May 30 (Bloomberg) -- Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's largest maker of printers, released new products and services designed to entice users to print more of their digital content.

As part of a strategy called Print 2.0, the company will offer a free software kit that makes it easier to print content from Web sites. Hewlett-Packard also has developed a handheld printer and scanner that puts images directly on packages, bypassing the need for labels.

The company is banking on the products to help it capture a bigger slice of the digital-printing market, which is expected to grow to $296 billion in 2010 from $240 billion last year, said Vyomesh Joshi, head of Hewlett-Packard's printing unit. The division is the company's most profitable, accounting for 46 percent of earnings last quarter.

``We want to focus on moving bits to atoms, putting digital information into a physical format,'' Joshi said in an interview.

The kit, available June 29, is based on technology from Internet software maker Tabblo Inc. Hewlett-Packard acquired that company in March for an undisclosed amount.

Shares of Palo Alto, California-based Hewlett-Packard, which also is the world's largest maker of personal computers, rose 11 cents to $45.67 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have gained 11 percent this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Connie Guglielmo in San Francisco at cguglielmo1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 30, 2007 16:05 EDT