Versatility key to HP Latex R530 success

At PacPrint 2025, Craig Hardman, HP’s ANZ Country Manager for Large Format, heralded the HP Latex R530 as the star of the show ‘because of its compact footprint, exceptional versatility – able to switch from rigid flatbed to roll-to-roll in just a few minutes – and Latex printing pedigree’. “These factors,” said Hardman, “make it a great option both for entry-level and as a production gap-plugger for established print shops.” HP continues to hold a strong position in the large-format production market.

Six months on, his view remains unchanged. HP continues to hold a strong position in the large-format production market and even without a major event to showcase the printer, it has delivered what Hardman describes as ‘a market-shaping level of sales’, continuing to lead as the standout performer in HP’s Latex portfolio

Whilst the compact footprint of the machine clearly has an important role to play, the real value of this printer is undoubtedly tied up in a narrative that talks to a seamless switch from high-quality rigid prints to roll-to-roll printing – ‘in less than a minute and a half after just a few expert tips’.

The HP R530 prints on up to 1.6m wide boards, up to 5cm thick, and Hardman adds that it is the unique HP Pixel Control technology that really helps the R530 stand out. “This technology enables us to print pixels by blending colours like the human eye, delivering the smoothest transitions for enhanced print quality across all print modes and speeds. This ‘true’ digital image pipeline technology, coupled with our latest generation of inks, delivers vivid colours at fast throughput, resulting in favourable quality both on rigid and flexible, and affirming the printer as a genuine winner in its class.”

HP Latex (water-based) inks already come with a UL ECOLOGO®-certification: the reduced waste and costs made possible through direct-to-rigid printing on recyclable media and through the inks coming in returnable cartridges.

“The printer itself is also manufactured with 25% recycled plastic,” notes Hardman, explaining how HP sees Sustainability as a ‘value’ rather than an ‘attribute’. “The attributes of the R530 are its production efficiencies, speed, flexibility, but the real value to the customer runs much deeper than this and Sustainability is increasingly showing as a stronger and stronger value proposition to our customers across the board.”

Having first invented its water-based latex inks back in 2008 and as a long serving partner of Planet Partners (now for 26 years in Australia), it is this progressive mentality related to HP’s own responsibilities for driving more sustainable options and opportunities for customers, that has also helped to set its products, like the R530, apart.

Hardman continues: “Our HP Sustainability Amplifier was designed specifically to enable our customers to run a sustainability audit across their own businesses, providing them with a very useful ‘green’ dashboard, as well as making

recommendations on materials or practices that might help to improve their environmental score.”

“We also offer HP PrintOS as standard with all our printers now, and there are a range of other value-adds that can be integrated with R530 to assist customers with their production cycles and workflows.”

Hardman continues: “What always surprises me is that you launch a printer with an idea of how customers might use it…then, with the HP Latex R Series, you see customers producing everything from toy designs and lunchbox stickers to artist tiles and the boxes their canvas art ships in. It shows that customers will always take the technology and push it in ways we never imagined were possible.”

“That is why our campaign is all about wanting Print Service Providers to be able to ‘do the best work of their lives’ and with the HP R530 we are genuinely seeing this campaign come to reality.”