Kodak is uniquely positioned to guide printers: BB Nikumb of Kodak

PrintWeek: The printing industry is witnessing a significant shift towards digital printing technologies. How is your company adapting to this trend, and what steps are being taken to ensure the continued relevance of offset printing? 

BB Nikumb (BBN): While digital printing is on the rise worldwide, traditional printing processes such as offset continue to produce the majority of all printed products. So typically, a printer will not abandon offset printing and suddenly switch to digital. Rather, we are currently living in the “and” era of print. For smart printers, it is not a question of either/or. Every printing company is different, operates in different market segments, has individual business goals and is faced with different customer requirements. They understand that they need both traditional and digital production capabilities to meet the evolving needs of the market and achieve continued success. That’s why printers should choose a partner with extensive industry experience and expertise to help printers identify their challenges and opportunities and define an effective strategy for integrating traditional and digital print.

Kodak is uniquely positioned to guide printers through the complexities of the “and” era, thanks to our comprehensive understanding of the printing industry. Our extensive portfolio allows us to provide every printer with the solution that suits their needs best, whether it be digital, offset, or a combination of both. From state-of-the-art offset plates and highly automated CTP systems to advanced workflow software, and our PROSPER Press Platform, as well as PROSPER Imprinting Systems for high-speed inkjet production printing, Kodak offers tailored solutions for every business. Our highly automated CTP solutions and production inkjet presses can also help mitigate labor shortage and labor cost issues as they require less labor per shift.

Beyond our cutting-edge technology, we bring decades of experience and valuable insights to help our customers future-proof their offset and digital printing business and achieve long-term success in an evolving industry.

PW: As demand grows for shorter print runs and personalisation, digital printing offers distinct advantages. How is your company innovating to meet these changing demands while maintaining the strengths of offset technology? 

BBN: Kodak's innovations in continuous inkjet technology, inks and primers enable highly productive, cost-effective production of output quality that is virtually indistinguishable for print buyers from the quality of traditional printing processes. 

Kodak Stream inkjet technology enables unmatched high printing speeds, as offered by the Kodak Prosper 7000 Press, the world's fastest webfed full-color inkjet press. Stream Inkjet Technology uses air deflection of the non-print drops and lays the foundation for extremely high press productivity. Kodak Ultrastream inkjet technology, used by the groundbreaking Prosper Ultra 520 press, is Kodak’s latest innovation. It provides the ultimate in line straightness, highlights, detail and color fidelity as well as consistency over long runs. Ultrastream works by electrostatically charging and deflecting the non-printing drops, creating tiny ink drops that enable a high print resolution. 

Water-based nanoparticulate Kodachrome and Kodak Ektacooler pigment inks and water-based Kodak Optimax primers, innovated by Kodak, enable the presses to print a variety of applications on a wide range of substrates. 

The Prosper Print Bar enables seamless wide-format digital printing on analog devices so printers can easily combine high-quality offset, flexo or gravure with partial- or full-page variable content. Together with its enhanced automatic color registration, this opens the door to potentially lucrative new opportunities – in customisable packaging, direct mail promotions, and beyond.

All these innovations allow printers to take advantage of the benefits of digital inkjet for shorter runs, variable content and deadline-critical print jobs without compromising quality. 

PW: Sustainability is increasingly important across industries. How is your company integrating sustainable practices into manufacturing, and what steps are being taken to minimise the environmental impact of offset printing? 

BBN: Kodak is strongly committed to leadership in environmental responsibility. Our numerous sustainability initiatives for reducing waste and increasing energy efficiencies, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emissions, and conserving water at our global production sites are outlined in our sustainability report.

Kodak’s portfolio includes numerous products that help offset printers become more sustainable by reducing energy, water and chemical consumption and eliminating waste. Using Kodak Sonora process-free plates is an efficient solution for printers to ensure environmentally friendly, resource-saving, cost-saving and high-quality production. Sonora plates completely eliminate the use of electricity, water, developer, replenisher and gumming solution, and clean-out finisher associated with conventional plate processing. Since there is no longer any chemistry used, and no plate processor in need of cleaning and maintenance, there are also no spent chemicals or contaminated residual liquids to be disposed of.

Kodak offset CTP systems also contribute to improving sustainability. By optimising laser cooling systems, automation, and CTP engine technology, power consumption is reduced by up to 95% compared to competitive platesetters.

PW: Looking to the future, what do you see as the key challenges and opportunities for the offset/digital printing industry in the next five years? How is your company preparing to address these challenges and seize these opportunities? 

BBN: We expect the trends towards more sustainable practices, the acceleration of digital transformation and the simplification and automation of manufacturing processes to continue. Going forward, the printing industry can expect a more fluid combination of technologies, enabling printers to improve sustainability, efficiency and profitability. The flexibility to select the most appropriate solution that helps printers adapt in any given situation — be it traditional or digital printing—will be key to navigating shifts in market conditions and consumer expectations. This strategy ensures that forward-thinking print service providers can utilise the advantages of both technology worlds to enhance their operations and outputs, paving the way for a more adaptable, proactive, and sustainable industry. Kodak will continue to support printers with its advanced products and system solutions in the successful implementation of this strategy.