Inkjet is booked for speed

HP signs development agreement with UK-based Timsons, the world's largest book press manufacturer, to develop a high-speed digital inkjet system for short- and medium-run book production.

The partnership will tie in the high-speed, 30-inch-wide HP Inkjet Web Press with the heavy industrial standard finishing capacity of Timsons. The aim is to move digital book production from niche markets to mainstream production.

Both of Australia's leading book printers, PMP and McPherson's, use Timsons book presses, which have been industry standard for more than 30 years.
 
French firm CPI, one of Europe's largest book printers and a participant in the HP Inkjet Web Press beta user programme, plans to implement the book production solutions from HP and Timsons. HP also is planning to significantly expand the addressable market for the Inkjet Web Press with the development of a new solution for coated media that enables production at high speeds. The coating technology will enable users to print on uncoated and coated media.

The HP Inkjet Web Press is expected to be commercially available in the latter half of 2009.