HP Latex 365 is a commercial-grade printer for both outdoor and indoor use. If you are a print service provider, the quality and type of equipment you use will ultimately determine your business model’s limitations and potential for growth. It is a highly competitive industry, and service providers, like HP, are always looking for advancements in print technology to gain an edge over the competition.
A commercial-grade printer has to meet the majority of the following client expectations:
It is hard to find a printer that excels at all of these points. Even if you do, such a device's price could be so high that most of the small to medium print service providers cannot afford to put it in their shopping cart.
However, one printer we tested came very close to knocking all of these criteria out of the park and left us impressed — the HP 365 Latex.
HP Latex 365 printers are HP’s most versatile and fully-featured indoor-outdoor printers. HP went out of their way to provide commercial series printers that will meet the demands of businesses of all sizes.
Stay with us as we go through all the printer’s features and capabilities in this HP Latex 365 review.
We are kicking off this review by looking at the HP Latex 365 specs and analyzing how they affect the printer’s usability and commercial applications. After all, this HP printer must live up to the claims listed in the specification.
Link to HP Latex 365 Spec Sheet.
One of the first things that commercial printing service providers care about is printing speed. The printing speed depends on various factors, including the image quality and application, type of media used for printing, and other finishing options.
The HP Latex 365 is extremely versatile in this area. At a variety of production speeds ideal for handling urgent jobs, the HP Latex meets all kinds of client expectations with production:
The HP Latex 365 can deliver high-res prints and a maximum resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi for superior image quality prints. We found awe-inspiring the printing speed of 248 ft²/hr Outdoor Plus quality and the print quality of 54 ft²/hr high saturation textiles.
This Latex 365 printer works with a range of high-quality water-based HP latex inks. HP Latex printers use seven cartridges of water-based HP Latex inks and six printheads to deliver the ink when printing. HP Latex optimizer print solvent is responsible for fixing the colors.
The secret behind the HP Latex 365 printer flexibility is its handling of various print media types thanks to optical media advance sensor. Besides a roll feed and take-up reel, the HP Latex printer has an automatic cutter that slices through paper media, vinyl, and the backlit film made from polyester film. Adding to this, it can accept various sizes of print rolls.
Here is a rundown of the printer’s media compatibility and roll formats:
Due to the enormous flexibility in media types, wide format, and customizable print quality and speeds, the HP Latex 365 printer is ideal for print service providers who need various applications but cannot afford a specialized printer for each of them. Water-based HP Latex inks provide added support for various types of printing finishes.
The HP Latex 365 excels in plenty of applications. High-quality, durable prints provide printing flexibility in the following product categories:
The HP Latex 365 printer fits well in modern printing operations and provides a high-quality Gigabit Ethernet 1000Base-T connection for network printing. It also comes with a mobile app that allows you to monitor the system remotely.
To our surprise, this was not one of the bulkier units we had a chance to use. That said, do not mistake HP Latex 365 printer for a portable one. It is still a commercial printer, and it will need a dedicated operating area.
The HP Latex 365 printer weighs close to 500 lbs, and if you plan to relocate it to another spot in your business, you will need some help.
The latex printer product package includes the following items:
It is essential to mention that the printer does not come with pre-loaded ink cartridges. Make sure to purchase a kit of ink cartridges separately. The subscription to SAi Flexi is a great addition.
The HP Latex 365 printer was able to fit easily into our workspace during testing. We did not notice anything unusual in operating temperatures, overheating, issues with humidity or noise. If your unit is functional and well-maintained, we do not foresee any problems in this area.
The HP Latex 365 is a powerful printer, and under a full load, you can expect the power consumption to spike. Thus, HP provides a unique power supply that uses two power cord wires of 200-240 V, with each cord maxing out at 16 A.
Power and consumption specs:
Two power cords are necessary for operation at 16 A maximum per power cord.
HP ensures that the Latex 365 complies with all the necessary certification world-wide and is fit to use in all countries.
The HP Latex 365 has the following official certificates:
Overall, the HP Latex 365 performed admirably in our day-to-day use. We were delighted with the print quality across different formats and how quickly we could get even the high-res 10-plus pass prints. What’s more, this was possible at a fantastic 980 ft²/hr max printing speed. At various production speeds ideal for handling urgent jobs, the HP latex meets all client expectations with production.
There are some limitations in printing tiny text for small product labels (Text size 5pt or smaller). However, this is expected since the HP Latex 365 is a printer specializing in larger formats.
The ability of HP Latex 365 to handle multiple media formats and types was impressive. Whether it is textile, film, canvas, paper, or vinyl, the prints were pristine. Best of all, the printer could handle them without the need for a long and tedious setup. The inclusion of a variable front tension kit was welcome.
The roll feed and take-up reel are durable yet flexible, and the integrated cuter made clean and accurate cuts across different materials and formats.
The software is easy to use and integrates well with any creative suite software you are using to prepare visuals for printing.
Finally, a note on the warranty. HP offers a one-year limited hardware warranty, which is standard for printers who see a lot of wear and tear and replaceable parts. Asking for an extended warranty might be an excellent investment for the risk-averse.
We believe that Latex 365 printer HP is a one-of-a-kind wide format printer, ideal for printing service providers that require superior printing quality, speed, and unmatched flexibility. This is why we find it quite challenging to find any printers that warrant a direct comparison to this device.
Still, the HP Latex 365 is just one of the models in the HP 300 Series line of printers, and other devices in the line represent the best benchmark.
The HP Latex 315 is the smallest and cheapest model in the HP Latex 300 series. The first significant difference is the maximum size of media it can handle. While the Latex 365 printer produces prints maxing out at 64 inches roll width, the Latex 315 can only take a modest 54 inches.
When it comes to print speed, the HP Latex 315’s 517 sq. ft./hr max speed compares unfavorably to the 980 sq. ft./hr outdoor high-speed printing on the flagship model. Similar speed differences are visible across different formats and print modes as well. The HP Latex 315 also does not include a take-up reel (optional) and does not have a built-in cutter.
The HP Latex 335 wide-format printer is a mid-range model in the HP Latex 300 series. It has similar drawbacks to the 315 model, such as slower print speeds (up to 583 sq. ft./hr), and the cutter is an optional purchase. It does support heavier and thicker media than Latex 315, though, and a maximum roll width of 64 inches, identical to the HP Latex 365.
Otherwise, all three models share similar specs in print quality (including ft2/hr indoor high-quality printing) and use the same six-printhead system.
Putting that aside, each of these latex printers targets a different group of clients. The Latex 315 is an entry-level solution for start-up commercial printers, and the Latex 335 offers more flexibility in terms of media formats and sizes.
The HP Latex 365 printer is the top-of-the-line model that features incredible print speeds that large printing operations require. Best of all, you might be eligible for an instant rebate when buying this model.