A natural evolution of Kodak's NexPress and NexFinity digital toner presses has been announced under the name 'Ascend.' The revered Kodachrome brand re-emerges as 'dry ink' and not the diapositive colour film lauded by Paul Simon in his 70s song 'Kodachrome.' Ascend is packed with embellishing features and, with a max. sheet length of 1.22 metres, will find applications in POP and Signage as well as cartons, says the company.
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| Kodak's new Ascend can print on heavy stocks up to 675gsm, add foil and special colours at up to 572 sqm/hr |
Kodak has announced a 'revolutionary' new digital press along with additions to its comprehensive portfolio of digital and offset solutions.
According to Kodak, the new Ascend Digital Press takes high-end Packaging and Retail Signage to new heights and is the perfect solution for printers and digital service providers who want to grow in the Retail/POP and Packaging markets. The Ascend Digital Press is the first electrophotographic (EP) press designed to print heavy weight substrates at long lengths with in CMYK, plus flat foil embellishments in one pass. This makes it more flexible than traditional presses and more productive than flatbed inkjet systems, offering production speeds up to 572 sqm/hour. Kodak notes that its large sheet length of up to 122 cm allows the press to offer 23% more print area than a B2 sheet (typically 750mm x 530mm for an offset or digital press) - although this is achieved with a 352mm sheet width and therefore not directly competitive with B2 applications. The new press enables printers to deliver sustainably recyclable print by using environmentally friendly Kodachrome Dry Inks (toner), which are Indirect Food Contact rated. Kodak’s new press is a more cost-effective solution for producing certain Retail/POP and Packaging applications than traditional presses or flatbed inkjet devices - the addition of foiled effects is a definate advantage.The Ascend Digital Press is scheduled for availability in Q2 2022 in North America and Europe.
New Kodak Prosper Digital inkjet Varnish
The new Kodak Prosper Digital Varnish is a unique, water-based varnish that can be jetted as an area or spot coat to printed packages using Kodak's Prosper S-Series or imprinting systems. The eco-friendly Prosper Digital Varnish can be applied in perfect register with design elements and creates a matte protective layer providing rub and water resistance to paper-based packaging applications.
The new varnish provides an environmentally friendly, water-based alternative to solvents and UV coatings.
Kodak's Prosper Digital Varnish will be available worldwide by the end of 2021. Kodak also introduced improvements to its Printergy workflow and CtP offset plate portfolio.
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| Kodak CEO Jim Continenza |
Jim Continenza, Kodak’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, says of the new initiatives: “The innovations announced today reflect Kodak’s continued commitment to developing breakthrough solutions that enable our customers to improve their productivity and profitability and successfully expand their customer base. With innovations like the Ascend Digital Press, we are opening up new profitable application opportunities for printers. We continue to deliver on our promise to provide a complete range of solutions that offer print that pays.”
