Kodak has introduced the Nexfinity press, citing low running costs, higher speed, and dynamic imaging as reasons to call it the most versatile sheetfed digital press on the market.
Kodak has patented a process called Dynamic Imaging Technology, which applies algorithmic adjustments to specific areas of an image, optimising image quality and consistency based on the image content in each area. The company says the result produces crisp text, hard lines, soft skin tones on the same page, whether for one print or millions.
Applications include direct mail, commercial print, publishing, and packaging. Kodak says the press offers seamless integration into workflow and finishing solutions.
Chris Balls, general manager for equipment and vice president of the print systems division of Kodak, says, “With Nexfinity press, printers get a robust digital printing platform that delivers offset quality while driving down costs and equipping them with the flexibility and speed to handle an expansive range of applications for their customers, whether it is an order for a few hundred or millions of impressions.”
The Nexfinity claims the industry’s highest information density delivering more than 1.8 billion pieces of image information per square inch for smooth flat fields and image detail in the printed product. Kodak says the system can reproduce fine details on the fly, like highlight areas and consistency in mid-tones by adjusting the exposure levels for incredibly high levels of print quality. Its LED writing system has 256 levels of exposure on the imaging cylinder targets consistent quality, using closed-loop process controls for more uptime and lower running costs.
It prints at a range of 83 to 152ppm with expanded sheet lengths up to 120cm and it handles stocks up to 24pt. The machine’s colour sequence flexibility allows printing of dry inks in alternative orders or combinations required by specific print jobs.
Stephan de Vries, chief exewcutive at Netherlands print company Fotofabriek, says, “Fotofabriek began using the Nexpress 15 years ago, mainly because of its image quality. That is important to our business because the main ingredient of our growth and what we are best known for is our photo books and albums. As the first printer in Europe to use the Nexfinity Press, we are excited about the new applications we can offer. The Nexfinity press offers quality, consistency and colour uniformity that will allow even better products at more competitive pricing, with its long sheet option at 120cm, we will be able to expand our photo offering by making beautiful lay flat albums, and with the ability to run thicker substrates we see the possibility to add new products for the retail market, like boxes and cardboard signs.”
Ben Shaw, vice president of US production at print giant Mimeo.com, says, “At Mimeo, we strive to stay on the leading edge in terms of innovation and technology, so testing the Nexfinity press is a natural fit for us. In a short time, we have already run millions of pages on it, and we have been thrilled with the results. It is a really versatile machine that delivers a powerful combination of image quality, consistency, and low running costs.”
The new Kodak multi-press station allows a press operator to handle multiple jobs on up to four Nexfinity presses from one location. A productivity cart provides a convenient location for cleaning swap set components as well as storage of parts.
The Kodak Nexfinity front end can operate as a standalone prepress toolset, with imposing, trapping, colour management, job specification and job management and reporting capabilities. It offers an automated workflow using JDF and JMF, compatible with a variety of workflow solutions, including Kodak’s Prinergy workflow. Kodak says fast ripping of short-run, image-intensive applications, as well as complex variable jobs keeps the press highly productive.
Based on a specific customer’s requirements, operators can tune the Nexfinity Platform’s workflow to optimise integration with existing workflows and enhance applications. Kodak claims simple, easy to use functionality such as dimensional artwork, coatings, gamut expansion, security elements and finishes applied beyond CMYK, all operate at production speeds
