US based paper maker Glatfelter has announced eight new substrates in its Pixelle product line that have been optimised specifically for Kodak Prosper inkjet web presses. Each has been assessed within Kodak’s new Paper Rating Program. So far there’s been no confirmation of whether they will be available in Europe.
‘In the current market, users are concerned about the limited availability of reliable inkjet papers with no standards for comparison,’ said Kodak. ‘With partners such as Glatfelter unveiling eight rated papers at once, Prosper Press users can rest assured that they will have a wide variety of papers from which to choose, and can depend on those papers for consistent performance.’
The Glatfelter Papers recognised in the Paper Rating Program include:
Transform Laser MOCR-1 diamond
Pixelle CAD Bond-1 diamond
Pixelle Antique Natural-3 diamond
Pixelle Book-3 diamond
Pixelle Restorecote P-3 diamond
Pixelle Superior Duo Matte-3 diamond
Engineering Bond P-3 diamond
Pixelle Bond P-3 diamond
Glatfelter has made production inkjet papers in the North American markets, in particular for Kodak’s Versamark inkjet presses, for more than five years. It claims to offer one of the broadest ranges of inkjet papers-including uncoated, treated and coated papers.
Kodak developed its Paper Rating Program to determine the expected image quality characteristics of printing papers. It measures image quality using a variety of factors and then ranks each substrate using a rating system that ranges from one to five diamonds.
The metrics used for paper surface assessment are: black optical density, show through, line raggedness, and for colour printing, colour to colour bleed and mottle/uniformity. The results are simplified into the five diamond rating system. The company said that the benefit for customers is the ability to immediately know the image quality potential of a given paper, and with that information, make application-specific decisions based on economics and quality.
‘Often times, two papers look the same but can have very different results based on their chemistry and physical properties, as well as the inkjet printing technologies being used,’ noted Don Burns, Kodak’s business development director for media. ‘We’re using our knowledge of imaging science and surface science to support our customers’ business. This system makes it easier for Prosper press owners to choose the best substrate and achieve outstanding inkjet results.’
According to Kodak, ‘hundreds of papers are currently being evaluated, and paper manufacturers continue to improve surface quality and economics through what they learn.’ The program is designed for ISO compliance and is being rolled out globally during this year.
Contact: www.glatfelter.com and graphics.kodak.com