AlphaGraphics Seattle has expanded its production platform with the installation of a
HP Indigo 18K Industrial Digital Press.
As the newest generation of HP’s best-selling B2 digital platform, the Indigo 18K strengthens our digital manufacturing capabilities with greater speed, material flexibility, and a full B2 sheet size.
This investment enhances how we support commercial print, retail, direct mail, packaging, and e-commerce programs with faster turnarounds and more efficient production across a wider range of applications.
More Format Flexibility with B2 Sheet Size
The Indigo 18K introduces true B2-format sheet-fed digital production to our operation—large enough for:
- Larger posters and graphic formats
- More efficient multi-up layouts
- Short-run packaging and folding cartons
- Complex commercial layouts previously requiring offset or grand-format
This expanded sheet size increases production efficiency for small and mid-size quantities and gives us more flexibility to choose the ideal production method—digital or offset—based on your timeline, budget, and quality targets.
Versatility Across 2,000+ Substrates
With access to more than 2,000 HP-certified substrates, the Indigo 18K supports an exceptionally broad range of materials:
- Coated and uncoated papers across a wide weight range
- Premium coated and specialty stocks
- Synthetics and film-based materials for durable or waterproof applications
- Plastics and treated substrates certified for Indigo’s LEP process
- Paperboard and packaging stocks up to 24 pt. / 600 microns
This versatility opens new possibilities for retail and POP components, short-run packaging and folding cartons, direct mail and variable campaigns, premium marketing collateral, synthetic brochures, durable tags, and photo-quality applications.
High-Speed Digital Manufacturing
- 3,450 sheets/hr in CMYK
- 4,600 sheets/hr in Enhanced Productivity Mode
- AI-driven defect detection and color consistency
- Non-stop feeding & streamlined job changeovers
This improves speed and consistency for everything from targeted versioned work to complex multi-piece campaigns.
Built on a Proven Digital Foundation
AlphaGraphics Seattle fulfills more than 250,000 e-commerce print orders annually with multiple Indigo digital presses. While e-commerce represents only a portion of our overall business, its growth highlights how Indigo technology enables automated, fast-turn production at scale—an advantage that extends across commercial, retail, nonprofit, and institutional work.
Our heritage with Indigo technology goes back more than 20 years, and the 18K brings our proven digital printing track record into a larger-format, higher-capacity platform built for the next generation of digital manufacturing.
- Greater capacity for fast-turn digital work
- Improved efficiency for multi-version campaigns
- Larger sheet formats and more complex layouts
- Broader application and material options
Efficient, Lower-Impact Production
While print quality and versatility led our decision, the Indigo 18K aligns with our commitment to investing in more efficient, lower-impact equipment.
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Significantly lower environmental impact vs. offset across all categories (carbon, particulate, toxicity).
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No plates = no aluminum footprint, no plate changes, and almost zero makeready waste.
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Fraction of VOC emissions vs. oil-based offset inks; closed-loop carrier fluid capture.
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Lower energy per sheet, especially using EPM (≈25% energy savings).
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Outputs are recyclable + deinkable in standard paper streams.
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HP take-back & circularity: 90%+ reused components, carbon-neutral press manufacturing.
These upgrades support customers seeking responsible production without compromising material flexibility, turnaround, or color accuracy. To learn more, please visit the HP Indigo Environmental Sustainability Printing Solutions site.
Let’s Build What’s Next
The HP Indigo 18K expands what’s possible for our customers—larger formats, faster cycles, more materials, and smarter routing between digital and offset.
If you’re planning new projects or exploring options for commercial print, packaging, direct mail, or multi-version campaigns, our team can help identify the most efficient production path.