Inkjet & Digital Printing

Kodak Spotlights Stream Inkjet Technology and Other Inkjet Platforms for Production Printers to Grow Roll Fed Volumes

Tuesday 03. June 2008 - Kodak presents the industry’s widest range of inkjet innovations at drupa 2008. Systems representing Kodak’s three platforms for inkjet production printing—continuous inkjet, drop on demand (DOD) and KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology—will be on display.

Kodak’s wide breadth of inkjet solutions provides production printing solutions to a range of markets. With Kodak, production printers can select from a number of options to get the system that best meets their unique requirements.
Kodak’s inkjet production solutions currently help commercial printers establish a competitive advantage by offering addressing and in line personalization capabilities, as well as streamlining production of personalized direct mail solicitations. Transactional printers that want to reduce inventory costs and increase the overall value of transactional communications, as well as publishers looking to lower production costs and reach lower, economical run lengths, also can benefit from Kodak’s inkjet production solutions.
“By leveraging our experience in inkjet printing, and combining with it Kodak’s strength in offering robust, unified workflow and prepress solutions, we will bring new production level solutions based on our diverse technology platforms,” said Isidre Rosello, General Manager, Inkjet Printing Solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology will serve as the cornerstone of our future inkjet product line.”
KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology is a continuous inkjet system that enables offset class reliability, productivity, cost and quality with the full benefits of digital printing for high volume commercial applications. Stream Inkjet Technology serves as an entrée for continuous inkjet printing into commercial printers that want the benefits of variable data, short run, personalization or versioning on their jobs traditionally produced using offset presses.
Print service providers using full color continuous inkjet technology have formerly been limited to printing on uncoated paper stock with dye water based inks or higher cost inkjet coated substrates. With KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, both claycoated and uncoated papers can be utilized to meet the needs of commercial printers for applications like catalogs, direct mail and free standing inserts.
Kodak’s drupa stand features two technology demonstrations of KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology. The Stream Concept Press shows a system with resolution that exceeds 600 dpi at fast production speeds. Developed from the ground up as a high volume production system solution, the technology demonstration incorporates Kodak’s 10 years of roll fed color inkjet experience coupled with technical expertise in print technology development, workflow, color management, and ink and media interaction.
The Stream Concept Printhead from Kodak will also be on display, demonstrating the speed and integration capabilities of the technology. Capable of delivering monochrome offset class VDP applications at up to 1,000 fpm to commercial offset printers, the Stream Concept Printhead from Kodak shows Stream Inkjet Technology’s potential for hybrid printing. As the first planned product with this new technology, the 4 inch Stream Concept Printhead from Kodak is designed to produce a deep, rich black at 600 dpi on glossy substrates, and to be easy to operate and service.
drupa visitors will see the KODAK VERSAMARK VT3000 Printing System based on Kodak’s traditional continuous inkjet platform. A scaleable solution that can be customized for speed, configuration and color based on unique customer needs, the VT3000 System is ideal for transactional and TransPromo applications and will be printing a transactional job live on Kodak’s stand. Capable of maximum speeds of 500 feet per minute that yield up to 2,040 pages per minute, the system can produce monochrome, spot and process color printing all on the same platform.
Also on display at drupa, the new KODAK VERSAMARK VL2000 Printing System utilizes DOD print technology for a direct mail application from a “white paper in” configuration. The system will be formally launched at drupa and is ideal for transactional and commercial print environments with volumes ranging from 1 million to 5 million impressions per month. It employs roll to roll operation at 600 dpi x 600 dpi and a maximum speed of 250 feet per minute at up to 18.67 inches in width, and eliminates the redundant process of printing full color shells for transactional applications.
“As the industry accelerates the pace of adoption of digital printing, our commercial inkjet portfolio based on these three technology platforms will continue to provide customers with preferred roll fed solutions,” said Rosello.
KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals reaching more than 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for the commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging and data storage industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.