The manufacturer has reported a surge in uptake of Sonora, its second-generation process-free plate technology.
"A technology can shift a market when there's enough momentum behind it. We're on the verge of that shift to process-free now," said Rich Rindo, Kodak general manager of worldwide graphics marketing and vice president of its graphics, entertainment and commercial films division.
"Kodak and Creo coming up with the first thermal CTP system in 1995 is an example of that sort of shift, although that took longer than we think will happen with process-free."
Kodak has signed up 900 Sonora customers in less than a year, whereas it took four years for its first generation Thermal Direct plate to reach 1,500 accounts.
"The know-how gained since we launched Thermal Direct in 2008, and the time with the technology has got us to Sonora, a new class of plate. Its USP is its mainstream capabilities. It can handle about 70% of print applications now," Rindo stated.
Sonora is a negative working thermal plate that is taken directly to the press after exposure. It has a special coating that 'swells' when it is contact with fount solution during makeready. The non-image area then sticks to the ink during the first few makeready sheets and is removed. This typically takes around 10 sheets.
Currently Sonora is suitable for sheetfed run lengths up to 100,000, heatset or coldest web offset runs up to 200,000, and UV sheetfed up to 10,000. Kodak expects to expand these capabilities with coming versions of the plate, particularly the UV aspect.
“We believe we can get to 85-90% of print applications with the next version,” Rindo added.
Kodak cites economic, environmental and process stability as the key benefits for users.
It has an ROI calculator that incorporates country-to-country variables such as waste disposal costs, and claims that typical savings range from 10-25% of pre-press costs.
A printer using 20,000sqm of plates a year could save as much as €76,000 (£62,000) per annum, said Rindo.
"One euro can make a lot of difference. Here is a way to improve margins. The important part is the environmental and economic benefits, plus the performance of the product. There is no sacrifice."
Sonora user Lynn Tosh, managing director at Imega Print Group in Harrow, switched to Sonora after his business merged with Argent Group last year, leading to a jump in the volumes of plates needed.
The firm carried out an in-depth evaluation of the processless plates on the market before selecting Kodak.
"It's a winner all down the line, they've actually got this right," he said. "I can’t imagine going back to processed plates.”
Kodak has invested $6m (£3.5m) converting one of the three plate lines at its huge Osterode manufacturing facility in Germany to make Sonora, although this has come at the expense of its Leeds site in the UK, which is to close next year.
