Eastman Kodak Co.

MANY INDUSTRY pundits were quick to label Drupa 2008 “The Digital Ink-jet Drupa,” given the technology previews shown by Kodak, HP, Océ, Screen and Fujifilm. Nonetheless, traditional sheetfed and web offset press manufacturers were just as diligent in showcasing their visions of the future. The massive German trade show could just as easily have been called “The Large-format Press Drupa”; or “The Short-run, Fast Makeready Offset Press Drupa”; or even “The Value-added Press Drupa.” These themes were very apparent from Heidelberg, which filled two entire halls, networked with its JDF-based Prinect workflow management system. Among Heidelberg’s several press debuts and upgrades, the centerpiece

The unveiling of the iGen4 may have been one of the best-kept secrets of Drupa 2008, but for sheer impressiveness, the numerous high-speed ink-jet printers may have taken the prize. HP’s massive Inkjet Web Press stretched across its exhibit, pumping out 400 feet per minute of 600x600-dpi color printing. Kodak kept its Stream Concept Press behind a barrier, which it lifted during presentations to show off the continuous ink-jet press, reportedly able to produce more than 500 feet per minute. Océ unveiled its JetStream 2200 ink-jet press, printing 714 feet per minute. Dainippon Screen was proud of its sheetfed ink-jet press, the

Both citing the rising cost of raw materials (petroleum and aluminum), Eastman Kodak Co. announced it will increase prices on a select range of consumable products across its businesses on a worldwide basis and Sun Chemical said it will increase prices for publication inks by 12 percent effective July 1. Kodak plans to raise prices by as much as 20 percent, depending on product line and geography. The increases will be rolled out by product group and geography in the coming weeks and the company expects them to be implemented by July 1. Greg Lawson, Sun Chemical’s vice president of sales, noted that spiraling

The University of Mississippi has installed a new five-color Kodak NexPress 2500 digital color printing system, which it plans to press into service to produce personalized recruitment materials. “More than anything else, the NexPress is going to help push the shop into personalized marketing and one-to-one variable data printing,” remarks Tony Seaman, director of Printing and Graphic Services. “That is the reason we went down this road.” Getting a Kodak digital press was a big move for this formerly all-Xerox shop. Seaman explains why his shop went this route in the cover story of the June issue of IPG.

WHEN YOU combine a vibrant, amiable group like the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) with a beautiful setting like Clearwater Beach, Fla., you have the recipe for an excellent event. Last month’s ACUP conference was exactly that. It brought together 130 in-plant managers from all over the world for four days of discussions, educational sessions and fun in the Florida sun.

You probably don’t need to be convinced that it is important to offer your customers a way to do business with you using the Internet. After all, print e-commerce, commonly referred to as Web-to-print, has been on the scene for more than a decade. Although the dot-com bust of 2001 put mass adoption on hiatus until the past couple of years, today it is not only an accepted way to do business, but an expected one. Web-to-print solutions address, among other things, consumers’ desire for self-service options. Do people really want to serve themselves? Yes—and more so every year. According to the third annual

Last month’s ACUP conference in Clearwater, Fla., was a great opportunity for in-plant managers to share their stories. Most of them have been very busy back home and had a lot to talk about. IPG Editor Bob Neubauer spoke with as many attendees as he could corner, to find out what’s been happening in their in-plants. Here’s what a few of them have been up to: • The University of Tennessee is replacing its four-color Heidelberg with a new four-color, 40˝ Heidelberg XL-105 with in-line coating and an image control system. The shop also purchased a pile turner for press stock preparation. • California

MAY DAY, observed as a holiday in his native England, proved to be a busy day for Tony Seaman. The director of Printing and Graphic Services at the University of Mississippi put the in-plant’s new five-color Kodak NexPress 2500 digital press into service on May 1, leaving little time to dance around the Maypole. Seaman, born in Binbrook, England, just outside of Oxford, admittedly deviated a bit from the in-plant’s norm with the addition of this machine. Traditionally utilizing Xerox equipment exclusively on the digital side of shop, Seaman decided on the Kodak digital press after comparing its features to that of the Xerox

I’M GETTING ready to leave Germany as I write this, having just completed a grueling four days at Drupa, the international print show held every four years in Düsseldorf. It was a hot time—and I mean that literally. Thanks to the mugginess, and a somewhat different interpretation of air conditioning in Germany, I spent most of my time sweating and fruitlessly fanning the air with whatever press literature I picked up. It didn’t help that each day was filled with extremely long walks—miles of back and forth trudges between the hot meeting rooms where press conferences were held and the 19 exhibit halls.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., MAY 2—More than 300 members of the Graphic Users Association (GUA) of Kodak Solutions gathered last week at the Wynn Las Vegas to learn about the latest techniques, products and best practices for advancing their graphic communications business. The GUA’s annual North American Conference, sponsored by Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, included 50 presentations and roundtable discussions. Subject matter experts from Kodak and the GUA exchanged information with attendees on a wide range of topics, such as workflow, color relationship management, growing a digital print business, the impact of offset class inkjet, sustainability, transitioning from a printer to marketing services provider, trends in