Kodak is seeing a strong 50% year on year growth in volumes of process-free plates in India. The company expects to continue the same momentum over the next two to three years, as customers are seeing the key features and benefits of process free plates in the print industry. Recently, Kodak announced a new plate that it says will further the print industry’s adoption of process free technology. The new plate, Kodak Sonora Xtra significantly boosts the performance of Kodak’s process-free plate technology. Sonora Xtra makes process free an attractive option for printers in search of a plate that can reduce costs in both prepress and the pressroom without compromising print quality or productivity.
With the new plate, printers can get higher speed platemaking, on press 20% faster than existing Sonora X; enhanced machine readability; lower cost of ownership both in prepress and on press; and savings in the pressroom.
Available by year-end
As with the rest of the world, Sonora Xtra plates will be available in India by the end of 2020. Target customers of Kodak are any offset printers that do not require a baked plate. According to the company, Sonora Xtra plates are ideal for any size printer, printing on both sheetfed or web presses, including printers using low-energy UV.
Nexfinity toner based digital press
In 2018, Kodak launched the Nexfinity toner based digital press. The company has seen huge interest around the world with the press, providing output quality that rivals offset across an unmatched variety of job types: commercial print, direct mail, publishing, photo products, packaging and other high-margin applications.
PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press
This year, Kodak announced the launch of the Prosper Ultra 520 press which delivers offset-like quality at a consistent production speed of 150 mpm/500 FPM on glossy papers with high ink coverage and variable print — all at the industry’s lowest cost of operation.
The new press is the first Kodak-manufactured press using Kodak’s revolutionary Ultrastream writing system, which employs high-precision placement of smaller, perfectly round, satellite-free drops to produce the highest inkjet image quality available in the marketplace today.
The company believes the Prosper Ultra 520 press will be well received by Indian book printers and printers of data-rich or variable documents. Kodak has started taking orders for the press with shipments planned following beta testing at the end of the year.
Working during the lockdown
India went in for a lockdown on 24 March to stop the spread of Covid-19. Just like most other companies Kodak India too had to see disruptions in operations. However, the company used this time to train its sales teams and continued to perfect its latest technologies. Though Kodak India’s teams were working from home, they were in regular touch with all customers as well as channel partners.
Even though the company has seen some slowdown due to lockdown, it is very optimistic about the future in India. Kodak India is already seeing some recovery since lockdown has been gradually relaxed. It is geared up to support the recovery in the market.
Not providing guidance
Due to uncertain market conditions globally, Kodak is not providing any guidance. Cash was flat for 2019 and this was after the proceeds from the FPD sale were used to repay their first lien term loans.
The company is focused on generating cash as soon as possible and expect that 2020 will be a difficult year but will position the company to execute on that goal once the economy recovers. Kodak, however, cannot predict when that will occur.
