The new KODAK PROSPER 5000XLi Press represents another major step forward in digital print technology from one of the pioneers of inkjet imaging. Announced today at Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne, Switzerland, the new device combines the field-proven performance of the PROSPER Press Platform with new press management technology that constantly monitors and adjusts settings to ensure the highest quality output.
At the core of the new press is the Intelligent Print System (IPS), which is designed to process thousands of press inputs that measure imaging performance, detecting variations and making adjustments as needed on the fly. With IPS, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press continuously learns from the input and calculates imaging improvements to deliver measurably higher levels of print quality with industry-leading productivity. This improvement is achieved regardless of varying substrates, image content, web speed, and environmental conditions.
The PROSPER 5000XLi Press features the fastest, most accurate writing engine on the market. Kodak’s newly formulated nano-particulate pigment inks are matched to the PROSPER 5000XLi Press’s writing system, offering greater durability on coated papers and a color gamut up to 30 percent wider than offset printing. To help ensure crisp, readable output, the press also features a new text enhancement feature.
Mercury Print, a Rochester, N.Y.-based early adopter of inkjet printing for commercial and book printing applications, has been beta testing the new device. “At Mercury Print we strive to deliver products and services that exceed customer expectations and offer outstanding value,” noted Christian Schamberger, President, Mercury Print Productions. “Kodak’s PROSPER 5000XLi Press helps us do just that by providing superior quality, productivity and cost savings every day. This is a press to build and grow a business with.”
The Intelligent Print System on the PROSPER 5000XLi Press combines in-line video monitoring and advanced software controls to enable real-time adjustments that refine and optimize output color quality. The IPS adds value by tracking and evaluating pages and then making adjustments as needed to the more than 100,000 inkjet nozzles in each system. It includes:
• an in-line camera system to monitor color-to-color and front-to-back registration
• automatic or user-selectable stitch adjustments to align printheads and optimize quality
• multi-parameter monitoring and dynamic adjustment of cross-track, in-track, magnification, and skew performance
“The PROSPER Press Platform is a high-performance solution for a range of digital printing applications, such as direct marketing, commercial print, and publishing,” said Kodak’s Will Mansfield, Director of Marketing, Inkjet Printing Solutions. “The high speeds and large volumes these presses offer make it more important than ever to ensure the highest performance and quality throughout the print run. Automatic monitoring and on-the-fly adjustment of printing parameters do just that—enabling printers to achieve very high image quality and excellent color-to-color registration on a wide range of media, including glossy.”
To further maximize uptime and the production of sellable pages, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press features a number of innovations in its transport system that virtually eliminate page imperfections caused by paper stretching and wrinkling. The key advancements include an adaptive web stretch control system that uses advanced servo rollers and software algorithms to make automatic adjustments, as well as select rollers that have ribs and other advanced design features to minimize wrinkling. Additionally, user-adjustable nip settings in four locations help to smooth paper flow and ease press set-up.
In addition to the new capabilities provided by IPS, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press was engineered and built with a range of other features to optimize print speed, ensure smooth operation, and maximize productivity. These include an auto-adjusting intake system that simplifies changing paper stocks, a variable-length paper path to improve drying, and an advanced drying system that adjusts for ink load, web speed, and substrate.
“Our engineers are constantly working to improve every aspect of the printing process, and managing the media handling is a big part of that. Customers will see new revenue opportunities from the higher image quality and broader substrate support, while increasing profits with less waste and greater throughput. The PROSPER Press Platform is delivering billions of pages today, and with the latest enhancements, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press is poised to meet the needs of printers as they grow and expand their business,” added Mansfield.
Helping users further extend substrate options, the in-line KODAK PROSPER Image Optimizer Station (IOS ) automatically prepares commercially available substrates for inkjet printing at full press speeds, enabling users to run industry-standard uncoated, coated—and even glossy coated—papers between 45-300 gsm on roll widths from 8 to 25.5 inches (20.3-64.8 cm).
The PROSPER 5000XLi Press offers full process color perfecting with a print width of up to 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeters) at speeds up to 650 feet (200 meters) per minute with a duty cycle of 90 million A4 or US letter pages a month. The system is capable of print quality that rivals offset output—up to 175 lpi.
The PROSPER 5000XLi Press is commercially available today. As Kodak has traditionally provided upgrade paths for its presses, the PROSPER 5000XL Press is upgradeable to the XLi, thereby protecting current customer investments.