Why is HP ink worth paying more for?

In the first of a series of videos, HP’s resident “inkologist” Thom Brown explains some of the headline reasons why HP’s ink is worth its premium pricing. Brown is HP’s leading evangelist of the many great technologies that make the company’s ink of such high quality. He is an expert in how ink achieves the results it does, and what factors can lead to inferior results in so many different ways. He is full of fascinating details that show the incredible technology that goes into making ink capable of resolving the best possible detail, sticking steadfastly to the page without blurring, and not running when subjected to water treatment.

In this video, Brown begins by illustrating some of the complex technical process that gets ink onto page. For example, an HP print head can be shooting droplets of ink at up to 36,000 times per second, with each one exiting the nozzle at over 30mph. Each new HP ink formulation takes three to five years to develop, with over 1,000 prototypes before the final version is decided upon. A standard-sized photographic print has about 35 million drops of ink on it. These are just some of the headline facts about HP inks, which hint at what HP goes through and must surmount to achieve the results it does.

These begin to explain why cutting costs can mean a drop in performance, reliability and quality. Printing is such a complex process that a deficiency in any part of an ink’s technology or development process can lead to a noticeable loss in ability. HP has even launched a new service called Instant Ink where fresh refills are delivered directly to your door precisely when you need them. As this series of videos progresses, we will look in detail at how various HP technologies give it the best quality ink and printing in the business.