Rochester, NY , July 2 -- Nine newspaper printers in eight states purchased 13 KODAK Thermal CTP Devices to meet deadline pressures and offer higher quality production capabilities to their customers.

Times Journal Inc. in Marietta, Ga., purchased a KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Thermal Platesetter, KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Thermal Platesetter, KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow System, KODAK PREPS Imposition Software and KODAK THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates to print a 480,000 circulation suburban Atlanta group that consists of two daily newspapersand 26 community newspapers.

"Kodak has a great track record working with similar sized operations in our immediate area," said Terry Smith, President of Times Journal Inc. "The one source solution that Kodak provides was very appealing to our organization."

Mount Vernon News in Mount Vernon, Ohio, purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Platesetter, PRINERGY EVO Workflow System, PREPS Imposition Software and KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates. In addition to printing the 9,300 copies of the daily newspaper, it also produces a 27,000 circulation weekly shopper and various commercial jobs.

"Saving money ultimately was the main reason we selected the KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates, but we also needed to save time. The KODAK Plates will eliminate steps in our process and improve our prepress operation," said Liz Lutwick, Assistant Publisher at the Mount Vernon News, a PAGE Coop member. "The KODAK Non Process Plates have performed extremely well in the tests we've run and the Kodak sales team has been great to work with as we have moved through this process."

At The Repository in Canton, Ohio, they are adding two KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 150 Thermal Platesetters to handle the 65,180 circulation daily and 80,058 circulation Sunday newspaper. They are also a print site for The New York Times, a number of weeklies and commercial jobs.

"The proven reliability of KODAK Solutions attracted us to the TRENDSETTER NEWS Platesetters," said Kevin Ackerman, Director of Operations at The Repository, a GateHouse Media Inc. publication. "In our opinion, the quality of thermal is higher than what violet can produce, and the KODAK CTP Devices are more automated and allow us to easily change on the fly between multiple plate sizes."

At the Press-Enterprise Co. in Riverside, Calif., they added a KODAK TRENDSETTER 400 III QUANTUM Platesetter to the KODAK Solutions they are already using to print the 188,000 circulation Press-Enterprise and handle commercial jobs.

 "The reliability of our current KODAK equipment is strong and we really like the throughput of this machine compared with other thermal devices," said Kevin MacMillan, Prepress Manager at Press-Enterprise Co. "Also, since our technicians are trained on this equipment we did not have to add a variable to our process."

Other newspaper printers adding KODAK Solutions include:

- The Commercial Appeal, a Scripps Newspaper Group paper in Memphis, Tenn., purchased two V speed KODAK GENERATION NEWS Platesetters and KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates.

- Gannett Missouri Publishing Inc., which produces the Springfield News-Leader and other publications, purchased two TRENDSETTER NEWS 150 CTP Devices and KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates.

- Osteen Publishing Co. in Sumter, S.C., which prints The Item, purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Platesetter, PRINERGY EVO Workflow System, PREPS Imposition Software and KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates.

- Ogden Newspaper – House of Print in Madelia, Minn., purchased a KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 100 Thermal Platesetter, PRINERGY EVO Workflow System, KODAK STACCATO Screening, PREPS Imposition Software and the KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal System.

- Signature Offset in Las Cruces, N.M., which prints newspaper inserts, purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Platesetter and KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates.

The TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal CTP Device comes in six models, ranging in speed from 60 plates per hour to more than 240 plates per hour to suit newspaper printing facilities of all sizes. The TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal Platesetter delivers fast, reliable imaging with a standard file format interface for newspaper production systems. It is available with semiautomatic or fully automated plate loading and unloading. The machine to machine accuracy of the KODAK SQUARESPOT Thermal Imaging Heads, combined with the binary nature of thermal imaging, achieves consistent and repeatable halftone dot structures.

The GENERATION NEWS Platesetter delivers high productivity and automation along with thermal imaging, providing the superior stability, consistency, and resolution of KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology. Up to four plate cassettes enable newspaper printers to load as many as 1,600 broadsheet or 800 panorama plates in multiple sizes to run continuously with no operator intervention. Three speeds are available so newspaper printers can tailor their plate lines to meet their individual production needs: the Z speed model has a throughput of up to 300 plates per hour, the X speed model produces up to 250 plates per hours and the V speed produces up to 200 plates per hour. The platesetter has a compact footprint for newspaper printers who want maximum throughput using minimum floor space.

KODAK THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates meet the rigorous demands of newspaper printing while delivering outstanding resolution for premium newspaper printing and commercial quality printing. THERMALNEWS GOLD Plates offer run lengths of more than 200,000 impressions without postbaking. Rapid imaging and processing, faster makeready and plate reliability give newspapers extra editorial time, and the clean working, low pH, low consumption developer can help reduce processing costs.

KODAK NS Digital Newspaper Plates are the right choice for printers who require the high resolution printing of thermal CTP and the convenience of no slip sheets. The preheat plates process quickly and cleanly. NS Digital Newspaper Plates are durable on press and off, with run lengths up to 250,000 unbaked and 1 million baked.

KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates are processless thermal plates for newspapers. Compatible with all popular thermal CTP platesetters, the plates provide high quality, consistent imaging performance and easy handling. They develop on press, shortening the platemaking cycle and getting jobs to press more quickly. In addition, the plates can help eliminate the purchased and maintenance costs associated with plate processors and developer chemistry, while also reducing water usage.

The KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow System helps newspapers deal with last minute changes easily, without causing delays. Based on the latest standards and proven PRINERGY System technology, PRINERGY EVO Software delivers exceptional PDF processing capabilities. A flexible PDF workflow featuring proven color management, late stage editing and imposition, and advanced screening options to optimize output on TRENDSETTER NEWS CTP Devices, PRINERGY EVO Systems help deliver the automation, speed, control, and flexibility that newspapers need to accommodate tight editorial and ad deadlines and output large numbers of pages more quickly.

KODAK PREPS Imposition Software supports POSTSCRIPT, PDF, EPS, DCS and TIFF source files. It works with all KODAK and many major third party workflow systems. KODAK PREPS Imposition Software helps prepress professionals remove even more manual steps from their preferred workflow by providing digital imposition. PREPS Software accepts more than 200 types of file inputs. PREPS Imposition Software enhances prepress efficiency and enables greater postpress reliability by automatically generating bar codes that can be read by WST and MULLER MARTINI Bar Code Readers.

KODAK STACCATO Screening produces high fidelity, artifact free images that exhibit fine detail and more impactful color in newspapers. STACCATO Screening creates images without halftone rosettes, screening moiré, gray level limitations, or abrupt jumps in tone-with no impact on RIPing time. KODAK SQUARESPOT Thermal Imaging Technology enables the fine dot structure of STACCATO Screening to be a reliable and practical solution for newspaper printing and an effective competitive edge for publishers.

KODAK INSITE Software is a Web portal for prepress. It streamlines job submission, job-status tracking, and remote content proofing. INSITE Software extends the reach of your business operations and improves your responsiveness to customer needs, while reducing job cycle times and material costs. Adding the KODAK MATCHPRINT Virtual Technology option to INSITE enables color-accurate monitor proofing of pages in the prepress workflow.

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.