New HD Inks and print finish options expand the range of photo applications and the ability to capitalize in the high growth photo merchandise market
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y., – The KODAK NEXPRESS Photo Platform with Print Genius, which has industry-leading print quality and is designed for the printing of high-quality photo products, is now available and shipping worldwide. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform is ideal for photo specialty printers, photo labs, commercial printers, and others who serve customers in the photo space.

The NEXPRESS Photo Platform delivers effects unique to in line digital cut sheet presses such as raised printing, gloss coating and matte finish. It features exceptional photo quality output with tremendous productivity of printed photo products, including hard and soft cover photo books, calendars, greeting cards, 4x6 prints and more. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform delivers superior print quality whether these products originate on a desktop with KODAK Create@Home Software, at a KODAK Kiosk, online, or at a retail outlet like a KODAK EXPRESS Digital Solutions participating store or retail partner. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform can also now print on longer sheets-up to 26 inches or 660 mm-which enables larger book covers, posters, panoramic prints, or simply more impositions per sheet for higher productivity (up to 131 ppm).

NEXPRESS Photo Platform customers can benefit from Kodak's valuable knowledge of both the photography and the printing industries. Combine this experience with the NEXPRESS Platform's quality, flexibility, exceptional uptime and favorable economics and photo operations around the world will have a complete package to help them succeed in the growing photo marketplace-now and in the future. Unlike digital presses from competitors, existing NEXPRESS Platform customers-from 2005 to current-have the unique capability to upgrade their systems to the new NEXPRESS Photo Platform, mitigating the risk of equipment obsolescence and unnecessary new capital expenditures.

"The NEXPRESS Photo Platform has outstanding print quality, which is what you would expect in a specialized digital press created by Kodak, the world's photo authority. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform also creates a remarkable net value with the longer sheet size and 'work horse' uptime," said Charlie Corr, Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Mimeo. "The photo merchandise business is seasonal, intense and growing, so we need the total package that the NEXPRESS Photo Platform delivers."

Mimeo, a digital printing service provider, relies on the NEXPRESS Photo Platform to keep up with its customers demand for high-quality photo merchandise and the demands of its document clients. Mimeo provides a variety of photo services from small postcards to big impact display posters and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in North America for the past five years.

Mimeo is not the only photo expert that appreciates the quality of the NEXPRESS Photo Platform. Kodak recently conducted a blind comparison survey of NEXPRESS Photo Platform print quality versus that of competitive digital presses. The survey was conducted at a Kodak-sponsored event for photo professionals. The exercise was repeated three times with three unique photos and among photo professionals, the NEXPRESS Photo Press prints were selected a resounding 82 percent of the time. When organized as sets produced by the competitive presses, the NEXPRESS Photo Platform images were selected as the overall best quality by 100 percent of the respondents.

With over 100 new additions, the award-winning NEXPRESS Platform now prints on more than 700 qualified substrates that range from standard offset substrates to synthetics, magnets, foils, textured stocks, photo and specialty stocks. The diverse substrate variety expands the options and applications that customers can print with one press. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform is available with several new substrate options:

• KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA EP-D Paper features a two-sided lustre (E) surface for duplex printing and the look and feel of professional photographic paper. It creates durable prints that last and is made from high-quality, photographic-grade base material that enables white whites, rich blacks and vibrant color.
• MOHAWK PANORAMIC Paper is designed for printing photo books and high-end bound books. The innovative paper allows photos to flow seamlessly across book pages.
• LEXBIND Sheets provide lay flat performance at the spine and are ideal for photo book applications.
• A variety of options, including linen for a textured finish, vellum for protective sheets and pearlized stocks for luminescence.
• Seven Dimensional Clear textures to create value added tactile output from one common stock.

The NEXPRESS Photo Platform includes a new KODAK NEXPRESS VI Photo Front End that delivers the extreme image processing productivity required to keep pace with one of the most productive presses in the industry, all designed to meet the intense seasonal demands of photo merchandise workflows.

The second generation KODAK NEXPRESS Intelligent Calibration System (ICS) delivers consistently high quality that minimizes downtime and costs by minimizing parts replacement. The ICS is at the core of a closed-loop quality control system that maintains accurate color reproduction and increases image quality. In addition, the system uses industry-leading LED imaging heads, an inline densitometer, and software based on Kodak's proprietary image science to allow for automatic color management while the press is printing. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform also includes photo-optimized ICC profiles for RGB workflows. Whether needing the consistency over a long run, or the reliability to deliver the right color the first time, the NEXPRESS Photo Platform is one of the most consistent and accurate digital presses in the world.

Driving the dramatic image quality improvements are a host of new options, including the new HD small particle-sized dry inks that increase quality and reduce ink usage as well. There is also a new fifth imaging unit for Light Black Ink. Light black ink is designed to optimize grain, provide smoother photo quality images, and improve highlight details. The black dry ink now has a higher density for darker blacks and delivers incredible shadow details. There is a new Matte Fuser Roller creating a matte finish that gives smoother looks and less gloss. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform has the flexibility to offer all of these capabilities in one device, and is designed to incorporate future capabilities as well, making it one of the most versatile and adaptable digital presses in the marketplace.

"NEXPRESS Photo Solutions have arrived just in time for printers to manage the seasonal holiday volumes. With the upgraded photo features and software, merchandisers can expand their portfolio by offering more value-added merchandise and increasing their own efficiency. It is a great way to differentiate a company from its competition," said Vince Ferraro, Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, Digital Printing Solutions, Kodak. "As a photo imaging authority, Kodak is committed to creating innovative image technologies to help our customers deliver high-quality photo merchandise and services."

Built on proven KODAK NEXPRESS Press technology with Print Genius, the new family of presses features a monthly duty cycle in excess of 4,000,000 pages and supports more than 700 different substrates. With longer sheets, the different models print at speeds of 91, 109, or 131 ppm.

Detailed information can be found at www.kodak.com/go/nexpress

For more details on Kodak's participation in Graph Expo 2011, please visit www.kodak.com/go/graphexpo. Kodak is a global advisor and provider of integrated services to help companies transform and optimize their businesses. Through a network of service professionals in 120+ countries, Kodak provides technical, professional, consulting and managed services to enable customers to focus on growing their businesses, maximize productivity, and more effectively manage risks. All Kodak products and software are backed by KODAK Service and Support. To learn more, visit www.graphics.kodak.com.