Inkjet & Digital Printing
New KODAK NEXPRESS Dimensional Printing and Accessories Power Unique Applications for Digital Printing Professionals at Graph Expo
Wednesday 29. October 2008 - Focus on applications helps providers discover new business opportunities
Digital printing professionals at Graph Expo will see a variety of compelling electrophotographic solutions on display at Kodaks booth #600. Designed to invigorate and elevate the services offered by print providers and drive additional volume for new revenue opportunities and enhanced profit potential, KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses enable an almost limitless range of applications that include marketing collateral, direct mail, statements, photo products and packaging.
“Users can change the game by attracting new clients with unique and attention grabbing output that drives higher ROI and response rates,” explained Stephen Fletcher, General Manager of Electrophotographic Printing Solutions, Kodaks Graphic Communications Group. “In addition, the print provider keeps this high value work in house instead of outsourcing it, which not only drives page volume with new applications, but also yields an improved bottom line.”
One of the significant advantages offered by NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses is the KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions. This powerful, in-line capability helps extend the application reach and flexibility of print providers by allowing them to offer new colors, finishes, and printing effects. This is becoming increasingly more important as their print clients look for ways to distinguish their offerings in extremely competitive environments.
KODAK Dimensional Printing is the newest development, offering a raised or tactile printing effect that provides images with a dimensional feel that mimics the surface of the items in a photograph. For instance, an orange in a direct mail piece will feel like an orange. This unique capability, available only on KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses, helps providers stand out from their competition with innovative solutions. With KODAK NEXPRESS Dimensional Clear Dry Ink, raised text or graphics can be placed on any project.
Achieved with an overprint to CMYK that creates a raised 3D print effect, this process can control the effects placement and height on the page to achieve the desired impact, giving print clients a new set of design capabilities and flexibility not possible with traditional production methods while retaining the advantages of a digital workflow. Print clients can create more compelling documents that drive higher response rates by using variable data in conjunction with this unique dimensional aspect. Print providers can quickly integrate and produce these campaign components through the digital front end and KODAK NEXPRESS Intelligent Dimensional Coating Solution of the NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses.
Also new are the automated coating capabilities that apply a thin layer of clear ink over CMYK images on a page to dramatically enhance the quality of skin tones and other images. These modes require no additional prepress time and are accomplished at production speeds directly on the press. This capability helps print providers enter new markets such as photo services to deliver photobooks, greetings cards and calendars.
Additional features of the Fifth Imaging Unit include the ability to expand the printing gamut and reproduce spot colors at full production speed with no custom mixing necessary. The software uses the press profile and substrate information to accurately reproduce the desired color, making it possible for providers to handle brand colors or match up to 82 percent of PANTONE colors.
To further increase the range of applications, new paper handling options extend the number of substrates to beyond 600 unique grades of stock. New substrates include specialty stocks from FormStore Inc., such as the LASERWELL and DIGIMAGNET stocks. These applications, used in conjunction with the other new capabilities of the NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses, allow high value jobs such as loyalty cards, association cards, and magnetic reference cards to be produced efficiently.
To facilitate the efficient production of these new substrates, a new Specialty Substrate Leveler for the NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses is being introduced. With it, print providers can now print on a range of substrates that have a difference in thickness across the sheet due to the addition of a card or magnet. The Specialty Substrate Leveler is inserted into the large feeders of the NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses to help feed specialty stocks that, due to a thickness variance across the sheet, form an uneven stack. The leveler continually adjusts the stack so that the top sheet is always level for reliable feeding into the paper path.
“In todays highly competitive market, successful service providers understand the goals and needs of their clients, and work with them to develop unique applications that improve results,” added Fletcher. “Kodaks electrophotographic printing portfolio gives providers the options they need to exceed the needs of their customers. At the same time, they can feel that they are making the best investment to position their business for the future.”
For print providers who already have a digital workflow using VPS, PPML/GA or PPML/VDX formats, the KODAK NEXPRESS Vcs Front End is another front end choice that allows customers to use one file format across different vendors equipment to integrate the work from NEXPRESS Presses without changing their existing workflows. The NEXPRESS Vcs Front End joins the existing family of V-Series Front Ends.
For many service providers, being able to handle higher volumes with fewer output devices is a critical need. Reducing floor space, decreasing operator labor, and achieving better costs per page make it possible to drive down the overall cost of operation. First announced at drupa, the KODAK DIGIMASTER EX300 Digital Production System will be featured in the Kodak booth. It is the fastest cut sheet black and white electrophotographic printer on the market, printing at a rate of 300 A4 images per minute.
The DIGIMASTER EX300 System will feature the WATKISS POWERSQUARE 200 Bookletmaker, a new finishing option that can produce a book from 8 to 200 pages in-line and offers customers a cost effective alternative to perfect and tape binding. The DIGIMASTER EX300 System is targeted at operations dedicated to publishing, transactional, corporate/government, and direct mail applications where productivity, image quality and turnaround time are critical. In order to leverage their investment, current owners of the DIGIMASTER EX or E-Series Systems can upgrade to the 300 ipm speed with an on site upgrade module when their page volume reaches appropriate levels.
The KODAK NEXPRESS M700 Digital Color Press on display in the JDF Works Print Shop Live! area of the Graph Expo booth has new in-line input and output accessories to complement the current M700 configuration. New accessories include Finisher, Booklet Finisher, Booklet Trimmer, Hole Puncher, Cover Inserter, Secondary Feeder Module and High-Capacity Delivery (stacker), in addition to a new software release that includes enhanced color management. The new in-line accessories enable the print provider to efficiently produce finished documents based on the application and the type of finishing required by their print client.
Kodak will show its products and integrated solutions for graphic communications professionals in booth #600 at Graph Expo. To receive regular updates from Kodaks Graphic Communications Group, go to Twitter.com/KodakIDigPrint and register for the companys new Twitter feed. For more information on Kodaks Graphic Communications Group at Graph Expo, please visit www.kodak.com/go/graphexpo.
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.