HP to Acquire MacDermid ColorSpan

HP has agreed to acquire MacDermid ColorSpan. Upon completion of the acquisition, ColorSpan will be integrated into HP's Imaging and Printing Group, and Robert J. Wenzel, president of MacDermid ColorSpan, will lead the new product line at HP.

“This acquisition broadens HP’s presence in the production space where the digitization of analog prints will happen,” says Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP's Imaging and Printing Group. “MacDermid ColorSpan is a respected innovator in UV wide-format printing and should achieve tremendous synergies with our complementary wide-format platforms.”

The deal, which comprises all of MacDermid ColorSpan assets, is expected to close in approximately 8 to 10 weeks, says Enrique Lores, vice president and general manager, Large Format Printing, HP Imaging and Printing Group. He adds that it has not been decided if HP will retain the ColorSpan brand.

In a press release, HP states that the acquisition, 'Extends HP’s presence into the sign shop and quick-printing market as well as its position as a one-stop partner for print service providers. In particular, HP plans to provide lower-cost platforms and UV technologies to print service providers that are expanding into outdoor applications and more industrial workloads.' Further, says the company, 'The deal broadens HP’s Graphic Arts portfolio of digital presses and wide-format printers and furthers HP’s Print 2.0 strategy to digitize analog prints by extending the company’s overall digital content creation and publishing platform.'

ColorSpan, based in Minnetonka, MN, is currently part of MacDermid Printing Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of privately held MacDermid Incorporated in Denver. Its current machine roster includes two roll-fed solvent printers (the DisplayMaker 72si and 98si) and a series of UV-curable flatbeds, including the ColorSpan 5400uv series and the ColorSpan 9840uv printer. The company began in 1985, and early products included controller boards for desktop inkjet printers, plain-paper typesetters, and imagesetting film; it introduced its first DisplayMaker printer in 1993. ColorSpan was sold to MacDermid in 2000.