TORONTO—Kodak has unveiled the Prosper 6000 inkjet web press, which the company says expands the reach of inkjet beyond transpromo, direct mail and books, into catalogs, journals, inserts and manuals, among other commercial applications. Kodak says it is able to do this by laying down more ink than previous generations of presses, printing on standard offset stock, including glossy paper, and increasing output.


The new Prosper 6000

The company briefed media last week about the new device, which was described as a clean-sheet approach to a new platform with 20 patent-pending innovations and a traditional press design that makes it feel like a familiar offset press. “This feels like a high-speed perfecting press. It does not feel like a digital press,” said Will Mansfield, worldwide marketing director for inkjet printing at Kodak.

The press, with innovations in transport, drying, and writing systems, along with press management technology will be ready for order taking this summer starting at US $3.2 million. Here’s an overview:

• Web width of 8” to 25.5”

• The platform handles both treated inkjet paper and standard offset paper, including glossy stock.

• It comes in two versions: the 6000C is designed for commercial print applications that require high ink coverage. It handles substrate range from 42 gsm to 270 gsm, including 12 pt. card stock, and boasts speeds up to 300 metres per minute, or 200 metres per minute on glossy stock that requires higher coverage.

• The 6000P is meant for lighter paper and low to medium ink coverage. Its substrate range is 42 gsm to 125 gsm and it slows down a bit to 100 metres per minute on glossy substrates.

• Both models feature two paper paths based on ink coverage: the baseline path is intended for uncoated papers that want less than 20% ink coverage: the extended path is for coated papers and ink coverage that exceeds 20%.

• The presses run with newly formulated 4-colour, aqueous inks with very fine particles which Kodak has called nano particles. The inks promise to provide a greater colour gamut saturation and vibrancy because the press can lay down more aqueous ink than has been possible till now on an inkjet press. This gives a heightened visual appearance, though the actual resolution of the press has not been bumped up. The new inks will carry the same price as existing inkjet inks and will be backward compatible with existing Prosper models.

• The higher ink coverage, along with the ability to print on non-treated glossy stock, is made possible by enhanced drying capabilities on the machine.

• The presses are powered by an advanced Intelligent Print System (IPS) that continuously monitors, evaluates and adjusts operations such as colour and registration on the fly. It features enhanced wrinkle and print artifacts, and a redesigned roller system that stretches the paper.

•The press can be installed in optional configurations, including 90 ft. straight, or in an L or U configuration.

• The new Prosper comes with an enhanced 700 print manager digital front end.