French Hospital Gets Ambient With HP Latex Ink

In the French region of Normandy, patients of the Deauville Hospital are finding life an altogether more relaxing affair than formerly.

They gaze about, and the corridors are smattered with soothing images of the countryside and sleepy towns. The walls imitate the texture of grass, or sand, meaning that patients need only stare intently to imagine themselves in a leafy meadow or secluded beach.

The cause of all this sudden relaxation? A number of wide format graphics produced in collaboration between the hospital’s director Tanguy de la Bourdonnaye, the photographer Bruno Macé, and the architect Marc Jitiaux.

By fixing on the concept ‘Inside, Outside,’ the dynamic trio created images that positively compel patients and staff to pause in their activities, and sigh contentedly.

Since September 2009, members of the hospital have enjoyed the ‘care’ space, which was produced using Hewlett Packard’s latex ink printers.

These devices print without the ‘voluble organic compounds’ normally found in ink, and are odourless. The images could hence be mounted without violating the Deauville Hospital’s health & safety regulations – which for some reason frowns on patients choking on ink particles.

M. Macé took his recreations of the outside world from the area surrounding Deauville, in waiting rooms and bedrooms. Aiming at trompe l'oeil’ (or ‘trick the eye’ for the Francophone-impaired), patients can enjoy the picturesque innards of a Bordeaux home without ever leaving their bed.

It was M. Macé who suggested using the odourless latex ink that has enabled staff to enjoy the scenes.

In a 20 December 2009 post on Global Print Monitor, M. de le Bourdonnaye is quoted: "Our story is a good example of why it is so important to choose the right printer, even if fine art printing isn't your core business.

“HP Latex technology provides a key benefit for businesses looking to produce prints for public places, where odours and VOCs are a cause for concern."