The Ultra 520 press comes with the Kodak 900 print manager DFE
Photo Nessan Cleary
Kodak, a leading global manufacturer focused on commercial print and advanced materials and chemicals, on 31 May announced it has acquired Graphic Systems Services (GSS), a leading provider of web inkjet press transport systems and other print-related components and engineering services. The acquisition reflects Kodak’s ongoing investment in digital print technology, giving the company greater control over its supply chain for inkjet press components and additional engineering expertise as it seeks to expand its growing portfolio of inkjet presses.
Kodak recently showcased its new Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Press at the Hunkeler Innovationdays print industry event. Powered by Kodak’s proprietary Ultrastream continuous inkjet writing system, the Prosper Ultra 520 Press rivals offset by providing breakthrough image quality (comparable to 200 lpi offset) at production speeds (152 mpm).
GSS is a longtime Kodak vendor, providing leading-edge transport systems for the Kodak Prosper Press line, including the Kodak Prosper Ultra 520 Press and Kodak Prosper 7000 Turbo Press. GSS is located in Springboro, Ohio, near Kodak’s inkjet design and manufacturing hub in Dayton, Ohio.
“Having an in-house source of transport systems and additional expertise from an industry leader like GSS will immediately make our inkjet business stronger and more sustainable,” said Jim Continenza, Kodak’s executive chairman and CEO.
“As business conditions continue to be challenging, now is the time to control our own destiny and mitigate supply chain risks to ensure reliable delivery of presses to our customers. Looking forward, our ability to leverage GSS’s skills and resources will be extremely valuable as we continue to focus on expanding our inkjet portfolio and providing completely integrated inkjet solutions.”
“Over our 20 years of working together, we have developed a very close working relationship with Kodak,” said Dan Green, president and CEO of GSS. “Our employees are enthusiastic about Kodak’s decision to acquire GSS. Our portfolio of inkjet transport systems and other components, along with our manufacturing expertise and engineering consulting services, will help Kodak further strengthen its position as a leader in inkjet technology.”
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
