ORLANDO, FLA., April 21 -- Kodak’s booth at NEXPO 2007 will feature innovations designed to help expand editorial deadlines, reduce pressroom costs, enhance quality, and give newspaper printers new tools to reach both readers and advertisers with more compelling products that will help publishers better compete in the evolving media market place. “The challenges facing today’s newspapers are different and that means the technology solutions Kodak develops for newspapers must offer flexibility, speed and efficiency,” said Jack Knadjian, Vice President Market Segment, Publishing, Kodak. “At NEXPO, newspaper printers will see innovations like the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution and Kodak’s non process plate technology for newspapers. We continue to enhance our newspaper offering to better serve our customers across North America and around the world.” At NEXPO, Kodak is announcing an agreement with Advanced Technical Solutions Inc. (ATS) to jointly sell and support a new KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution that will expand the opportunities for newspapers to serve readers and advertisers in highly defined geographic territories. The suite of products will create new revenue streams for newspaper publishers and enable them to better compete in a changing media environment. The KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution leverages the strength of the Internet and the growth in citizen journalism to develop entirely new products delivered both as traditional printed newspapers and as web based content. Using a platform developed by ATS, based in Acton, Mass., the KODAK Microzone Publishing Solution includes the Microzone Citizen Journalism Portal, Microzone Advertising Portal and Microzone Publishing Management System. Also at NEXPO, Kodak will showcase the development of non process thermal plates that take out steps from the platemaking cycle, remove the floor space requirements and expenses related to the plate processor, and eliminate the need for chemistry. Kodak is currently testing non process plate technology for newspapers at several locations across North America. Kodak’s non process plates, adapted from the successful KODAK THERMAL DIRECT Non Process Plate technology used in the commercial printing segment, reduce prepress steps for newspapers and reduce costs while providing high quality, consistent imaging performance and easy handling. KODAK PRINERGY EVO Software is an affordable PDF workflow system for controlling prepress, plate and film production, and digital print output. Kodak will feature the KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow System Version 4.0, which features transparency support, allowing printers to easily process transparent files without flattening them, resulting in predictable, high quality results and time savings. PRINERGY EVO Software Version 4.0 offers two enhancements for transparency—upgraded Color Matcher and Trapper features to handle transparent objects natively—and the inclusion of Adobe’s PDF Print Engine, with its full transparency support. PRINERGY EVO workflow systems deliver the features and functionality needed to increase efficiency and reduce the cost of production. Also in Kodak’s booth, BLUMUNKEE Software from Morris Digitalworks will be demonstrated. BLUMUNKEE Software automatically corrects pictures, simultaneously creating color and monochrome versions in multiple sizes, formats, resolutions and gamuts, while applying the appropriate sharpening for each. Images are multipurposed for newsprint, additional print applications, archives, promotional materials, web sites and other electronic distribution. A KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal CTP Device, which comes in five speeds, ranging from 60 to more than 240 plates per hour to suit newspaper printing facilities of all sizes, will run live in the booth. The TRENDSETTER NEWS 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 KODAK SQUARESPOT Thermal Imaging Heads, combined with the binary nature of thermal imaging, achieves consistent and repeatable halftone dot structures. KODAK THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates, which meet the rigorous demands of newspaper printing while delivering outstanding resolution for premium newspaper printing and commercial quality printing, will be demonstrated at Kodak’s booth. 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 NEWSMANAGER Workflow System version 1.1.3 will be demonstrated in Kodak booth #2101. New features in this version include a MAC user interface, barcode handling from punch/bender systems or operator acknowledgement, user specific access rights: remote access for publishers, and dynamic device selection based on online media, rather than “configured” (possible) media. The 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. NEXPO attendees can also see KODAK PREPS 5.2 Imposition Software in action. JDF- certified PREPS software enables users to impose multiple pages of a publication, newspaper, insert or flyer in a logical order, so the final printed piece prints and folds correctly. As a result, PREPS software automates imposition, often a time consuming and error prone task, freeing up time and resources and allowing newspaper printers to take on more commercial work. PREPS software supports POSTSCRIPT, PDF, EPS, DCS and TIFF source files. Further, it works with all KODAK and many major third party workflow systems. Attendees visiting the Kodak booth can get information on the KODAK VERSAMARK D-Series and V-Series Continuous Inkjet Printing Systems. The D-Series family of products provides print areas from 1" to 2.77" and can be placed inline with mailroom or press equipment for addressing newspapers, TMC and other direct mail pieces for individual copy delivery. The KODAK VERSAMARK V-Series Printers can be configured in a modular fashion to print black only, spot or process color on one or both sides of the web. The V-Series can closely match the look and feel of an offset printed newspaper and can produce duplex full process color newspapers at the rate of more than 1,000 40 page broadsheets per hour and more than 40,000 16 page weekly tabloids per day. NEXPO attendees can learn more about the newspaper printer applications for the KODAK NEXPRESS 2500 Digital Production Color Press. The NEXPRESS 2500 digital production color press meets a variety of needs from entry level to very high volume environments, helping newspapers handle a wide array of commercial print jobs. Customers are able to upgrade presses as they grow their businesses with options to select desired paper capacity, increase processing capability, and add a fifth imaging unit for delivery of spot color, watermarking and protective coating with the GATF InterTech Award-winning KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions. The fifth imaging unit solutions also enable high impact glossing in conjunction with the KODAK NEXGLOSSER Glossing Unit. The booklet maker for NEXPRESS digital production color presses is available inline or offline for collating, stitching, folding, trimming, and creating standard or square-back booklets of up to 100 pages. KODAK technology will also be on display at the Anocoil booth #2121, where attendees can see the KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS 200 Platesetter in operation. This device is Kodak’s highest throughput newspaper CTP device, capable of imaging 240 plates per hour with standard metro plate sizes, and will be shown in conjunction with a technology demonstration of the new Glunz & Jensen K&F KPL-1 Preloader, which is being developed specifically for use with the family of TRENDSETTER devices. KODAK products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. Named Best Support Organization at the 2006 International Business Awards, KODAK Service and Support includes more than 3,000 professionals in 120 countries. These professionals are fully qualified to help customers control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.