HP UK Press Release

New brand reinforces image quality, fade resistance and cost benefits

BIRMINGHAM, UK, February 28, 2005 - HP today announced the launch of its new ink branding, HP Vivera Inks, in the UK following the successful launch in the US last year.  Vivera, a coined name combining the elements of “viva” and “era”, means one of life, true-to-life colour and longevity.  The new brand is aimed at further driving recognition of the superior image quality and fade resistance of prints created using HP inks in conjunction with HP printers and media. 

The HP Vivera Inks brand will be incorporated onto the packaging of select HP inkjet print cartridges and HP ink cartridges. There are also several HP products - such as HP Premium Plus Photo Paper and select HP printers - that are optimised for use with HP Vivera Inks. These products will carry a new HP wordmark on their packaging to reflect their suitability for use with HP Vivera Inks. Over the coming months, consumers will also see the new brand at points-of-sale, in retail channels, advertisements, public relations and marketing collateral as well as on the hp.com website.

The HP Vivera Inks brand captures the values behind HP’s Science of Printing philosophy. Driven by innovation, the science behind HP’s inkjet printing technology provides customers with unrivalled results, whether in the home or office.  It is the science behind original HP inkjet print cartridges, HP ink and HP print media, that results in HP’s complete printing solutions delivering exceptional quality and reliability to customers.  HP remains a leader in the printing industry with more than 20 years of experience, from the invention of HP thermal inkjet technology in 1979 through to HP’s new 9-ink printing system. 

Brilliant, true-to-life prints
HP Vivera Inks, designed exclusively for HP inkjet printers and media, enable consumers to print extremely high quality photos - with brilliant, true-to-life colours and dense black.  The extraordinary performance results from superior ingredients, unique ink formulations, manufacturing processes that ensure exceptional purity, low-colorant inks designed from the ground up, and unique colour combinations.

The science behind these unique HP ink formulations includes an average of 12,000 engineering and scientist hours into each ink refinement and up to three years and 100 different formulas before a new ink is certified to be used with HP inkjet printers. HP inks are complex, highly specialised chemical formulations that are rigorously tested for exceptional purity.

“I have to say that the prints I created with HP Vivera Inks are the best inkjet prints I have ever seen. They rival, or in some cases exceed the quality I would be able to achieve with traditional silver based photographic printing,” said Elliott Landy, one of the world’s leading photographers who became famous for his photographs of Bob Dylan and other musicians from the sixties.

Fade resistance for a lifetime
HP Vivera Inks have also been developed to resist fading for a lifetime1. Tests by Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR) showed that the latest HP Vivera Inks used in conjunction with HP printers and HP papers resist fading when displayed for up to 82 years for 3-ink printing, up to 108 years for 6-ink and 8-ink colour printing, and 115 years for black and white printing1.  HP inks and media are scientifically designed together to guarantee fade resistance.

WIR today announced that it will apply its new WIR certified testing seal to HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, which is optimised for use with HP Vivera Inks. The seal indicates that the HP paper has undergone rigorous WIR testing and gives consumers a standardised basis on which to accurately compare the fade resistance of different brands of photo papers and inks. 

“As digital photography grows in popularity, customers need a way to make meaningful comparisons between photo papers when it comes to fade resistance. WIR certified testing allows consumers to make an apples-to-apples comparison of the display and dark storage permanence of the major brands of photo papers and inks in the marketplace,” said Henry Wilhelm, President and Founder of Wilhelm Imaging Research.

Ease of use, cost effective printing
HP Inkjet Print Cartridges with Vivera Inks combined with HP media are also easy to use, convenient and offer cost-effective home photo printing from 24p per photo2.  “HP Photo Packs contain the ideal combination of HP Inkjet Print Cartridges with Vivera Inks and HP Premium Plus Photo Paper to make printing high quality photos easier than ever, offering users a cost transparency which allows them to determine the cost per photo when printing at home,” said Kim Holm, vice president and general manager, HP Supplies, EMEA.

Quality and reliability are the foundations upon which HP has built its business and for which it has been recognised worldwide.  HP Vivera Inks, optimised for use with HP printers and media, are specially designed to work as a complete printing system that delivers outstanding results.

New HP consumer products with the HP Vivera Inks branding launched today include the HP 101 Blue Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge and HP 102 Grey Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge as well as the HP Photosmart 8750 which is optimised for use with HP Vivera Inks. On the commercial front, HP today launched the HP Designjet 90 which is optimised for use with the HP Vivera Inks in the HP 85 Ink Cartridges.

About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2005, HP revenue totaled $81.8 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

1   Tests conducted by Wilhelm Imaging Research, with HP Premium Plus Photo Paper on a HP Photosmart 8150 Photo Printer, delivered fade resistance when displayed of up to 82 years for 3-ink printing using HP 343 or 344 Tri-Colour Inkjet Print Cartridge, up to 108 years for 6-ink printing using HP 343 or 344, and 348 Inkjet Print Cartridges, and 115 years for black and white images using the HP 100 Grey Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge

For further information on the printer models in conjunction with the fade resistance numbers please go to www.hp.com/eur/faderesistance

2 The HP Home Photo Pack is available in the UK at a manufacturer recommended street price of 30.99 GBP
HP 344 Tri-Colour Inkjet Print Cartridge with HP Vivera Inks (14 ml)
130 sheets borderless 10 x 15 cm HP Premium Plus Photo Paper
URL for downloading HP Image Zone Express Photo Software

The HP Pro Photo Pack is available in the UK at a manufacturer recommended street price of 41.99 GBP
HP 343 Tri-Colour Inkjet Print Cartridge with HP Vivera Inks (7 ml)
HP 348 Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge with HP Vivera Inks (13 ml)
120 sheets borderless 10 x 15 cm HP Premium Plus Photo Paper
URL for downloading HP Image Zone Express Photo Software