Wide-format printer manufacturer HP announces a collaboration withFundación Consejo Espa?a-EE.UU. – the Spain-USA Council Foundation – to help bring the “Designing America: Spain's Imprint in the U.S.” exhibition to the United States using cross-portfolio HP digital print technology.

The company’s technology was used to reproduce a series of documents and maps dating back to the 16th century.

Spain was the first European country to settle in what is now the United States of America, and its influence is still present 500 years later. The Designing America exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Spain’s many contributions in shaping the U.S.’s territory, landscape and cities, with more than twenty maps, images and objects on display. Visitors will also see an interactive installation showing the cities and towns in North America with names of Spanish origin, as well as have the ability to view and zoom in on a selection of these historical maps using a 42-inch HP touch screen.

HP played a strategic role in overcoming technical challenges involved with moving the exhibition to the U.S., bringing in three HP print services providers to reproduce all of the display material, print all of the informative and promotional documents, with HP also providing its latest personal systems technology to power the exhibit’s interactive features.

Worthy of particular note is the digital reproduction of 16th and 19th century documents and maps, a true challenge that resulted in top quality prints with absolute accuracy with regard to the originals. RPG Squarefoot Solutions of Laurel, Maryland, handled these sensitive reproductions in addition to printing supporting information for visitors using an HP DesignJet Z6800 Photo Production Printer. HP DesignJet technology was chosen because of its versatility in finishing and materials, and its ability to reproduce a range of applications, from works of art to professional photographs and back-lit panels with high quality, while delivering competitive turnaround times and production costs.

Bennett Graphics of Tucker, Georgia, collaborated in the printing of the catalogue, leaflets and post cards for the exhibition using HP Indigo 10000 Digital Presses. With these presses, printing quantities can be adjusted to each client's needs with customized settings, bright colors and versatile materials, at a low operating cost. Lastly, Photo Communications of Rockville, Maryland, used an HP Latex 3100 Printer to produce two large outdoor banners displayed on the exhibition building. Third-generation, water-based HP Latex ink technology deliver improved durability and image quality, providing a scratch resistance comparable to hard-solvent inks on certain substrates, making them ideal for applications in outdoor environments such as banners.

The exhibit is on display through Feb. 28, hosted in the Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassadors to the U.S., a mansion built in 1922 that remains an important cultural center in Washington D.C. The exhibit will then continue its tour around the U.S. with its next stop in Houston, Texas, expected to open on April 14.

Ramón Gil-Casares, the Spanish ambassador to the U.S., Helena Herrero, President of HP Iberia, and Manuel Lejarreta, Secretary General of the Fundación Consejo Espa?a-EE.UU, all attended the exhibition’s Washington D.C. opening.

HP Spain has a long track record of collaboration in cultural projects. Every year it takes part in dozens of initiatives that promote the awareness and access of culture among citizens.

Moreover, HP Spain is a member of the Board of the Fundación Consejo Espa?a-EE.UU, the main goal of which is to encourage collaboration between Spanish and U.S. companies.