able to recycle the consumable items such as the print heads, and the used ink cartridges through the free of charge Planet Partners Programme is big win for the environmentally conscious print provider.”
How is the market recovering post covid – and why is investing in digital technology critical?
“Market recovery post covid has been varied, different markets recovered at different rates. Décor for instance did relatively well through the Pandemic, Wallpaper and Window blinds continued to sell as many people were doing home projects while they we stuck at home.
Post covid this segment (these businesses) has maintained or even grown. Other markets like the exhibition and event segment were much harder hit, that segment re-opened much later than the others, so their recovery has taken a little longer, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel for them.
Digital Technology was vital to the Decor market because it allowed the manufacturers to produce just what was needed. And they only produced what was selling. They did not have to produce huge runs, and hold unnecessary stock, that might not have sold. Also, they were able to offer bespoke jobs and adapt designs and colours to suit demand.
Digital technology along with HP Latex series allowed many print service providers to adapt and survive or even prosper through the pandemic.
Having an application like HP PrintOS was also invaluable as it enabled HP Latex users to monitor their production remotely allowing more hybrid working.”
If you missed the Perfect Colours workshop you can find further details about HP’s technology here and be sure to sign-up for any upcoming events.
