GLAND, SWITZERLAND – Affordable, high-quality print production aimed at helping Kodak’s general commercial customers stand out from the competition is now a market reality following the availability of the KODAK ACHIEVE T400 and T800 Platesetters. They build on the high-performance thermal CTP technology featured in the hugely successful KODAK TRENDSETTER Platesetter platform to deliver 2,400 dpi at up to 28 plates per hour.

“Larger commercial and specialized printers have long been reaping the benefits of Kodak’s imaging technology, while general commercial printers have been patiently waiting for a solution that provides proven quality with a price tag within the smaller printer’s range,” states Olivier Claude, General Manager for Print & Vice President Commercial Business EAMER, Kodak. “General commercial printers facing the economic realities of the print industry and demands of the market for higher quality at a less expensive price do not need a top-of-the-line specialized system. They need a robust print solution whose dependability and output caliber drive measurable results. We believe that these systems, available across Europe, do just that.”

In 1995, Kodak’s Thermal Platesetter technology was developed with a commitment to driving higher print quality and stability to customers’ businesses. The tried and tested technology provides the productivity, excellent image quality, and stability that printers need. With KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology, every platesetter delivers dependable accuracy regardless of plate emulsion sensitivity, processor variation, and laser power. Almost two decades later, the new ACHIEVE Platesetter technology further underscores that commitment to an even broader global base of customers. 

New TH5 thermal heads deliver precise imaging

ACHIEVE Platesetters incorporate Kodak’s new high-quality, more affordably priced, TH5 thermal heads, as opposed to Gaussian or GLV technology used in other vendors’ CTP devices. The TH5 thermal head images a more precise, accurate dot, leading to higher tonal stability and exposure uniformity. It offers outstanding robustness, with no moving parts, which makes it very simple to service and maintain and minimizes additional support cost.

Ergonomic standards for easy access and minimal physical effort are met, while semi-automatic plate loading and unloading helps drive maximum productivity and reduced labor costs. The ACHIEVE Platesetters can help reduce a printer’s environmental impact with potential power savings of up to 40% compared to the KODAK TRENDSETTER Q800 Platesetter. A smaller footprint reduces packaging materials and shipping costs while its support of KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates enables customers to completely eliminate processors and chemistry, including related maintenance costs and labor.

The ease of use of the KODAK ACHIEVE Platesetters was underlined by the quick installation of the first two systems in Kodak’s Europe, Africa, and Middle East region. Fast and simple commissioning saw the first plates output in less than five hours. Yassine Rezgui, Service Manager of Maghreb Graphic Trading, Kodak’s Sales and Service Partner in Tunisia, who assisted the country’s first installation, comments, “The KODAK ACHIEVE Platesetter will make a huge entrance into the region. The simplicity of the system, combined with its competitive ROI and features for precise imaging for high-quality results, will enable us to gain even broader market reach, specifically in the African and Middle Eastern markets.”

Olivier Claude concludes, “The KODAK ACHIEVE Platesetter with TH5 thermal head is a new innovation in prepress solutions that makes a higher level of quality available to a broader scope of printers than ever before.”