Wuhan JinGang, the largest commercial printing company in Hubei Province, China, recently installed a KODAK TRENDSETTER 800 Platesetter, marking a significant milestone for Kodak as it the company's 15,000th Thermal Computer-To-Plate (CTP) device installation to date.

Kodak was the first company to commercialize thermal CTP in 1995, and has since continued to develop new technologies that make these devices faster, more automated, and more sustainable. Thermal CTP devices enable printers to image press-ready thermal printing plates directly from computer files. Thermal imaging technology provides the stability printers need to produce high-quality printing. Wuhan JinGang installed the 34 plate-per-hour,V-speed KODAK TRENDSETTER 800 Platesetter with autoloader, which is a thermal 8-Page CTP device offering outstanding image quality, stability, and maximum efficiency with advanced automation.

In addition, Wuhan JinGang is also contracted to purchase KODAK Thermal Plates, KODAK PRINERGY CONNECT Workflow, KODAK MATCHPRINT Inkjet Proofing System and Konica-Minolta's BizHub PRESS C6000,  a mid-volume digital press sold by Kodak.

For the last five years, Wuhan JinGang has held the largest market share in Hubei and hopes to continue improving the image quality of its books, posters, and other printed materials by implementing KODAK Solutions. The company purchased its first Kodak CTP device, a V-speed KODAK TRENDSETTER 800 Platesetter with PRINERGY CONNECT Workflow, in 2009.

Wuhan JinGang recently elected to discontinue its use of competitive products in favor of using Kodak CTP products exclusively.

"Our company chose Kodak because of its ability to offer a total, integrated solution for CTP, color management, proofing, and digital print," said Wu Shaoguo, Chief Executive Officer of Wuhan JinGang. "We have improved our automation and efficiency, which means we can deliver jobs more quickly and with higher image quality. By installing these products, we have been able to keep up with the growing demands of the marketplace."

Many printers in emerging markets are just now converting over to CTP devices, while developed markets are replacing their aging equipment to become more competitive.

"The installation in Wuhan JinGang is a great achievement for Kodak and we are expecting to see an increase in both CTP and digital printing across China," notes, Richard Chang, Sales Director of Prepress Solutions and Unified Workflow Solutions, Greater China Region, Kodak.