HP Latex 365

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:

• Superior image quality prints that will meet the strict demands of the customers
• High-quality, durable prints provide scratch resistance
• Offer economical and efficient printing that leaves headroom for profits
• Adaptable to a variety of formats and sizes
• Flexibility in terms of what types of media it prints on
• Production speeds have to meet the demands of a business
• Build quality and durability have to be superb
• Meets all industry standards
• Easy and affordable maintenance and support

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.

Specs

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.

Print Speed

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:

• Max-Speed Single-pass printing at 980 ft²/hr max speed or 91 m²/hr
• High-Speed 4-Pass Printing for Outdoor Use at 334 ft²/hr or 31 m²/hr
• 6-Pass at 248 ft²/hr Outdoor High-Quality Printing or 23 m²/hr
• 8-Pass at 183 ft²/hr Indoor Quality Printing or 17 m²/hr
• 10-Pass at 151 ft²/hr Indoor High-Quality Printing or 14 m²/hr
• 16-Pass Printing at 65 ft²/hr Backlits, Textiles, and Canvas or 6 m²/hr
• 20-Pass Printing at 54 ft²/hr high saturation textiles or 5 m²/hr

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.

Ink

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.

Printing Specs:

• Maximum Print Resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi for print quality color best used in commercial applications
• HP Latex Inks include black, cyan, light cyan, light magenta, magenta, yellow, HP Latex Optimizer print cartridges.
• Large HP cartridge size of 775ml
• Printheads support following ink types: 2 x cyan/black, 2 x magenta/yellow, 1 x light cyan/light magenta, 1 x HP Latex optimizer and provide excellent image quality
• Long-term print-to-print repeatability
• Water-based inks and high-quality, durable prints provide scratch resistance comparable to hard solvent inks

Media

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:

• Supported media types include paper, film, canvas, fabrics, mesh, wallcoverings, vinyl, self-adhesives, signage substrates, even textiles, and banners
• Latex 365 printer HP can handle wide-format roll sizes from 10 to 64 inches, but the printer’s fully supports wide-format rolls from 24 to 64 inches.
• Maximum roll weight of 92.6 lbs
• Maximum roll diameter of 9.7 in
• Maximum thickness of 19.7 mil

Applications

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:

• Banners - single or double-sided
• Indoor and outdoor signage
• Signage jobs
• Traditional signage substrates even textiles and high-quality fabrics
• Lightboxes - paper or film
• Vehicle graphics
• Graphics for events or exhibitions
• Posters
• Displays
• Interior decoration for walls and columns
• Various textile graphics due to the inclusion of an ink collector
• POP and POS visuals

Connectivity

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.

Dimensions and Weight

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.

• 101 inches wide x 33 inches deep x 54 inches tall or 2561 mm wide x 840 mm deep x 1380 mm tall
• The shipping package’s dimensions are 110.1 inches wide x 30 inches deep x 49 inches tall or 2795 mm wide x 760 mm deep x 1250 mm tall.
• The recommended operating area for the printer is 109 x 72 in or 2761 x 1840 mm.
• The printer weighs 476 lb or 216 kg.
• The shipping package weight is 672 lb or 304 kg.

What Comes in the Box?

The latex printer product package includes the following items:

• HP Latex 365 Printer
• Printer stand
• 6 Printheads
• User maintenance kit
• Maintenance cartridge
• Ink collector
• Output platen protector
• Spindle
• Take-up reel
• Loading accessory
• Edge holders
• Variable front tension kit
• SAi Flexi subscription RIP
• Support Documentation
• Quick reference guide
• Software
• Power cords

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.

Environmental ranges

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.

• Operating temperature varies from 59 to 86ºF or 15 to 30ºC
• Operating humidity varies from 20 to 80% RH (non-condensing)
• Generates sound pressure of 55 dB(A) when operating, 39 dB(A) when idle, and less than 15 dB(A) when in sleep mode.
• Sound power is 7.4 B(A) when operating, 5.7 B(A) when idle, and less than 3.5 B(A) when in sleep mode.

Power

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:

• Consumption: 4.6 kW when printing, 85 W when in ready mode, and less than 2.5 W when in sleep mode
• Required input voltage: 200-240 V over two wires (auto-ranging and PE) and 50/60 Hz (±3 Hz)

Two power cords are necessary for operation at 16 A maximum per power cord.

Certification

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:

• Safety IEC 60950-1+A1+A2 compliant
• USA and Canada (CSA listed)
• Electromagnetic Compliant with Class A requirements, including the USA (FCC rules), Canada (ICES)
• Environmental ENERGY STAR
• WEEE
• REACH
• EPEAT Bronze
• OSHA
• CLS

Reviews

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.

Manual

Link to HP Latex 365 Manual.

The main features are:

• HP Latex 365 printer produces incredible print quality for both indoor and outdoor use
• Amazing speeds with up to 980 sq. ft./hr outdoor high-speed printing
• Exemplary performance with high-quality 248 ft²/hr Outdoor Plus printing speeds
• 1200 x 1200 dpi print technology HP latex
• Same-day delivery of prints
• Odorless ink types are ideal for indoor use.
• Water-based inks provide scratch resistance comparable to hard solvent inks.
• Countless applications, including banners, lightboxes, displays, posters, vehicle graphics, traditional signage substrates, even textiles, and high-quality fabrics.
• Suitable for use with media rolls of up to 64 inches wide
• Scratch-proof ink coating; an ideal solution for prints that will see heavy wear and tear
• Easy maintenance with User Maintenance Kit
• Ink collector

Comparisons

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.

HP Latex 315

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.

HP Latex 335

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.

Conclusion

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.