Inkjet by Kodak: a different approach to productivity, quality and application versatility

Digital printing is experiencing dynamic growth, especially in the commercial and publishing sectors. Recent technological advancements have made it possible for digital to deliver highly productive and cost-effective output quality that is virtually indistinguishable for print buyers from the quality of traditional printing processes. This allows print service providers to meet current market demands, including fast job turnaround, short makeready times, minimized waste, enhanced productivity and consistently high print quality.

High-speed inkjet production presses, such as the KODAK PROSPER Presses, are designed for these requirements. They offer some of the lowest operating costs and the fastest speeds on the market, making them more cost-effective and efficient than other digital presses, especially for larger volumes and high ink coverage.

Kodak’s portfolio of webfed inkjet presses offers unparalleled digital solutions that enable printers to produce high-quality work consistently and cost-effectively at industry-leading speeds across a wide range of applications.

The KODAK PROSPER 7000 Turbo Press, the world’s fastest inkjet press, delivers exceptional flexibility for high-quality applications and turbo-speed productivity. In addition to its Turbo mode for low-ink coverage applications, it features Performance and Quality print modes, ensuring the perfect balance of speed and resolution for any project. Performance is ideal for books and other medium ink coverage applications, while the Quality mode is perfect for direct mailings, brochures, catalogs and magazines.

John Place, CEO of Mercury Print Productions in Rochester, NY, USA, is enthusiastic about the capabilities of the press: "The PROSPER 7000 Turbo stands out for its exceptional speed, which lets us go for longer runs. Thanks to this high productivity, we can meet the growing demands of customers in terms of shorter lead times and on-demand manufacturing."

The PROSPER 6000 C (Commercial) and P (Publishing) Presses are proven, highly dependable inkjet workhorses. "We can run the PROSPER 6000 Press up to 300 mpm (1,000 fpm) on uncoated stock. And when you look at quality, the thing that keeps blowing our minds is that the lines on quality are getting blurred," commented Patrick Murray, President of Japs-Olson Company. Jean Pierre de Kerraoul, CEO of Groupe Sogemedia in France, also praised the performance of the PROSPER 6000 Press: "At 300 mpm, the PROSPER Press is fast enough to keep all our production rolling. This would have been impossible with a slower machine."

Completing the Kodak press portfolio, the KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press delivers outstanding, offset-quality print at high speeds. Operating at top speed for all supported paper weights and grades, the press provides the highest image quality. It is available in two versions: PROSPER ULTRA P520 with two driers per side of the web is designed for transactional and transpromotional printing, publishing applications and commercial print up to moderate ink coverage. PROSPER ULTRA C520 (four dryers per side of the web) is the choice for applications such as direct mailings, inserts, catalogs, promotional brochures and books – even those with high ink coverage on coated and glossy papers.

PROSPER Presses combine high productivity and output quality with durability. Their rugged construction enables them to perform reliably in 24/7 operations for many years and ensure profitable production. Kodak supports the high production uptime and long service life of its presses with tailored service contracts, which also means long-term investment protection.

For the printheads of the presses that experience wear over time, Kodak provides refurbishment as a sustainable alternative to replacing them with new ones. Customers can return their used printheads to Kodak for refurbishment and reuse. This method not only conserves resources and reduces waste but also includes regular updates to both hardware and firmware with each refurbishment cycle.

KODAK PROSPER Presses leverage continuous inkjet (CIJ) technology, delivering high-quality, high-speed color printing with eco-friendly inks. The advantages of CIJ stem from the technology’s exceptional control over drop placement and dot uniformity at stunningly high speeds. CIJ printheads generate a continuous curtain of ink drops, with printing drops landing directly on the substrate while non-printing drops are deflected and recirculated for reuse.

Kodak’s continuous drop generation practically eliminates clogged jetting modules, maximizing both uptime and productivity of the press. Additionally, CIJ drops reach the substrate faster than those produced by Drop-On-Demand (DOD) technology, ensuring precise targeting for superior quality. What’s more, CIJ drops are round and precise, resulting in smooth, sharp dots on paper. In contrast, DOD often produces misshapen drops and undesirable satellite drops, leading to jagged edges on text and lines and less sharp images.

With nearly six decades of experience in continuous inkjet development, Kodak offers two innovative variants of continuous inkjet technology, each tailored to meet specific application needs.

KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology employs air deflection of the non-printing drops. Stream generates 9 pL drops for printing and lays the foundation for extremely high printing speeds of the PROSPER 7000 Turbo and PROSPER 6000 Presses.

KODAK ULTRASTREAM Technology, which powers the PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press, 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 ink drops, producing tiny 3.75 picoliter (pL) drops for high-resolution printing.

The properties of the inks used are a key factor for the versatility, productivity, color quality and cost-effectiveness of an inkjet press. Kodak's approach is to supply just one CMYK ink set for each of its CIJ technologies. KODAK EKTACOLOR Inks are used in Stream Inkjet Technology, while KODACHROME Inks are designed for high-quality ULTRASTREAM Technology systems.

Kodak utilizes proprietary micro-milling technology to manufacture its water-based nanoparticulate pigment inks. Kodak’s pigment milling process means the presses deliver a much larger gamut than offset and can match 93% of Pantone colors (within 4 dE). This enables PROSPER Presses to print vivid images with vibrant colors, reliably render the CMYK offset gamut, and easily match brand colors.

In addition, EKTACOLOR and KODACHROME Inks contain lower levels of humectants compared to inks from other vendors, resulting in faster drying times even with high ink coverage on coated and glossy papers. The combination of low-humectant inks and interstation near-infrared (NIR) drying, which is adjustable depending on volume and ink coverage, enables efficient printing of heavy ink coverage on coated and glossy papers at top speeds. This synergy of fast-drying inks and advanced drying technology ensures that PROSPER Presses manage with comparatively low energy requirements for drying and thus lower energy costs.

To offer printers independence from costly pre-treated inkjet papers and the ability to print on a wide range of substrates with the uniform ink set, Kodak supplies a range of ink-receptive KODAK OPTIMAX Primers that are optimized for EKTACOLOR and KODACHROME Inks. Precoating substrates with OPTIMAX Primers ensures the best print quality in every application.

"Kodak’s deep understanding of the colorants, humectants, and other components that are used in EKTACOLOR Inks and OPTIMAX Primers gives my company a competitive advantage. With Kodak’s water-based inks, we get high quality, low running cost, and superior productivity," said Ed Zumbiel, President of PROSPER 6000 Press customer Zumbiel Digital, USA.

In conclusion, it can be stated that printers benefit from Kodak's position as a leading single-source provider of comprehensive solutions, with all components developed and manufactured in-house. This includes the presses with unwinder and rewinder, press controllers, digital front ends, inks, and primers. In addition to its cutting-edge inkjet technology and consumables, Kodak offers decades of experience and valuable insights to help customers future-proof their digital printing businesses and enhance profitability in an evolving industry.

^{© Kodak, 2025. KODAK, EKTACOLOR, KODACHROME, OPTIMAX, PROSPER, PROSPER ULTRA and ULTRASTREAM are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.}