Four years after installing a Kodak NexPress 2500 digital color press, University of Oklahoma Printing & Mailing Services has just upgraded to a NexPress SX3300. The new digital press brings a 31 percent boost in speed, improved quality output and a new set of ink solutions that will allow the 94-employee in-plant to produce scores of specialty applications.
The biggest improvement, though, is the installation of a new 36˝ feeder for the NexPress. OU is the first in-plant to add this feeder.
“You can do two-up 11x17˝,” enthuses Administrator John Sarantakos. This will be a big help on items like six-panel brochures. Adding the feeder enables the printer’s speed to increase to 109 pages per minute.
The SX3300 uses newly reformulated Kodak NexPress HD Dry Inks and Developer, which feature a smaller particle size and bring a noticeable improvement in quality. New Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions will create opportunities for new types of products:
- Red Fluorescing Dry Ink, which is clear when printed on top of images but fluoresces a red color under UV light, will provide a security feature for tickets.
- Gold Ink will offer a variety of gold-toned tints for use on certificates, business cards, direct mail and more.
- Pearlescent will use a clear ink to produce an eye-catching sparkle effect for marketing pieces.
- The in-plant also uses Dimensional Clear Dry Ink to create a clear “raised” layer on top of a page for a tactile effect.
OU has Red Fluorescing currently, and Gold and Pearlescent will be available in the second and third quarters.
Sarantakos intends to keep the SX3300 very busy, both with new types of work and short-run jobs moved to the NexPress from the in-plant’s five-color, 29˝ manroland press.
“My intention is to run that thing three shifts,” he says.
- Companies:
- Eastman Kodak Co.
- Manroland
- People:
- John sarantakos
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.