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Digital prints take art to the masses
Prints created by the HP DesignJet 10000s have been posted up around London in an initiative from the National Gallery. Thought to be the first DesignJet 10000s to be installed in the UK, the system was supplied by DCP Systems and installed at Electronic Printing Services (EPS).
Benefits of the super-wide 104in system are said to include low solvent ink durability for signs, banners, billboards and murals, making it ideal for the National Gallery's promotional project.
With a view to wooing visitors to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the institution hit on the idea of displaying life size digital reproductions of famous paintings ranging from Da Vinci and Constable to Caravaggio, Rubens and Botticelli, complete with replica frames.
Using the 10000s and Epiflex vinyl media, EPS output 44 art treasure reproductions. After lamination the prints should last for up to three years outdoors, resistant to fading and water, although according to Steve Farley of EPS, lab tests suggest the prints may still look the same after a decade. National Gallery project designer, Danielle Chidlow, also praised the quality of the prints, remarking that members of the public thought real works of art had been posted on the streets.
According to DCP Systems, this quality is available for run of the mill jobs, as well as one-off projects like the National Gallery's art reproductions. HP’s DesignJet 10000s is capable of dual-sided printing, dual-roll printing and printing on unlined mesh via six, heavy duty, piezo print heads. The machine also handles economical, uncoated media for lower running costs and greater return on investment. One litre, hot swappable HP 790 ink cartridges can be changed without interrupting a print job and a new take-up reel supports rolls weighing up to 110kg and two preloaded rolls for side by side printing. When combined with an optional 104in dryer, this enables the DesignJet 10000s to produce long, unattended print runs at maximum print speeds.
EPS's Steve Farley said: “After beta testing the DesignJet 10000s, we were aware of its capabilities. We can now satisfy a greater range of customer demands for outdoor and indoor signage and for the first time we can compete with screen printers both on price and durability. The 10000s produces stunning quality, with exhilarating colour and pin sharp accuracy, which is why we came to the attention of the National Gallery.”
