This year at drupa 2012, the Kodak stand (Hall 5, F09-1) features extensive packaging solutions designed to help package printers and brand owners preserve brand equity, enhance shelf appeal and drive efficiencies from design through print production. Kodak’s comprehensive portfolio of packaging technologies will spotlight flexographic printing solutions, offset plates, workflow systems, brand protection solutions and digital printing presses. In addition, Kodak’s K-Zone will help visitors learn how customers can utilize these solutions to diversify capabilities, differentiate offerings and increase business profitability.

“Kodak understands the challenges faced by both brand owners and retailers in today’s competitive market. Our innovative products and services are specifically tailored to help package printers deliver high-quality results to these clients. Our solutions focus on helping printers achieve brand intent and consistent imaging for packages that really stand out in the minds of consumers,” said Dr. John Anderson, Kodak’s Packaging Segment Director. “Through Kodak’s solutions, printers can better satisfy their customers’ dynamic packaging needs, boost productivity, ensure product security, and most importantly, grow their businesses and bottom lines.”

Flexographic prepress providers and printers will be drawn to the new KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System, a solution that represents the latest in direct engraving technology. With equipment, sleeves and printed material on display at the Kodak stand, the FLEXCEL Direct System demonstrates how innovative, energy-efficient, high-power laser engraving produces superior quality press-ready elastomer sleeves with increased production throughput. The imager and consumables are designed to work as an optimized solution, an advancement that enables more affordable production of high-quality, continuous sleeves for package printing.

The KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System has helped customers, like European-based Miller Graphics Group, improve production and print quality. Since the installation, Miller Graphics group has converted many of its existing jobs to the new system and gained new business. Learn more about their experience with KODAK FLEXCEL Direct System during the K-Zone on the Kodak stand.

Kodak also will be featuring the award-winning KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, the flagship solution for high-definition flexo printing. Enabling quality that can rival offset and gravure, printers also can expect to drive significant production efficiencies in the press room with the use of KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates. FLEXCEL NX Plates offer printers a wider color gamut, higher densities and greater print stability than traditional digital flexo plates. With the use of the FLEXCEL NX System, brand owners will see impactful product packaging with impressive brand color consistency.

Taking advantage of the expanded color gamut and wide tonal reproduction possible with FLEXCEL NX Plates, the KODAK SPOTLESS Flexographic Solution is an intuitive, easy-to-use tool for replacing spot colors with accurate recipes for four-color process printing to enable cost savings and efficiency improvements without sacrificing visual impact. With the combination of the FLEXCEL NX System and the SPOTLESS Flexographic Solution, printers can revolutionize the way they plan production, and deliver an outstanding product and service to their brand clients.

Newcastle-based packaging prepress company, Reproflex3, has delivered countless high-quality packaging and label applications to UK’s top brand names through the help of both KODAK SPOTLESS Flexographic Solutions and the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System. As one of the first companies to test out SPOTLESS Flexographic Solutions, Reproflex3 has relied on KODAK Technology to create a significantly differentiated offering to their clients. The company will talk about how it has helped them grow their business in the K-Zone on the Kodak stand.

Offset printers will learn more about the KODAK TRILLIAN SP Thermal Plate. TRILLIAN SP Plates deliver an impressive combination of productivity, reduced chemistry and efficient on-press performance. With a long unbaked run length capability, including UV and strong chemical resistance, and fast processing speeds, Trillian SP Plates can help offset package printers deliver faster turnaround times for better customer satisfaction.

For those offset printers and brand owners looking for even more sustainability features, the KODAK SONORA XP Plate takes process-free thermal technology to a whole new level. Offering high-quality thermal imaging and the complete elimination of plate processing, SONORA XP Plates can help increase productivity, simplify operations and remove costs by reducing the number of steps required for platemaking. These plates provide customers the same resolution, accuracy, and repeatability as traditionally processed thermal plates, while improving image consistency.

Printers looking for short-run digital solutions for their packaging needs can stop by to learn about the KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Color Press. Delivering outstanding quality, the KODAK NEXPRESS Platform prints on more than 700 standard offset substrates and comes equipped with Print Genius, a suite of productivity and quality control tools. With the KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solution, printers can achieve spot color, Kodak’s unique in-line dimensional printing, high-quality gloss, in-line watermarking, or coating in a single pass. Printers such as Synergie Group PLC have created high-impact packaging using the KODAK NEXPRESS Platform. In fact, with the help of digital print, Synergie designed custom packaging for young entrepreneur and licensed chocolatier, Louis Barnett of Chokolit Ltd., allowing the brand to gain a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Synergie and Chokolit will be sharing their story in the K-Zone on the Kodak stand.

With KODAK PRINERGY POWERPACK Workflow, package printers can experience exceptional efficiency throughout the entire packaging production process. With increased automation, integration and controlled processes, PRINERGY POWERPACK Workflow can help streamline operations. Through the powerful option of Packaging Layout Automation, printers can also automate the task of press sheet layout to reduce errors by leveraging KODAK PRINERGY Rules-Based Automation Software.

At drupa 2012, Kodak also will share packaging expertise related to brand-asset management and brand protection. Kodak’s applications enable package printers to deliver results that help companies and manufacturers strengthen the equity and integrity of their brands.

With KODAK DESIGN2LAUNCH Brand Manager, marketing departments and packaging teams can effectively manage their brand assets and content creation to get to market faster at a lower cost and with tighter control over brand standards.

Package printers considering value-added services for their businesses will benefit from demonstrations of Kodak’s Brand Protection Services and Solutions. Featured products at drupa 2012 will include KODAK TRACELESS AD System for Antidiversion. Kodak’s growing technology portfolio of brand and packaging protection applications help brand owners defend their products against black market counterfeiting and gray market diversion, the illegitimate reselling and distribution of products. Each solution offers unique capabilities that enable package printers to combine both overt and covert markings to produce a highly effective, layered defense. Attendees can learn more during a scheduled K-Zone session focused on Kodak’s efforts in anti-counterfeiting.

By visiting the K-Zone, Kodak’s live presentation theater with ongoing programming throughout the trade show, visitors have the opportunity to learn first-hand how Kodak’s current packaging customers are using KODAK Technology to improve capabilities, differentiate offerings and capture new business. Kodak also will be holding various informative packaging product presentations and market spotlights on topics such as “Make your flexo printing impactful and efficient,” “Workflow: packaging and partnerships,” and “Times are changing! Are your plate and CTP keeping up.”

For more information about Kodak at drupa and the complete K-Zone schedule, please visit www.kodak.com/go/drupa.