On February 29th, Kodak announced its next-generation inkjet-printing platform, ULTRASTREAM Inkjet Technology, which it will show for the first time worldwide at the drupa 2016 tradeshow being held May 31-June 10th in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Built on Kodak’s continuous inkjet Stream printing technology, Kodak says its new ULTRASTREAM Prosper 6000C press and XGV will move production-printing inkjet into the mainstream of commercial printing and package-printing. It says ULTRASTREAM features smaller ink-drop size and more precise ink-drop placement accuracy for higher resolution, cleaner lines, and more detailed definition.

ULTRASTREAM also features a high-resolution Writing System that includes a modular print head that can be implemented in varying widths, ranging from 8”, up to 97” to suit different applications. ULTRASTREAM will also be available with Kodak’s Digital Front End (DFE). At drupa 2016, visitors will see the ULTRASTREAM technology in an 8” configuration on a narrow-web press for label- and small-format printing, to showcase the high-resolution output as a result of smaller ink drop sizes and more accurate ink-drop placement.

ULTRASTREAM resolution is 600 x 1,800 dpi at speeds of up to 150 meters per minute (500 feet per minute) on various paper and plastic substrates, and it can handle applications such as narrow-web label  and package printing. It will also be available in a scanning-head configuration to enable wide-format printing with multiple heads installed on a moving carriage. Kodak also says its micro-milled nano-particulate inks deliver a 30-percent wider range of color gamut (available colors), and it can also provide spot colors.

drupa Demonstrations

Visitors to the Kodak at drupa can also see demonstrations of the Kodak Prosper 6000C press with inline document-finishing. Printing at 300 meters per minute (1,000 feet per minute), the press will be running with a MEGTEC automatic roll splicer and multiple inline document-finishing solutions for running two different applications; magazines and catalogs printed on lightweight coated paper and finished with a Manroland web systems FoldLine, as well as commercial applications that will be post coated with an i-WEB post coater and finished with a VITS multicut variable servo sheeter.

For Flexo, gravure, and offset printers, Kodak will demonstrate its Extended Gamut + Varnish(XGV) technology for flexible films produced on narrow-web. It will feature seven of its S-Series Printing Systems printing on flexible films, which are capable of printing CMYK and an extended gamut of CMYK plus orange, green and violet, to match a broader spectrum of Pantone colors used in label and  package printing. The demonstration will also feature an additional station printing water-based digital varnish.

Also featured will be Kodak’s 49” inkjet-printing technology Writing System. This wider Writing System is designed to bring Kodak inkjet printing into the wide-format printing market, including wide-format printing for home décor and signage. The This is Inkjet! Loft on the Kodak drupa booth will feature an apartment decorated with Kodak Stream digitally printed products, including laminate flooring, countertops, furniture, wallpaper, napkins, and water bottles.

More Resources

• March 2015: New Next-Generation Kodak NEXPRESS ZX3900 Digital Color Press Prints on Thicker Paper, Synthetic Substrates
• October 2015: Loss for Kodak’s Third Quarter, but Says ‘On Track’ to Meet 2015 Earnings Goals
• August 2015: To Meet Increased Demand for Chemical-Free SONORA Plates, Kodak Expands Manufacturing Plant
• August 2015: Smaller Loss for Kodak, Commerical Printing Sales and Revenue on the Upswing
• May 2015: Kodak Reports Loss for Quarter, but Says Financial Picture Improving
• March 2015: Kodak Reports Loss for its Fourth Quarter, Revenue Slides
• February 2015: Kodak’s New PROSPER 1000 Inkjet Production Printer Prints at 1,000 Feet per Minute
• December 2014: Kodak Looks to Become Faster, More Competitive with Reorganization
• November 2014: In Landmark Third Quarter, Kodak Returns to Profitability