In 2020, stewardship of Big Image Australia, based in Adelaide, South Australia, had been passed onto the second generation of the Capogreco family. The need to be adaptable for an evolving business landscape had already been recognized by the new owner Deon Capogreco but the COVID-19 lockdown was the catalyst for change. “During the pandemic, we couldn't outsource jobs that we needed,” said Capogreco¹. Action was required to retain control and predictability over production. Critically, “it was time to upgrade our equipment to be able to handle any job in-house,” enabling the business to say yes to more jobs. For Big Image Australia, this was an opportunity to totally re-think operations and hardware. Capogreco decided to “rebuild from scratch and craft the perfect print shop to take Big Image Australia to the next level.”

After surveying the large-format printing market, Capogreco found what the business needed—something equally strong on both rigid and flexible applications. “I viewed the HP Latex R Printer series as an opportunity to diversify into new areas.” Choosing the HP Latex R2000 meant they could print on a wide variety of applications: “We were printing floor graphics, stickers, signage, corflute signage, aluminum composite … anything you can think of.” This diverse list of applications also includes printing on cardboard, printing on acrylic, and printing on foam board, allowing Big Image Australia to take on a variety of packaging, signage, décor, and thermoforming opportunities, among many others. As well as improving versatility, HP Latex gives the business a creative boost as it can use the glossiest white ink that resists yellowing over time⁶. Moreover, it increases productivity⁷ with smart printing, maximizinge uptime to meet production peaks without compromising quality.

Ultimately, using the HP Latex R Printer series has allowed Big Image Australia to open new revenue streams in new industries. Capogreco says “With the quality of prints from the R Series, we’ve really been able to expand our business into those high value segments like interior design and architectural signage…it’s the most versatile printer that we have.” ¹⁴

For Capogreco, the advantages of partnering with an innovative, cutting-edge print partner go beyond satisfying immediate needs. He says, “I see our partnership with HP as a long partnership and a strong one. We've been able to create perfectly cohesive print shop with HP printers where everything can be done in-house.” This has got him enthused about what’s next, “the future’s looking brighter than ever. And with HP by our side, we are excited to keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in large format printing.”

1 Big Image Australia improves their print versatility with HP Latex R Printer sSeries flatbed printer, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_1YL58zfI
2 https://www.hp.com/us-en/printers/large-format/applications/cardboard.html
3 https://www.hp.com/us-en/printers/large-format/applications/acrylic.html
4 https://www.hp.com/us-en/printers/large-format/applications/foam-board.html
5 Glossiest white based on internal HP testing in January, 2018 compared to leading competitive printers with CMYK configuration under $350,000 USD. Based on level of gloss at 60 degrees on a rigid material (acrylic). Tested using Glossmeter BYK micro-TRI-gloss (20°, 60°, 85°), compatible with ISO 2813 and ASTM D523 relative to glossiness measure.
6 Glossiest white based on internal HP testing in January, 2018 compared to leading competitive printers with CMYK configuration under $350,000 USD. Based on level of gloss at 60 degrees on a rigid material (acrylic). Tested using Glossmeter BYK micro-TRI-gloss (20°, 60°, 85°), compatible with ISO 2813 and ASTM D523 relative to glossiness measure.
7 More productivity enabled with a high-accuracy belt-driven system for continuous loading workflow, along with automatic maintenance, smart vacuum, and assisted loading.
14 Big Image Australia improves their print versatility with HP Latex R Printer sSeries flatbed printer, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_1YL58zfI