Kodak and Ryobi have signed a worldwide statement of cooperation to provide the first fully-integrated hybrid sheetfed press combining offset and digital technologies in a single system. The RYOBI 750 series offset presses now have the ability to integrate KODAK PROSPER S5 Imprinting Systems into the sheetfed press system.

The announcement follows the impressive business results achieved by Komatsu General Printing Co., Ltd., which recently installed a RYOBI 750 press with PROSPER S5 Imprinting System, as well as customer demand to Ryobi distributors.

“Ryobi is a key partner for Kodak. Ryobi engineers have created a unique solution—a one-step, dynamic hybrid sheetfed press that integrates KODAK PROSPER Press inkjet technology with the precision sheet control of a RYOBI press,” said Michael L. Marsh, Kodak’s General Manager of Inkjet Printing Solutions and Vice President.“Through this partnership, sheetfed printers can enjoy the success and benefits of one-step hybrid printing that web printers have enjoyed with KODAK Inkjet Products for quite some time.”

The Ryobi and Kodak hybrid will enable customers to print high-quality sheetfed jobs that include variable or versioned information in a single step. This process provides valuable benefits to printers, such as eliminating both (1) the costly use of laser printers to add variable information and (2) the one to two days of job set time prior to laser printing.

“Kodak provides unique capabilities in the sheetfed hybrid market, offering our customers new and expanded capabilities,” said Mr. Hideki Domoto, Corporate Officer, and Divisional General Manager, Graphic Systems Division, Ryobi Limited. “This hybrid press marks another important milestone in the history of two innovative companies.”

The new hybrid press provides a single step of offset printing, inkjet printing, and an optional inline varnish station. The varnish option is valuable to direct mail printers because it enables a true print and ship capability, which leads to faster time to mail, invoicing and payment. Direct mailers will also benefit from new opportunities made possible by the RYOBI 750 series’ ability to run B2 size sheets, which today cannot be post-printed with laser systems.

The RYOBI 750 series prints up to 10,000 sheets per hour. Customers can select one of the following inkjet printing options on the Ryobi 750 series press: two heads with one drier; four heads with driers; and four heads with driers and an inline UV varnish station.

Inkjet printing inline with offset printing delivers a number of significant benefits, including faster job turnaround time, lower costs and higher productivity for imprinting applications when compared to sheetfed laser printing. The typical production process involves printing direct mail shells on an offset press, letting the shells dry, and imprinting them on a laser printer. Hybrid printing eliminates drying time and enables imprinting on the sheets as they pass through the offset press, saving up to two days in production time.

The KODAK PROSPER S-Series Imprinting Systems include the S5, S5 with CMYK, S10, S10 CMYK, S20, and S30. Each solution produces laser-like quality for imprinting at a range of speeds and resolutions, bringing high-quality personalization to offset print jobs. With the PROSPER S-Series Imprinting Systems, print providers are able to leverage their capital investments in offset presses and bridge the gap to digital in a one-step, inline process.

Contact Ryobi distributors or local Kodak sales office for more information.

For more information about Kodak at drupa, visit www.kodak.com/go/drupa.