Photo printing specialist Nulab Group has launched its new photo printing technology after a gruelling 20 month process working alongside HP Indigo to replace silver halide.

Michael Warshall, CEO at Nulab, based in Melbourne, says, “We are the first professional photo lab in the world to make a total transition from traditional silver halide printing to the new and exciting Indigo digital printing technology.”

Nulab has produced photo paper that is environmentally certified with a lifetime guarantee called Enviropix. The group worked collaboratively with HP Indigo, colour scientists, physicists and workflow specialists to create the technology.

According to Nulab chief executive Michael Warshall, the company is the only professional photo lab to have the green certified photo paper, and currently owns the only two machines in the world that can produce it.

[Related: Going green]

Once the product is finalised, Warshall confirms HP will offer Enviropix to its customers worldwide, but right now Nulab is the exclusive supplier of the photo paper.

The photo printing specialist was essentially the guinea pig to try and test the technology, and the process was what Warshall describes as a ‘long, and sometimes frustrating journey’.

“We worked for quite a while and did not project the amount of obstacles we faced,” says Warshall. He worked closely with HP Indigo’s Israeli scientists until the process was finalised.

“The technology failed at first, and we had to push the machines to the limit to invent something that did not exist.”

Warshall says a number of staff left during the 20-month period due to frustrations associated with the initial failures.

According to Warshall, the company invested millions into the product and disrupted its own productivity during the development. He now hopes Enviropix will boost business output and profit.

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