Business News
Gobet Production Brings 100th Anniversary Celebrations of Nobel Peace Prize to the Streets of Geneva
Monday 25. October 2010 - Gobet Production SA is an innovative advertising printing company that has been at the forefront of technological innovation since it was founded in 1990.
Challenge
Print high-quality graphics for the “Making Peace” photo exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize
Provide graphics that reflect International Peace Bureau environmental policies
Solution
HP Designjet L65500 Printer (now known as HP Scitex LX600 Printer)
HP Designjet L25500 Printer
HP HDPE Reinforced Banner
Results
High-quality photographic prints to help keep in line with International Peace Bureau environmental policies
Increased awareness of peace-keeping initiatives throughout the world
A better working environment for Gobet employees
Gobet Production SA is an innovative advertising printing company that has been at the forefront of technological innovation since it was founded in 1990. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Gobet specialises in production of vehicle wraps, adhesives, posters and billboards for advertising. The decision to invest in the HP Latex technologies was based on the printer’s exceptional print quality and – through use of water-based HP Latex Inks – the improved working environment it offered Gobet employees while providing customers with solvent-free prints. The HP technology proved so efficient that a year after purchasing its first 2.6m HP Designjet L65500 Printer, Gobet Production invested in a second L65500 and a 1.067m HP Designjet L25500 Printer.
The “Making Peace” campaign was developed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize and the International Peace Bureau (www.ipb.org), a federation of over 300 NGOs and the largest peace federation in the world that first awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1910. More than just an historical exhibition, the campaign is a tribute to peace-makers around the globe and individuals who have made a contribution – however small – to the peace-making process. Making Peace (www.makingpeace.org) also has educational ambitions, and is to be rolled out in schools throughout the world over the coming year.
Advertising Peace
The International Peace Bureau developed a very simple explanation for peace to reach an audience as young as the age of five, using five colours to illustrate the five core components of sustainable peace:
Disarmament and nonviolence
Conflict prevention and resolution
Economic and social justice
Human rights, law and democracy
Environment and sustainable development
The month-long Making Peace outdoor photo exhibition in Geneva in June and July 2010 used these colours to present the international movement for peace in its broadest sense, and demonstrate how its participants have shaped and influenced the course of the 20th century.
Gobet Production’s work for the International Peace Bureau comprised fifty advertising billboards and over one hundred panels for the exhibition.
“Once the files had been finalised, the test prints completed and the files adjusted, we had just three days to produce the whole exhibition from start to finish – advertising billboards and panels covering a 350m surface along the promenade in Geneva,” said Ashley Woods, exhibition curator, International Peace Bureau. “Gobet managed to produce striking prints with vibrant hues within an incredibly short time-frame.”
The HP latex printer uses thermal inkjet technology and produces prints that come off dry, ready for lamination, packaging, shipping or display. While graphics printed with solvent-inks need to “off-gas” for at least 24 hours before further handling or shipment, those printed with HP Latex Inks are ready from the printer, cutting delivery/installation times, and giving users a further competitive edge.
“The environmental aspect of the printing was fundamental and as well as the latex inks, we used recycled plastic whereas one would usually use aluminium or a similar type of backing,” said Woods. “We could not however, compromise durability as the outdoor exhibition lasted over a month.”
Outdoor prints produced with HP Latex Printing technologies on original HP media achieve display permanence of up to three years unlaminated and up to five years laminated and are scratch, smudge and water resistant.(1)
A better environment, outdoors and indoors
Over the years, Gobet Production has built a solid reputation for printing advertising materials and offers a full advertising production service that includes printing, laminating and mounting.
“When we purchased our first HP latex printer, we wanted to invest in a solution that could help reduce the impact on the environment but we couldn’t risk having to increase our prices,” said Philippe Julliand, partner, Gobet Production. “HP was the only manufacturer that was able to supply a printer of such quality without compromising economic efficiency. If we were to invest in another printer, it would be a no-brainer: HP would be the one manufacturer we would go to.”
Health and safety were also critical in the choice of printer, as Gobet’s employees were handling potent solvents that emit fumes and a strong smell. HP Latex prints provide many of the benefits of solvent-ink technology without imposing typical environmental, health and safety considerations. Odourless prints(2) produced with HP Latex Inks emit extremely low levels of volatile organic compounds. No special ventilation is required to meet occupational exposure limits and there are no requirements for air discharge(3).
Gobet Production reports excellent client feedback following the purchase of the HP latex printer: “We have reinforced our position as a leading, innovative service provider and our existing clients have given us more work, which is why we had to invest in a second Designjet L65500 and a Designjet L25500,” concluded Julliand.
(1) HP image permanence and scratch, smudge, and water resistance estimates by HP Image Permanence Lab. Display permanence tested according to SAE J1960 using HP Latex and low-solvent inks on a range of media, including HP media, in a vertical display orientation in simulated nominal outdoor display conditions for select high and low climates, including exposure to direct sunlight and water; performance may vary as environmental conditions change. Scratch, smudge, and water resistance tested using HP Latex and solvent inks on a wide range of HP media. Laminated display permanence tested using Neschen Solvoprint Performance Clear 80 laminate. Results may vary based on specific media performance.
(2) Printers using HP Latex Inks use internal heaters to dry and cure the latex polymer film. Some substrates may have inherent odour.
(3) Special ventilation is not required to meet US OSHA requirements on occupational exposure to VOCs from HP Latex Inks. Ventilation equipment installation is at the discretion of the customer-no specific HP recommendation is intended. Typically no air discharge permitting required with inks that emit extremely low levels of VOCs. Customers should consult state and local requirements and regulations.