As of Thursday 31st October, the HP Latex 300 Series was officially discontinued.
Rest assured if you're running a HP Latex 115 / 315 / 335 / 365 Printer (or Print and Cut Solution) all parts, support and consumables will continue to be available for a minimum of five years.
With lower running costs than Solvent, Latex has proved itself as something of an economical workhorse within the print industry over the last 10 years.
No odour, instant dry and again no need to ‘gas off’, prints from a Latex can be finished and laminated as soon as they are off the machine.
In today’s ecologically conscious times, latex ink’s water-based tech has acknowledged green credentials where the other systems do not.
The colour vibrancy of latex is again, not quite up there with with solvent, but unlike UV it does benefit from high flexibility, making it an ideal solution for vehicle graphics and wrapping. The machines do require more heat to cure the water-based inks, so heat sensitive materials are typically ruled out.
In the last few years, HP have also developed their own white ink to compete against UV, which also benefits from being opaque and a great added-value feature for producing eye-catching window graphics.
Read more about the Whys and Hows of White ink Printing
If stickers and decals are part of your business, there are no integrated print and cut latex machines either. Again, whether separate machines are best for your production or an all-in-one, this post looks at the options.
In 2021, HP introduced the first Generation 4 models to the market, designed to replace the well-established Gen3 300 Series.
How do the Gen4 Printers compare to Gen3 (300 Series)?
HP Latex 700 / 800 Series
All three models (630 / 700 / 800) use the same ink and printhead technology, so compatibility across medias will remain the same. That said, the L700 and L800 are designed for higher versatility, with an optional ink collector unit available for printing on porous materials / textiles and an in-built spectrophotometer to create unique profiles for materials not listed in the online library.
Find out more about the HP Latex 700 and 800 Printer Series
HP Latex 630
The HP Latex 630 Printer takes all the features of the 700, but is designed to fit a lower budget when production speed isn’t as crucial.
HP have removed the spectrophotometer that is equipped by the L700 / L800 to maintain highly accurate colour matching consistency. With this in mind, the L630 is better suited to a print department that doesn't rely on a high level of uniformity or anticipate prints from different printing periods to be scrutinised and overlapped. For everyday signage and wrapping companies, this should still be a model to seriously consider.
The L630 is also available with white ink, includes a basic RIP Software in the box and can also be bundled with a HP Vinyl Cutter for a complete Print and Cut package.
The L700 / L800 models don't include an in-box RIP package or a 'HP's own' Vinyl Cutter, so we would usually bundle other brands tried and tested alongside HP Latex.
Find out more about the HP Latex 630 Printer Series
HP Latex 730 / 830
While the HP Latex 700 / 800 Series remains available, the Latex 730 and 830 Series have been launched as the next development from HP.
First up, they now include Pixel Control, which was previously introduced in the 630 series. Earlier generations relied on varying dot sizes to sharpen graphics, but this randomised dot pattern could struggle with gradients and solid fills. Pixel Control, on the other hand, analyses the input file and automatically generates a structured pixel pattern, resulting in smoother transitions and improved performance with gradients and solid colours.
The 730/830 also feature an updated OMAS (Optical Media Advance Sensor), which improves tracking and tiling accuracy. It also allows printing from the leading edge - though as with the 630 series, this should still be taken with a pinch of salt. We've requested a tolerance comparison between the L300 and Lx30 series, as we're often asked about tiling accuracy, but so far haven’t seen any documented specifications outlining the improvement.
Two additional fans have been added, speeding up drying time and boosting white ink print speeds by around 30%.
Edge Holders are no longer included as standard, since they're not required with the new design. They’re now sold separately in a pack of four (A4AN1A).
These models introduce new printheads and a new maintenance cartridge, which will soon be cross-compatible with the Latex 630, 700, and 800 models - pending a firmware update. As these become the new standard, the older versions will gradually be phased out.
Aside from White and Optimiser, all other inks now use a Universal Printhead, which can be used across multiple channels (Black/Cyan, Magenta/Yellow, Lt Cyan/Lt Magenta, and Overcoat). This simplifies inventory management for operators, as fewer spare printhead types need to be kept in stock.
The new 838 Maintenance Cartridge includes a removable ink chamber. Previously, the ink was sealed, which meant the whole unit was non-recyclable. Now, the chamber can be detached and replaced separately - making the remaining cartridge recyclable and eligible for HP’s Recycling Programme. This also increases efficiency, allowing users to get the most out of the maintenance cloth before needing to replace the full cartridge and increasing lifespan by 50%.
The 730 and 830 models come with a two-year on-site warranty as standard.
Find out more about the HP Latex 730 / 830 Printer Series
If we've missed anything out or you have any specific questions, get in touch in any of the usual ways or through social media.
At Granthams GT we know the right printer is the one that fits into your business and we like to think we’ve been around long enough to know how to help.
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