The custom print business helped bring ‘Portrait of HP’, a special project celebrating diversity and inclusion at HP, to life by printing large-scale images of employees on its HP Latex 3600.
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In celebration of diversity and inclusion within HP, members of the HP UK&I team have been taking part in ‘Portrait of HP’, a special initiative paying tribute to their time with the business and their own heritage, with Hampshire-based custom printing business JONDO UK using its HP Latex 3600 to help bring their stories to life in print.
An idea from Rodrigo Moctezuma, HP UK&I Ink & Media Category Manager, the Portrait of HP project focuses on those working at the print technology company. With photography a huge passion of Rodrigo’s, he came up with the idea of capturing images of staff in ways that paid homage to them and their backgrounds.
Rodrigo took charge of the project, speaking with several members of the HP team and getting them to join the initiative. Employees then took part in their own photoshoot, with all sessions lasting several hours while Rodrigo spoke with staff about their time at HP, their lives outside work and their heritage. Each person’s interview and pictures were published in an in-house magazine.
The project also took centre stage at HP’s annual ‘Kick-Off’, where several of Rodrigo’s photographs were printed in wide-format and placed on the stage at the event. All those in attendance were able to view the prints, while after the gathering had finished, the prints were moved to the main HP UK office in Reading and installed throughout the building.
“At HP, we want to be the most diverse company and celebrate the history of our many colleagues,” Rodrigo said. “I wanted to produce something that would create discussion and impact while we are telling our stories, with this project being a way that we could humanise this to show the story of HP and its staff.”
Rodrigo is himself very much a great example of the diversity that flows throughout HP UK and indeed the wider HP business around the world. Born and raised in Mexico, Rodrigo now lives and works in the UK with his wife, who is from Poland, and his son, who is British.
“Each picture, including those that were not printed for the Kick-Off event, tells a story,” Rodrigo said. “The Portrait of HP series as a whole talks about the history, diversity and inclusion of HP and, most importantly, the people that work here.”
Bringing stories to life in a sustainable way
As to who printed the pictures for the Kick-Off, this responsibility fell to JONDO UK, a custom printing business that has been working with HP for a number of years. The company currently runs five HP Latex machines – ranging from 1.6m to 3.2m wide – as well as an HP Stitch 500 dye sublimation printer.
For this project, JONDO UK selected its HP Latex 3600, a large-format printer featuring a top high-quality indoor speed of 77sq m/hr and the ability to print on media up to 3.2m wide. In addition, as is the case with all machines in the HP Latex range, the device runs water-based HP Latex Inks, which are significantly kinder to the environment than solvent, eco-solvent and UV inks.
This latter feature marries up with HP’s wider commitment to sustainability, having put in place a host of measures to help the world around us. For this project, such an approach was no different, with HP requesting JONDO UK use its new HP Eco Canvas. Paired with HP Latex printing technology, this added an environmentally friendly edge to what was already an incredibly forward-thinking initiative.
“Recognising our expertise in utilising advanced HP print technologies and their innovative approach to incorporating environmentally friendly practices, HP saw an ideal partner to showcase the capabilities of their Eco Canvas material,” JONDO UK Commercial Director Dan Armstrong said.
“For us, we specifically chose the HP Latex 3600 printer because of its ability to work seamlessly with sustainable materials. In this case, we used a new type of HP Eco Canvas, which is made from recycled materials and is designed to work perfectly with HP Latex Inks.
“This project has been a fantastic experience for us at JONDO UK. It not only showcases the amazing quality that can be achieved with HP’s technology but also underscores our shared commitment to sustainability.”
Dan said it is this way of thinking that has helped JONDO UK grow its own business with the support of HP Latex printing technology. He explained that with demand for this type of print increasing, the company has been able to establish relationships with like-minded customers seeking sustainable print services.
“HP’s commitment to sustainability aligns with our own values, especially their water-based inks,” Dan said. “Working with HP has helped to push the boundaries of what’s possible in environmentally friendly printing. We are proud of the results we’ve achieved and excited about the potential for future collaborations.
“In addition, the print quality on HP machines is consistently excellent, which is crucial for our business as we strive to deliver the best to our customers, while HP provides robust support and regular updates, ensuring our machines are always operating at their best.”
