ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 6—Kodak’s thermal technology is the technology of choice for 13 newspaper printers that are the latest to add KODAK Thermal Digital Platesetters, KODAK Thermal Digital Plates, workflow and addressing solutions to increase speed and improve quality.
The Florida Times-Union, a Morris Publishing Group paper in Jacksonville, Fla., purchased two KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 200 Thermal Platesetters after talking with sister Morris properties and other newspaper printers around the country.
“We talked to a number of people in the industry and no one ever has anything bad to say about KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Platesetters. We have been planning to go to CTP for years, and the reputation of the KODAK devices for speed and dependability impressed us,” said Mike Horne, quality assurance director at The Florida Times-Union. The newspaper has a 155,000 daily and 214,000 Sunday circulation
“Kodak offered us the best combination of price and quality,” said Steve Jackson, production director at Western Web in Eureka, Calif., which prints the 24,000 circulation free daily The Eureka Reporter and a variety of weekly and monthly publications. “There is no doubt that Kodak is a big part of the quality of our work. KODAK STACCATO Screening and web growth software has been a huge help to us in producing quality, sharp newspapers.”
Western Web, already a Kodak customer, purchased a second KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Thermal CTP Platesetter and KODAK Thermal Digital Plates. Sound Publishing Inc. in Everett, Wash., added a second KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 100 Thermal CTP device. They print Investor Business Daily, 15 weekly and twice weekly newspapers, area shoppers and a variety of commercial jobs.
“We have been pleased with the quality of the KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Platesetter and we wanted to have the redundancy of a second CTP device,” said Jim Beebe, corporate director of operations for Sound Publishing.
Other newspaper printers that have recently added KODAK thermal solutions include:
Hood River News/Columbia Gorge Press in Hood River, Ore., part of Eagle Newspapers and a PAGE Co-Op member, purchased a KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Thermal Platesetter, Thermal Digital Plates, KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow System, STACCATO Screening and KODAK PREPS Imposition Software. They print daily and community newspapers, as well as commercial web printing for books and catalogs.
Bliss Communications Inc. of Janesville, Wisc., purchased two TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Platesetters, Thermal Digital Plates, KODAK NEWSMANAGER and PRINERGY EVO Workflow Systems, PREPS Imposition Software and STACCATO Screening. The PAGE Co-Op member prints The Janesville Gazette.
Publications Press Inc. of Montgomery, Ala., purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Platesetter and KODAK THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates. They print a number of real estate magazines, as well as commercial offset cold and heat web publications.
Scripps Texas Newspapers of Wichita Falls, Texas, which prints the Times Record News, purchased a second TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Platesetter.
Newspaper Agency Co. of West Valley City, Utah, purchased their fourth TRENDSETTER NEWS 150 Thermal Platesetter. The company prints the two largest daily newspapers in Utah.
Toronto Star Newspapers Limited of Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada, has purchased four TRENDSETTER NEWS 200 Platesetters and THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates.
Moose Jaw Times-Herald in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the Transcontinental Saskatchewan Media Group, purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 50 Platesetter, semi-automatic KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Platesetter, THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates, PRINERGY EVO Workflow System and PREPS Imposition Software.
CanWest Mediaworks Publications in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, purchased two TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Platesetters, NEWSMANAGER and PRINERGY EVO Workflow Systems and STACCATO Screening. CanWest prints the Regina Leader-Post.
York Region Printing, a division of Metroland Media Group in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, purchased a TRENDSETTER NEWS 70 Platesetter and THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates.
Orange County Register in Anaheim, Calif., purchased three additional KODAK VERSAMARK DS5120 Printing Systems to handle addressing for Total Market Coverage (TMC) applications.
The TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal CTP device comes in five models, ranging in speed from 60 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.
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 reduces processing costs.
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 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 NEWSMANAGER Workflow System, a powerful PDF workflow management tool for high performance newspaper prepress, enables a flexible, automated workflow from edition plan to plate production. Based on open standards, it easily integrates into existing systems. The NEWSMANAGER Workflow System is scaleable to meet all needs, from contract printers to metropolitan, national and international newspapers with multiple print sites.
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. 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.
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. 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 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.