Kodak said the $885,000 (£640,500) press is designed for lower running costs, higher speed and higher imaging quality. It is targeted at high-volume printers that focus on direct mail, marketing collateral, short-run publishing, short-run labels and tags, retail signage and POS.
Using Kodak’s dynamic imaging technology, it increases the density of information to be imaged by four times compared with the NexPress, offering 1,200dpi and 256 exposure levels to increase detail in highlight and shadow areas.
“Nexfinity extends Kodak’s portfolio of digital printing technology,” said NexPress product manager Len Christopher. “It is designed give digital printers greater versatility to print an even wider range of applications, with high quality, speed, and consistent imaging whether it's just one or millions of impressions.
“We will continue to sell NexPress ZX and ECO2500 presses as part of our digital sheetfed portfolio. We expect that high-volume NexPress customers will be interested in Nexfinity to expand their productivity and grow page volume.”
The five-colour Nexfinity is designed to compete with Xerox’s iGen 5, HP’s Indigo 7 Series and 12000, and inkjet engines like the Canon Océ VarioPrint i300. Its dynamic imaging technology automatically optimises images in real time using computational screening algorithms.
Its print stations are on rails, so the colour order can be switched around – particularly important for users printing white onto clear or dark substrates.
Kodak claims that the Nexfinity's range of application capabilities is its broadest yet, and when launched it will be able to be into integrated into a wide variety of workflow and finishing setups. It can run at speeds from 83 to 152ppm and comes with a 48in (1.2m) longsheet option as standard.
Up to four Nexfinity machines can be run side-by-side using Kodak’s multi-press station and all of the new presses are powered by the new Nexfinity DFE, developed to handle the higher imaging requirements of the platform.
Previewed at Drupa in 2016, the Nexfinity was initially named the NexPress Max and was beta tested in the US last year. The machine will be distributed by Kodak in the UK upon its to-be-confirmed spring 2018 release date.
