HP unveils digital press at IBD publisher

LOS ANGELES — Hewlett Packard last week formally rolled out its Inkjet Web Press digital press aimed at newspapers.
The press, first introduced at last year’s drupa in Dusseldorf, Germany, has been undergoing testing and evaluation by O’Neil Data Systems, which publishes Investor’s Business Daily.
Although the machine is not being used to print IBD, a special May 5 edition of the paper was printed on the press, and delivered to registrants attending an open house sponsored by HP at O’Neil’s facilities here.
“IBD is still just a proof of concept,” Jim Lucanish, president of ODS, told News & Tech. “We have no intention to print that on this press at this point.”
Attendees saw the press in action, as well as the digital front-end driving the press and finishing equipment.
William O’Neil, chairman and founder of ODS, IBD and the company that bears his name, praised HP as a company that’s stayed on top of cycles governing the market and economy, and he credited the vendor for remaining on the leading edge of graphic arts technologies.
The Inkjet Web Press boasts speeds of 400 feet per minute at resolutions of 600-by-600 dots per inch for newspaper production, and resolutions of 1,200-by-1,200 dpi for other products.
Look for full coverage of the press unveiling in the June issue of News & Tech.