ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 13 -- Digital printers looking to move into high volume production printing or grow their business by adding high quality digital photo applications can do both by partnering with Kodak. The KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 Digital Production Press and several new photo services components mark the latest additions to the industry’s most powerful portfolio of digital color printing solutions.
The high production NEXPRESS S3000 Press expands the NEXPRESS platform to five digital color presses with varying specifications, from a mid level press to a series of increasingly more productive and more flexible presses. The photo services solutions help KODAK NEXPRESS Press users offer custom photo applications via an easy to use, automated workflow.
 “By growing the NEXPRESS platform of digital color printing solutions, we’re giving customers a broad selection of options to help them find the right solution that fits their unique business needs,” said Greg Gresock, Worldwide Product Manager, Electrophotographic Printing Solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “Tremendous growth in digital photography presents exciting new revenue opportunities for digital print providers, and the new NEXPRESS S3000 Press fills an important role for printers seeking the ultimate in flexibility, modularity and productivity.”
Photo Applications Capabilities
Kodak unveils several new solutions and services designed to help NEXPRESS Press users expand their businesses with high value photo services applications.
The KODAK NEXPRESSS Image Enhancement Server extracts images from print ready PDF files using preconfigured settings and automatically enhances and improves scene balance, tone scale, noise, smoothness, JPEG artifacts and overall color, and it automatically reduces red eye from camera flash. The server delivers pleasing photographs with rich details and vibrant colors without slowing down the press. A version of the Image Enhancement Server with noise reduction features only is also available. The Server delivers outstanding productivity and image quality for the growing volume photo services applications such as photobooks, customized cards, calendars and other photo specialty products.  
NEXPRESS Press users can also tap into digital print production software used by professional photo labs with the KODAK DP2 Connectivity Module. The module provides a seamless workflow between KODAK PROFESSIONAL Digital Print Production Software and the NEXPRESS Press. Also promoting a streamlined production process is the KODAK NEXPRESS Job Processor, middleware that automatically connects the NEXPRESS Press with several third party photo authoring software solutions.
Kodak now offers a Color Profiling Service to help NEXPRESS Press users prepare their systems for photo applications. Kodak will profile a NEXPRESS Press to create the desired color characteristics based on another output device or subjective color judgment. Technicians will also create ICC Color Profiles (CMYK) for specific substrates.
S3000 Press
The NEXPRESS S3000 Digital Production Color Press is the new high end production press in the NEXPRESS platform. Customers have an easy path for growth within the NEXPRESS platform, from the mid level KODAK NEXPRESS M700 Digital Color Press to the KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 Plus, 2500 and S3000 Digital Production Color Presses. 
The NEXPRESS S3000 Press produces 3,000 A3 sheets per hour, or 100 A4 pages per minute, for the full range of supported substrate types (coated, uncoated, synthetics, standard offset paper, textured stocks and selected packaging board, labels and films) and weights (60-350 gsm). Maximum sheet capacity totals 11,000 with monthly print volumes of up to 2.2 million pages. The S3000 press combines speed, the unique operator replaceable component service model and an extensive online operator support system to provide outstanding cut sheet productivity to print providers.
Customers wishing to take advantage of the speed of this new production digital color press can purchase a new NEXPRESS 2500 press now with an available upgrade option to the speed of the NEXPRESS S3000 press.  The upgrade will be available for installation at the same time the S3000 systems are available in October 2007.  Kodak will demonstrate the NEXPRESS S3000 Press at Graph Expo in September.
KODAK NEXPRESS Production Presses are ideally suited to meet the needs of customers alternating between offset and digital environments because they provide an open workflow, outstanding color matching capabilities, and the broadest range of offset substrate compatibility.
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.