Itma 2019 | Textile Triple Play (part 3 of 3): HP

written by Frank G. Cannata | September 5, 2019

Large-Format Production General Manager Joan Pérez Pericot outlines HP’s initiatives in textile printing.

Above: The HP booth featured the HP Stitch S Printer Series and related output. Top: Fashion and fabric examples from the HP Stitch S Printer Series.

Attending the ITMA Barcelona exhibition and conference gave us a sense of an exciting new market that is being created by digital engines driven by powerful front ends utilizing amazing new ink technology.

One of the more pleasant and informative aspects about attending global events such as ITMA is the opportunity to meet with executives who have international responsibility for the various segments of their respective company’s business.

ITMA 2019 allowed us to interview Joan Perez Pericot, general manager of large-format production at HP Inc. Perez Pericot is responsible for worldwide oversight of the long-term strategy and day-to-day operations of the large-format production (Latex) business.

He joined HP in 1992 as a process engineer and has held various positions in operations, marketing, and business management within the imaging and printing group. While in operations, he was responsible for the production start-up of DeskJet manufacturing in Barcelona. He was also responsible for the launch of the HP Latex technology at drupa 2008.

With a grounding in latex printing, Perez Pericot seems to have made an easy transition into the world of textile printing. He believes digital technology will create a whole new life within the print world while analog will remain very significant.

“An evolution is happening in the print space similar to [what occurred with] the telephone,” he said, describing the development of textile printing.

He predicted this development of print technology will enable users to profitably be closer to delivery in real-time.

HP’s entry into textile printing is driven by dye sublimation for polyester. The reason for selecting this type of fabric is because 60% of all fabrics are polyester. The machines that are carrying the initial thrust of HP’s efforts into this realm are the Stitch S300, S500, and S1000.

These devices are delivering the whole package with the development of new inks and printer portfolio solutions that include 35 finishing partners.

Perez Pericot also revealed that the Stitch devices will address signage, another application that is moving into polyester as the core market for HP. Some of the vertical markets for this application include decoration, wallpaper, and bedding. The two segments that are newcomers to textile printing include sportswear and fashion. Those two segments represent a small part of the business today but are expected to grow.

One of the issues with dye sublimation is that the pigment inks used in this process can’t be exposed to the sun. Because of this, applications such as outdoor signage are not recommended.

Perez Pericot is more than enthusiastic about textile printing. We suspect part of that enthusiasm emanates from his knowledge of what HP R&D is currently working on. He speaks eloquently about future technology where “everything is possible” and will eventually lower all the barriers.

“Don’t copy, be different,” he said. “Take advantage of what we are providing by being the first in doing something different.”

As for our thoughts on this visit with HP, we believe that in the same way the company became a leader in industrial printing, it will repeat that success in textile printing. When we last visited Palo Alto, we witnessed a walkthrough of what HP has developed in the way of 3D printing.

While Perez Pericot did not say this, we believe he was referring to 3D printing development going on in China that can replicate threads. And then, there are HP’s efforts to duplicate on metal. That is a whole other story. When that is available, it will open the door to enabling the decentralization of manufacturing.

HP has a history of innovation, and we look for the company to become one of the leaders in reshaping the capabilities of printing to take advantage of where technology is and where it will take us.

The next ITMA conference will be in 2023 in Milan. We fully expect HP and EFI will continue to be the leaders in industrial printing and be well on their way to emerging as leaders in the area of textile printing.