In a world first for photographic printing, Nulab Group based in Melbourne is the first photo lab to switch from silver halide to HP Indigo digital printing technology, with its new Enviropix media products. Nulab created Enviropix with the help of HP, and after 20 months of collaborating with physicists and colour scientists from Israel, they have finally perfected the technology. Nulab will be offering the new solution to its customers, and will eventually sell Enviropix around the globe. Nulab executive director Michael Warshall says he is the only printer in the world currently capable of producing the prints. For the past 150 years, silver halide has been the standard technology used in photographic print. Warshall admits the company faced opposition when they began searching for an alternative to silver halide, but he stands by the belief the benchmark technology has its disadvantages.
Nulab’s executive director Michael Warshall (pictured) says he is the only printer in the world to use the new technology
Warshall says, “We have found in last five years there has been a decline in silver halide usage, the equipment used for it is old, spare parts are hard to get, and it is quite a dirty process because of the chemicals involved.” With its new Enviropix range, Nulab has become the only professional photo-lab in Australia to achieve a level 2, Sustainable Green Print Certification as awarded by the Printing Industry Association. Nulab says Enviropix prints with Indigo digital printing technology last three times longer than traditional silver halide prints and are printed on German 260 GSM Felix Schoeller professional digital photo paper. Warshall says Nulab began exploring new technology after receiving feedback from clients in the professional photographic industry that the tonal range of prints could be improved, which Warshall says indigo has achieved. “It is a far superior technology to what existed before, we made a commitment to get involved and work with HP to streamline the technology and make it so that prints could be produced quickly and economically. “Most digital prints use powdered toner, but Indigo uses liquid ink so when applied to a surface it is a finer, sharper image and has a better tonal range.” Warshall believes Nulab has created a superior product with Indigo technology but says it may take some time for clients to understand its benefits.
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