Rochester, NY  - A number of newspaper printers have found decreased labor costs, improved sustainability and greater image quality and consistency with solutions from Kodak. Charles City, Iowa-based Charles City Press, a Hallmark Integrated Media, Inc., paper and Crow River Press, a division of Red Wing Publishing Co. of Hutchinson, MN both recently installed Kodak's non process CTP solutions with outstanding results.

For the Charles City Press, the desire to switch to CTP was accompanied by a need for speed in its efforts to become a more cost-effective operation. Installing an environmentally friendly non process solution was also part of the equation.

Charles City Press is a member of the PAGE Cooperative, which comprises more than 3,000 newspapers around the country, including more than 570 dailies and 1,100 non-daily publishing facilities. Asking fellow PAGE members about their experiences, the company found that Kodak's complete, non process solutions package fit its needs perfectly.

"Doing some research, we found that the only problem people were having with CTP was the process plates," said Gene Hall, Executive Vice President, Charles City Press. "So that made Kodak's solution with non process plates ideal for us."

Making the transition from analog to digital, Charles City Press installed a KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal Platesetter with KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates, KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow and KODAK PREPS Imposition Software.

The impact of the non process plates extends even beyond environmental benefits for the Charles City Press. The company has realized significant labor and cost savings, seeing a positive effect on its bottom line as well.

"We're saving 22% on the price of the plates with non process, compared to what we were paying with analog," said Hall. "Plus, we've already achieved labor savings on the prepress side."

Another PAGE member, Crow River Press also added a KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Thermal Platesetter with KODAK PF-N Non Process Plates, KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow and KODAK PREPS Imposition Software to its operations.

The ability to transition from analog to CTP with non process plates steered the company toward Kodak's comprehensive solution. For Crow River Press, price point weighed heavily in the decision, but finding a non process option was paramount.

"Everything about going non process is positive," said Mark Theis, General Manager, Crow River Press. "My press crews love it, and it's very cost-effective over the process plates."

A self-described "do-it-all shop," Crow River Press prints roughly 25 weekly newspapers and shoppers. With 30 employees, labor efficiencies are always a priority to ensure the facility runs cost-effectively.

"Labor savings are another huge benefit of the non process solution," said Theis. "With the time we save, we can move our staff to where they're needed more."

The KODAK TRENDSETTER NEWS Platesetter delivers fast, reliable imaging with a standard file format interface for newspaper production systems and is available with semi-automatic or fully automated plate loading and unloading. The KODAK PF-N Non Process Plate provides the resolution, reliability, and imaging accuracy of thermal, digital plates without the need to install and maintain a plate processor, and KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow is an affordable PDF workflow system for controlling prepress, plate, and film production with customizable configurations. KODAK PREPS Imposition Software-now in version 6-is the fully automated industry-leading solution for error-free impositions.