Issue #0525/1 - Improved image clarity and richer colours almost fade into insignificance with two new papers that will sit under water without losing its printed inkjet image.
Hewlett-Packard’s continuing drive for better printing equipment and materials has led the company to develop new print media for the home and office printing environments.
Currently comprising one plain paper and one glossy photo paper, the new media exhibit a remarkable feature in addition to providing fast drying and improved image quality with rich, vibrant colours. This feature is ‘water-resistance’, as Hewlett-Packard describes it.
Hewlett-Packard Advanced Photo Paper
Available in a range of sizes, the new 210gsm photo paper is based on a porous coating technology that allows the ink to be absorbed by the coating instantaneously, providing rapid drying times. Combined with the unique media backing introduced by Hewlett-Packard a year ago, that further helps to avoid image smear as one print is ejected on top of another (still wet) print, there should never again be any post-printing damage to photographs caused by stacking of wet prints in the output tray.
In addition to these elements of paper composition, Hewlett-Packard has also introduced a bar code on the back of the Advanced Photo Paper that extends the existing auto media sensing capabilities of the printer. The bar code tells the printer precisely what media is inserted in the device and the printer automatically adjusts print settings for optimal quality.
Currently only available on this one new media type, and with the corresponding sensors only fitted to the one new Photosmart printer (Photosmart 8250 – launched July 2005 – see "Brand new inkjet printer technology from Hewlett-Packard - SPT"), this is sure to become a standard feature of Hewlett-Packard photo media and printers.
Hewlett-Packard Advanced (plain) Paper
One of the common problems with inkjet printing on plain paper is that the ink bleeds within the paper resulting in two main image-degrading characteristics. Firstly, as the ink soaks down into the paper, there is a high degree of ‘show-through’ – the higher the ink density, the more significant the show-through. Secondly, because the ink soaks below the surface of the paper, the image loses clarity, density and contrast.This is not generally a problem with a text only page because the amount of image on the page is relatively low and solid text maintains a high contrast with the background paper. However, introduce a picture (especially a photograph) or coloured text to the page and the lack of contrast immediately becomes obvious.
With this new uncoated media, developed in association with International Paper, Hewlett-Packard claims that the use of new chemical processes in manufacturing maintains the vibrancy of the image, thus offering rich colours and solid, deep blacks and affords faster drying times. The company has dubbed the chemical process used as ‘Colour Lock’ Technology because of the enhanced colour performance the media offers.
However, although this benefit is doubtlessly of major importance to users, the more dramatic feature to Hewlett-Packard’s new Advanced Paper is described as ‘water resistance’!
In reality, ‘water-resistant’ is something of an understatement with both these new papers. The image on a freshly printed sheet remains firmly in place even when fully immersed in water.
It is interesting that this technology comes embedded in the media rather than in the inks. Waterproof inks have been available for years in certain segments of the inkjet market but have never been widespread – perhaps due to additional manufacturing costs or undesirable chemical side-effects of the ink constitution that would require a redesign of the print head.
Hewlett-Packard says the new Advanced Paper will not carry a price premium and is equally appropriate for use in laser devices as in inkjet devices. This means that users will not be forced to buy two media types for use in different printers just to obtain image quality benefits and water resistance for inkjet printing – it is a ‘one size fits all’ paper.
While being a great stride forwards in paper design and manufacturing, the printed paper is often not the area in which water-fastness is most valuable. Hewlett-Packard quotes spillages and excess moisture as the main dangers to inkjet prints. Perhaps the company could consider transferring the technology into production of common envelope formats so that individuals or businesses needing to use surface and airmail postal services can print their envelopes on an inkjet printer with confidence?
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