Photo service providers looking to differentiate and strengthen their positions in serving the ever expanding market for photo rich applications will find a number of unique capabilities and features in the digital press section of Kodak’s Photokina stand. The exhibit spotlights a recently introduced, unique in-line process for printing images with a tactile or dimensional effect that mirrors thermography.

The latest versions of photobook, personalization, image enhancement and photo authoring software, the ability to deliver spot color and attention grabbing glossing are featured with a KODAK NEXPRESS S3000 Digital Production Color Press with KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions.

Visitors to stand B-002 in Hall 5.2 will learn how KODAK NEXPRESS Presses provide an efficient solution for building, processing, printing and finishing photobooks, greeting cards, calendars, flip books and other items that capture the attention of consumers.

The new KODAK NEXPRESS Intelligent Dimensional Coating Solution and KODAK NEXPRESS Dimensional Clear Dry Ink give images a look and feel unlike any other and will change the way images are viewed. These two unique capabilities combine to create a raised or tactile printing effect that provides images with a dimensional feel that mimics the surface of the items in a photograph. Customers, for example, can print an image of an orange that feels like an orange. For added versatility, users can identify specific areas of the image to be raised and specify variable heights. Both photo service providers and their customers will have a “must have” approach for this distinctive look.

In conjunction with the KODAK NEXPRESS Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions, Dimensional Clear Dry Ink works with the wide range of substrates that NEXPRESS Presses support to further expand the applications that can be digitally produced. Raised text or graphics can be placed on materials such as photobooks, calendars, greeting cards, invitations, collateral, business cards, certificates or direct mail.

KODAK NEXPRESS Photobook Software Version 2.5 debuts at Photokina. With this integrated end to end solution for developing photobooks, consumers have the option of building and uploading their orders online or creating a photo product offline that can be placed on a removable media option and taken to a photo service provider for completion. Other features include templates for new applications such as brochures and ads, an enhanced user interface, and support for additional file formats and of the additional use of character sets for several eastern European languages.

To efficiently personalize digital photo products, KODAK DARWIN VDP Software Version 3.0 streamlines the process of creative content development while giving higher productivity to users with advanced and professional VDP requirements. The scaleable software integrates with KODAK Web Composition Solution and allows users to share templates on the KODAK INSITE Storefront System or through third party web to print solutions. A new graphical user interface makes working with DARWIN Version 3.0 Software even easier and more intuitive.

Other solutions for photo rich applications shown with the NEXPRESS S3000 Press include the KODAK NEXPRESS Image Enhancement Server and photo authoring software from photo service provider DigiLabs, Inc. The NEXPRESS Image Enhancement Server automatically makes image quality adjustments in the PDF file before it is sent to the KODAK NEXPRESS Front End, resulting in richer details and more vibrant colors.

The customized software from DigiLabs supports WINDOWS and MAC computer platforms, integrates with a print service provider’s existing back office system, and provides full support for the NEXPRESS Image Enhancement Server. The end result with these KODAK Photo Digital Solutions is an easy to use workflow for improved operational efficiency and image enhanced output that helps drive higher profitability.

Leaf, Kodak’s Digital Capture Group, will display its new medium format professional digital cameras and camera backs that were announced earlier this month, as well as the IQSMART3 Scanner. The LEAF AFi-II 10 Digital Camera System and the new line of LEAF APTUS-II Digital Camera Back Systems are featured at the Leaf stand, B-009 in Hall 4.2. With its 56 mm x 36 mm sensor, internal sensor rotation, pre shot cropping technology, outstanding image quality and a host of other new features, the AFi-II line serves as a flexible and easy to use medium format camera system.

Jaya Sinha/ITvoir Network