Release Issued by HP:
New exclusively formulated pigment inks offer print longevity of more than 200 years with select papers
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 23, 2006 – HP today announced a new professional photo printer featuring breakthrough print speeds and, for the first time, introduced a new portfolio of exclusively formulated HP Vivera pigment inks and digital fine art media.
The new printing solution is the latest system based on HP’s scalable printing technology, announced last summer. These new solutions round out HP’s growing portfolio of photography products geared toward the $780 million professional and advanced amateur photography market. Designed to offer photographers greater choice and flexibility with their professional printing needs, the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Professional Photo Printer, together with HP Vivera pigment inks and select HP fine art papers, deliver professional image quality
and increased fade resistance for prints that last more than 200 years.(1)
Thanks in part to the use of HP’s scalable printing technology, the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 is capable of producing 13 x 19-inch photos in as fast as 90 seconds.(2)
Additionally, this new professional photo printer includes the HP Photosmart Pro Print plug-in for Adobe Photoshop®, which automatically synchronizes Photoshop and the printer driver for a single user interface and color management.
“We are delighted to be working with HP to provide solutions, like the HP Photosmart Pro Print plug-in, that will enhance a photographer’s workflow,” said Deborah Whitman, vice president of product management, Digital Imaging, Adobe. “As the industry-standard in professional digital imaging software, Photoshop has set the bar for high-quality digital imagery and the HP Photosmart Pro Print plug-in streamlines the path to printing those images from Photoshop.”
HP expands Vivera family to include pigment inks HP expanded its Vivera product portfolio to include pigment inks, offering greater
flexibility for printing on a broad array of media. HP Vivera pigment inks provide professional image quality and long-lasting photo permanence, accurate and consistent color reproduction, and smooth transitions and detail. In addition, HP Vivera pigment inks are smudge-, water- and humidity-resistant. The first HP printer to use Vivera pigment inks is the newly introduced HP Photosmart Pro B9180, which features eight efficiently designed Vivera pigment individual ink cartridges, allowing professional photographers to replace only the ink colors used.
New media offers choice for professional photographers
The HP Photosmart Pro B9180 allows photographers to print on an extensive assortment of media including canvas, watercolor, stiff pre-matte and film up to 1.5-mm thick, as well as new HP Advanced Photo Paper. The new paper is thicker and provides customers with lab-quality, vibrant color photo prints that dry instantly and exhibit
excellent water resistance. With this new assortment of media, consumers can create prints in varying sizes from 3.5 x 5-inch up to 13 x 19-inch, with or without borders.
HP also introduced four new digital fine art papers to work seamlessly with the HP Photosmart Pro B9180. The HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper, HP Hahnemühle Watercolor Paper, HP Aquarella Art Paper and HP Artist Matte Canvas offer artists and photographers professional color-accurate prints with exceptional image quality and
outstanding durability, meaning that prints maintain color integrity and resist fading for generations. (2)
Backed by HP Total Care
HP offers a comprehensive support package for the HP Photosmart Pro B9180 that includes one-year limited hardware warranty backed by HP Customer Care, service and support, including one-year technical phone support.
With HP Total Care, customers have more options for convenient support, including eSupport options such as printer diagnostics and software driver updates, the ability to chat real-time with a support agent, and 24x7 toll-free technical support in both English and Spanish.
HP Total Care strives to deliver quality support with one-hour email response times, increased first-time resolution rates, and reduced customer hold times. For support information visit www.hp.com/support.
www.hp.com
(1) Fade results based on preliminary display permanence testing under glass by Wilhelm Imaging Research using HP Advanced Photo Paper, HP Matte Photo Paper, HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper and HP Hahnemühle Watercolor Paper; similar display permanence with HP additional HP recommended papers. Preliminary results, to be updated as test progresses—see wilhelm-research.com.
(2) Printing with HP 38 pigment inks. Based on light and thermal fade resistance testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research (Wilhelm-research.com) or HP’s Image Permanence Lab.
Continued
Overview
The HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Photo Printer delivers exceptional image quality and the best photo permanence on the market. HP Vivera pigment ink technology, combined with the printer’s professional colors, enables accurate and consistent color reproduction. HP’s third-generation gray ink is more neutral than ever before, allowing
for exceptionally smooth transitions and detail. Eight individual high-capacity ink cartridges enable high-volume printing with efficient printing speeds – producing 4 x 6-inch photos in as fast as 10 seconds and 13 x 19-inch photos as fast as 1.5 minutes – ideal for professional photographers and advanced amateurs. Users can print
exceptional photos on digital fine art media including canvas, photo rag, watercolor, stiff pre-matte and film up to 1.5-mm thick, as well as improved HP Advanced Photo Paper.
Key Features and Benefits
• Eight-color HP Vivera pigment inks produce gallery-quality photos and offer the user excellent image quality, durability and performance on a broad array of media
• Exceptional durability – waterproof photos(1) that resist fading for more than 200 years(2)
• HP Photosmart plug-in for Adobe Photoshop® automatically synchronizes
Photoshop and printer driver for single user interface and color management
• Efficiently designed individual ink cartridges allow users to replace only the ink colors used – ideal for high-volume printing
• Fast printing speeds – print 13 x 19-inch photos as fast as 1.5 minutes and 4 x 6-inch photos as fast as 10 seconds
• Closed loop calibration system keeps photo color consistent, print after print
• Electrostatic drop weight detection system automatically compensates for a nozzle not working, alerting you when the printhead needs cleaning or in the unlikely event of it needing to be replaced
Additional Features
• RIP software option provides access to enhanced color management tools for professional printing
• Plug the printer into network using Ethernet port
Technical Specifications
• Photo Pigment 8-color IIT
• 4,800-optimized dpi(3)
• 3.5 x 5-inch up to 13 x 19-inch prints with or without borders
• Supports Adobe RGB and sRGB
Supported Supplies
• Vivera Inks: HP 38 Matte Black Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Photo Black Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Light Gray Black Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Cyan Black Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Magenta Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Yellow Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Light Cyan Ink Cartridge, HP 38 Light Magenta Ink Cartridge
• Printhead: HP 70 Matte Black & Cyan Printhead, HP 70 Light Cyan/Light Magenta Printhead, HP 70 Magenta/Yellow Printhead, HP 70 Photo Black/Light Gray Printhead
• Media: HP Advanced Photo Paper Glossy (B+/A3+, B/A3, 8.5x11/A4, 5x7,
4x6), HP Advanced Photo Paper Soft-gloss (B+/A3+, 8.5x11/A4), HP Photo Paper Matte (B+/A3+), HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper, 265gsm (B+/A3+), HP Hahnemühle Watercolor Paper, 210gsm, (B+/A3+), HP Aquarella Art Paper, 240gsm, (B+/A3+), HP Artist Canvas Matte, 350gsm, (B+/A3+)
• Dimensions/Weight
o 26.6-inches (w) x 16.9-inches (d) x 9.2-inches (h)
o 37.7 Lbs.
o Support/Connectivity
o USB 2.0 and Ethernet to PC or Mac
o Microsoft Windows® 2000 Professional, XP Home, XP Professional, XP64; Mac OS X v 10.2 and higher
o HP offers a comprehensive support package for the HP Photosmart Pro
B9180 Photo Printer that includes one-year limited hardware warranty
backed by HP Customer Care, service and support; one-year technical
phone support
Pricing and Availability
Estimated U.S. street price of $699(4)
Expected to be available for purchase May/June 2006 in North America.
(1) Based on HP internal waterproof and water resistance testing with HP Advanced Photo Paper and with other HP-recommended papers. Waterproof feature requires HP Advanced Photo Paper.
(2) Fade results based on preliminary display permanence testing under glass by Wilhelm Imaging Research using HP Advanced Photo Paper, HP Matte Photo Paper, HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art Paper and HP Hahnemühle Watercolor Paper; similar display permanence with and additional HP-recommended papers.
Preliminary results, to be updated as test progresses – see wilhelm-research.com.
(3) Up to 4,800 x 1,200-optimized dpi color when printing from a computer and 1,200 dpi input.
(4) Actual price may vary.
