HP Indigo Series Compare | 7K vs 12K vs 15K vs 35K vs 100K vs 200K Side-by-Side

MATRIX 01 / VOLUME CLASS & SHEET FORMAT

Volume Class, Sheet Format & Monthly Capacity

Specification	Indigo 7K	Indigo 12K	Indigo 15K	Indigo 35K	Indigo 100K	Indigo 200K	Indigo V12
Volume Class	Entry-Mid Commercial	Mid-High Commercial	Mid-High Label	Industrial Carton	Ultra Commercial	Ultra Roll-Fed	Next-Gen Label
Sheet / Web Format	330 × 482 mm	530 × 750 mm	340 mm web	530 × 750 mm	330 × 482 mm	736 mm web	340 mm web
Monthly Capacity	750k A4 imp/mo	2.2M B2 imp/mo	Continuous roll	4.6M B2 imp/mo	20M A4 imp/mo	Continuous web	120 m/min peak
Target Shift Pattern	1-2 shift	2-shift	2-3 shift	2-3 shift	3-shift	3-shift	2-3 shift

MATRIX 02 / COLOUR & IMAGING

Colour Count, Pantone Coverage & Imaging Architecture

Specification	Indigo 7K	Indigo 12K	Indigo 15K	Indigo 35K	Indigo 100K	Indigo 200K	Indigo V12
On-Press Colour Stations	Up to 7	Up to 7	Up to 7 + White	Up to 7	Up to 7	Up to 7	CMYK + Custom
Spot Colour Library	Pantone Emulation	Pantone Emulation + 97%	Pantone Emulation + 97%	Pantone Emulation + 97%	Pantone Emulation	Pantone Emulation	Pantone Emulation (LEPx)
Imaging Architecture	ElectroInk (LEP)	ElectroInk (LEP)	ElectroInk (LEP)	ElectroInk (LEP)	ElectroInk (HD LEP)	ElectroInk (LEP Web)	LEPx (Next-Gen)
Transfer Process	One-Shot	One-Shot	In-Line	One-Shot + Prime	One-Shot (HD)	In-Line	LEPx Direct

MATRIX 03 / SUBSTRATE REACH

Substrate Reach, GSM / Micron Range

Specification	Indigo 7K	Indigo 12K	Indigo 15K	Indigo 35K	Indigo 100K	Indigo 200K	Indigo V12
Weight / Gauge Range	70-400 gsm	70-400 gsm	12-250 µm film	up to 600 µm	70-400 gsm	45-250 gsm web	standard label films
Film Support	Synthetic 60-400 gsm	Synthetic 60-400 gsm	PE / PP / PET / PLA	Synthetic 60-600 µm	Synthetic 60-400 gsm	Paper / BOPP	All label films
Primer / Pre-Treatment	Off-press	Off-press	Digital Priming Station	In-line Priming	Off-press	Off-press	Digital Priming
Primary Application	Commercial	Photo / Carton	Labels	Folding Carton	Direct Mail / Commercial	Book / Direct Mail	High-Speed Label

MATRIX 04 / SELECTION TRADE-OFFS

Selection Considerations — Where Digital Indigo Stops and Offset Starts.

Two selection trade-offs drive most Indigo shortlisting decisions. Both are documented below with the conditions under which the alternative platform remains the better economic or technical answer.

TRADE-OFF 01 / DIGITAL VS OFFSET

Run-Length Crossover Point

Digital Indigo wins: below ~3,000–5,000 impressions per job, versioned/variable-data work, Pantone-matched short runs on coated and synthetic stock. ElectroInk delivers Delta-E < 2 colour accuracy and offset-like dot structure without plate and make-ready cost.

Sheetfed offset still wins: above ~5,000 impressions for CMYK-only work, heavy boards above 600 µm, metallic and specialty stocks outside the published Indigo substrate list, and premium packaging where solids consistency across long runs is the constraint — typically 20–40% lower cost per sheet at that scale.

TRADE-OFF 02 / ONE-SHOT LEP VS LEPx

Classic LEP Platforms vs V12 LEPx Architecture

Classic LEP (7K / 12K / 15K / 35K / 100K / 200K): mature One-Shot transfer, full 7-colour Pantone Emulation workflow, deepest PrintOS and substrate-primer toolchain, broadest third-party finishing integration.

LEPx V12: 120 m/min engine speed suits label converters where throughput-per-square-metre dominates the ROI model, but operators transitioning from LEP must budget for LEPx-specific training and a narrower initial substrate-certification list. Classic 15K remains the conservative choice for mixed film/paper label shops today.

MATRIX 05 / KNOWN LIMITS

Known Limits of the Indigo Platform.

Published to set expectations before the site visit — every digital press platform has an operating envelope, and Indigo is no exception.

Substrate envelope: published GSM / micron ranges per series are hard limits — stocks outside the list require ElectroInk primer qualification and a substrate trial at a demo centre before production commitment.
TCO at low utilization: the published cost-per-sheet assumes the target shift pattern is actually sustained. Under single-shift operation or intermittent runs, per-sheet TCO can be 1.4–2× the published figure once BID wear, blanket cycles and operator overhead are allocated.
Colour gamut dependency: published 97% Pantone coverage applies on specific 12K / 15K / 35K configurations with 7-colour ink sets; actual achievable gamut depends on substrate ICC profile and operator colour-bar management.
Regional service coverage: next-business-day service is delivered in covered metros; non-metro installations default to 48–72 hour response and a parts-ahead shipment model. Coverage is confirmed in writing per postal code before contract.

Indigo 7K, 12K, 15K, 35K, 100K, 200K & V12 — Side by Side.