Kodak and Insight showcased their sustainable prepress and process-free thermal offset plate solutions at the recent Wan-Ifra India Summit in Kochi. Kodak and Insight have been associated for more than 25 years in the country to consistently deliver cutting-edge technology offset printers led by Kodak’s thermal CtP solutions and its process-free plates of which the Sonora Xtra is the latest version.
While Kodak’s thermal CtP and high-resolution offset plates have seen strong adoption amongst quality commercial and packaging printers, newspapers are generally attracted to violet plates that do not require half-tones at extremely high resolutions as coated paper and paper board stock.
Nevertheless, since leading Indian newspapers print a majority of pages in full color, including glazed newsprint and lightweight coated stock with high saturation color adverting on their multiple outer pages (jackets), the interest in process-free thermal plates has increased. Larger newspapers are also attracted by the environmental considerations of not having to use chemicals and the savings of not having to use any processor at all for the Kodak Sonora plates.
At Kochi, Kodak and its Indian distributor highlighted the growing adoption of process-free printing technology in the newspaper industry. They suggested to the newspaper printers that process-free printing eliminates the need for harmful chemicals and processing equipment, making it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option for them.
The process-free offset plate technology is experiencing remarkable growth currently in the country – and notably in the adoption of Sonora Xtra plates by newspapers as well. The high-quality images and long run length capabilities of these latest plates from Kodak have been noticed by leading newspapers especially since they are compatible with a wide range of web offset presses, inks, dampening solutions, paper stocks, and blankets.
Kodak is also known as a full prepress equipment, workflow, and consumable supplier and the company claims to be the only manufacturer of CtP output devices, plates, and workflow software, namely its Prinergy solutions. These solutions are said to meet the needs of newspapers of all sizes.
Kodak and Insight spoke about their environmentally friendly solutions to a number of participants and found many of the conversations forward-looking and meaningful. The team focussed on the theme of “Print Responsibly, Print Sustainably with Sonora Xtra Process-free plates.”
“In the world of print, Kodak stands as a beacon of innovation, and the Indian Printers Summit 2023 was the perfect platform to illuminate the path forward and promote our vision of sustainable solutions amongst the newspaper fraternity,” said Ajay Aggarwal CEO and MD of Insight Print Communications.
Kodak’s thermal CtP range covers various levels and speeds of computer-to-plate devices from 50 to 300 plates an hour with several automation options for imaging the Sonora Xtra Process-free plates. Its Prinergy workflow comes at several levels that address the needs of entry, mid and high-end newspapers.
The Sonora Xtra plates support fast imaging, high resolution, robust handling, and long-run in varied print conditions. Going Process-free thermal with Sonora is a worldwide trend, especially in the US and Europe. In India, there are now plenty of newspapers using Sonora for their daily newspaper production. Additionally, several newspapers are seriously considering switching to Sonora Process-free because of the plate performance, environmental benefits, cost savings, streamlined plate making, elimination of processing equipment, elimination of chemistry, elimination of process variability, and regulatory compliances.
“Kodak’s unwavering dedication to newspaper market innovation persists. We consistently enhance and fine-tune high-performance, resource-efficient technology solutions to empower newspaper printers in the ever-evolving and demanding industry, especially post-Covid. Our presence at the Wan-Ifra Indian Printers Summit 2023 underscores this commitment, demonstrating our reliability and capability as a long-term partner for the newspaper industry,” Kodak India said.
Kodak India celebrates 50 years
In 2023, Kodak India celebrated its five decades of presence in India. Today, Kodak India additionally operates four geographically well-distributed warehouses to ensure fast and dependable delivery to Kodak customers across the country.
In the digital sector, Kodak India continues to develop its pioneering place in the high-speed inkjet production printing segment with its Kodak Prosper Presses and Imprinting Systems. With inkjet offerings such as the Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Press and the Kodak Prosper 7000 Turbo Press, the company is well-positioned to significantly expand its position in the Indian digital printing market.
