News release

HP Introduces Breakthrough Proofing Solution for the Graphics Industry

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 4, 2001

Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) today introduced three graphics printers with exceptional color accuracy and remote proofing capabilities.

The HP Designjet 10ps, HP Designjet 20ps and HP Designjet 50ps printers are part of a company-wide commercial printing initiative to improve printing and pre-press processes. Graphics professionals can now affordably bring true, pre-press proofing in-house, producing in minutes what previously could take days to complete.

Combining remote proofing functionality with color sensing technology, the printers allow graphic designers, printers, pre-press houses or marketing professionals to easily share files over the Internet and print them with the assurance of consistent color from print to print and printer to printer.

"The printers achieve superior color consistency by recalibrating every system to the same reference state and embedding the color information in the remote proofing files," said Isidre Rosello, lab manager, HP Inkjet Commercial Division. "Using an ultra-precise sensor, the closed-loop color calibration system achieves the ultimate in color accuracy and performance."

The HP Designjet 10ps is an ideal solution for graphic designers who need a personal printer. The HP Designjet 20ps printer offers extra paper handling and server-based processing -- ideal for workgroup printing. The HP Designjet 50ps printer builds upon the features of the HP Designjet 20ps printer with special software licensed from Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG to provide a complete pre-press proofing solution.

Key specifications of the HP Designjet 10ps, HP Designjet 20ps and HP Designjet 50ps printers include:

• Top color accuracy with up to 90 percent of Pantone colors and 100 percent of all major offset color standards (SWOP, EuroScale, TOYO, DIC) through a software Adobe® Postscript® 3™ Raster Image Processor (RIP) for Mac and Windows;

• Superior image quality through six-color printing, 2400 x 1200 dots-per-inch output on premium photo paper, HP Photoret III color-layering technology, 4 picoliters drop size and dye black ink;

• High-speed printing, even when printing at the "best" quality -- an 11 x 17-inch full-bleed glossy image on 13 x 19-inch media can be printed in approximately four minutes;

• Creation of remote proofing files based on Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and Job Definition Format (JDF) standards;

• Affordable, high-capacity ink cartridges and durable printheads that require little user intervention.

Users of the HP Designjet graphics printer have access to online Web support 24 hours a day or they can call the HP Customer Care center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Warranty extensions, as well as installation and network configuration options, also are available.

Pricing and Availability

The HP Designjet 10ps and HP Designjet 20ps printers are expected to be available this fall. The HP Designjet 50ps printer is expected to be available in spring 2002. Estimated U.S. list prices are as follows⁽¹⁾:

HP Designjet 10ps printer    $995
HP Designjet 20ps printer    $1,795
HP Designjet 50ps printer    $3,495

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to all. HP had total revenue from continuing operations of $48.8 billion in its 2000 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

⁽¹⁾ Actual prices may vary.

Adobe and Postscript 3 are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that the market for the sale of certain products and services may not develop as expected; that development of these products and services may not proceed as planned; and other risks that are described from time to time in HP's Securities and Exchange Commission reports, including but not limited to the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Oct. 31, 2000, and subsequently filed reports. If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes or any of these assumptions proves incorrect, HP's results could differ materially from HP's expectations in these statements. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.