La Hulpe, Belgium – At Ipex 2010, Kodak will show the industry the next revolution in high-performance no-preheat printing plate technology by debuting its new KODAK TRILLIAN SP Thermal Plates. TRILLIAN SP Plates are designed to offer commercial printers, publishers and offset package printers outstanding levels of productivity, efficiency, total-cost effectiveness and reduction in chemistry. TRILLIAN SP Plates will run live on a KODAK MAGNUS 800Z QUANTUM Platesetter with automatic pallet loader (APL) and new KODAK Intelligent Prepress Manager software at Kodak's stand, 9-E320.

"The new TRILLIAN SP Plates offer a combination of benefits no other plate in the marketplace can provide," said Diane McCue, General Manager, Plates Business, Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. "Not only does the TRILLIAN SP Plate deliver on the speed and performance Kodak is famous for, it significantly lowers the total cost of use while reducing the environmental impact for high-performance thermal plates-hitting all the hot buttons that printers need to solve. By providing innovative new digital plate solutions like TRILLIAN SP Plates, we are delivering on our promise to be the best partner to help our customers grow their business."

Commercial printers, both sheetfed and web, are facing competitive pressures to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround time, and increase consistency and quality. TRILLIAN SP Plates lower the total cost of ownership-and provide environmental benefits-by using significantly less chemistry and eliminating the use of preheat and postbake ovens, even for long jobs in harsh chemical environments.

The new plates are widely compatible with existing CTP and processing equipment and enable easier processor cleaning and less frequent maintenance. Additionally, the new plates provide wide latitude for increased stability with less variation and little operator oversight needed; offer higher processing speeds for faster turnaround; and provide high-quality, consistent performance on press.

"The new TRILLIAN SP Plates represent the future of thermal plate technology," added McCue. "Kodak is investing significantly in research and development to improve efficiency and lower costs for printers while maintaining high levels of productivity and quality."

TRILLIAN SP Plates are currently being beta tested with customers in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific Region. The new plates will be available worldwide in July.

Pairing the TRILLIAN SP Plates with a MAGNUS 800Z QUANTUM Platesetter offers optimal efficiency and productivity by combining the stability, fast imaging and processing speeds of the new plate with the 60-plates-per-hour throughput of the MAGNUS 800Z QUANTUM Platesetter. In addition, the solution features the only 8-page APL in the industry, allowing longer unattended plate making.

The TRILLIAN SP Plate launch will be followed over the next year by the introduction of other new plates from Kodak that will represent a significant shift in printers' ability to improve performance on press and in prepress while driving out costs and reducing environmental impact.

The new plate joins the redesigned KODAK TRENDSETTER Platesetters that were launched in January. The new TRENDSETTER Platesetters utilize Kodak's field-proven thermal imaging head with KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology included. Additionally, they have a compact footprint, allowing for an efficient use of space; updated hardware and software, extending the field-proven platform life cycle; and improved reliability and serviceability, providing more uptime and lower service costs.

Designed to help commercial printers improve efficiency by providing online remote monitoring and tracking of the entire plate line, the KODAK Intelligent Prepress Manager (IPM) will be commercially available at Ipex. The system provides automatic device status and process deviation updates, as well as media flow information, via emails and SMS, enabling longer unattended operation. The IPM also allows remote service teams to diagnose problems more quickly, which increases uptime. Additionally, printers can improve their efficiency standards and reduce chemical costs by making data-driven decisions based on process information and extensive customizable reports.