Kodak Ektacolor inks, which are used in Stream inkjet technology including the manufacturer’s Prosper 7000 Turbo Press, Prosper 6000 Press and Prosper Imprinting Systems, are specially formulated to create brighter, clearer, punchier print, at speeds that Kodak claimed are faster than any other commercial inkjet system on the market.
Ektacolor inks are available for both pigment and dye-based applications (Prosper Imprinting Systems only) to enable maximum versatility.
The inks are manufactured using Kodak's proprietary pigment micro-milling process, which creates extremely fine nanoparticle pigments with a very narrow size distribution.
The finer pigments make the ink easier to jet, reduce light scatter, and deliver ultra-thin dried ink layers as well as a superior colour gamut.
The inks contain no volatile organic compound (VOCs).
Kodak has also launched a range of Optimax primers. By applying these, the manufacturer said printers can avoid using expensive inkjet-treated papers and other speciality substrates.
Optimax primers are said to improve ink receptivity, ink adhesion, rub resistance, and image quality across a wide variety of substrates, including paper, cardboard, plastic, film, and metalised materials. They also facilitate the recyclability of printed products by improving deinkability.
Kodak will offer an Optimax enhanced primer for coated papers and an Optimax standard primer for uncoated papers. Optimax packaging primers are available for uncoated and coated corrugated and folding carton packaging applications, and personal care products, as well as for non-absorbent substrates such as plastic and film.
“The introduction of Kodachrome and Ektacolor inks and Optimax primers is just one example of the innovation and competitive differentiator that we continue to deliver to customers,” said Jim Continenza, executive chairman and CEO at Kodak.
“Along with our high-speed continuous inkjet technologies, these inks and primers create a complete inkjet ecosystem with perfectly matched components, all developed and manufactured in-house by Kodak. This helps printers produce a huge variety of applications efficiently, productively, and profitably.”
