This year, Kodak is celebrating the 30th anniversary of a technology that changed and improved prepress and on press processes. Kodak manufactured and first introduced thermal plate imaging at drupa 1995, and Creo (acquired by Kodak in 2005) developed the first thermal platesetter. This unveiling of disruptive technology was the starting point for the fundamental transformation of the CTP market towards thermal imaging.

Compared to visible-light CTP technology, thermal imaging offered significant advantages in terms of stability, image quality and ease of handling. Kodak Squarespot Technology set a new standard, ensuring better reliability and greater operational efficiency. With up to 10,000-dpi resolution, Squarespot meets modern pressroom demands with precise dot reproduction, sharp details, smooth gradients, and accurate registration. It significantly reduces errors and rework, optimizing process control, minimizing downtime, reducing waste, and increasing output, making it indispensable in challenging production environments. In addition, thermal technology laid the foundations for the development of process-free offset plates, in which Kodak now plays a leading role.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) became the world’s first user of this innovation when it put a thermal platesetter into operation in 1995.

“As a leader in adopting new technology solutions, RRD has always viewed innovation as a major driver of our future business success.  Our partners play a critical role in this and we’re proud to have been the first printer in the world to use Kodak’s thermal plate imaging solution 30 years ago. Over time, in collaboration with Kodak, we’ve contributed to the development and improvement of the technology,” says Alan Gardner, SVP of global engineering and process management, RRD. “We celebrate the milestone of this landmark innovation with Kodak and look forward to the continued growth of our successful partnership.”

Today, RRD continues to rely on thermal CTP and plate technology from Kodak.

Kodak has continued to innovate and improve its thermal platesetter and plate products over the past three decades. Today, Kodak is one of the largest CTP manufacturers in the world with a comprehensive portfolio that includes the world’s fastest 8-up platesetter, VLF and XLF platesetters offering market-leading productivity and a wide variety of sophisticated automation options. When it comes to printing plates, Kodak says its Sonora Process Free Plates are the world’s most popular process-free plates used by more than 6,000 printers worldwide.

Even 30 years after thermal CTP’s inception, cutting-edge Kodak solutions are an obvious choice for printers. Speaking about his company’s experience and recent investment in an ultra-modern Kodak CTP solution, Laurent Pollina, president of Imprimerie Pollina, France, said: “For over 20 years we have relied on the outstanding consistency and precise reproducibility of Kodak Squarespot Imaging Technology and the tremendous productivity of Kodak platesetters. By investing in the new Magnus Q3600 Titan Platesetter with Multi-Pallet Loader automation, we have significantly modernized and streamlined our platemaking. Our decision in favor of Kodak’s most state-of-the-art VLF platesetter was also influenced by the excellent experience we have had with the Kodak Service & Support team and Kodak’s plate experts.”

“Celebrating 30 years of innovation in thermal imaging is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence and our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology,” comments Jim Continenza, executive chairman and chief executive officer, Kodak. “As we mark this significant milestone, we are inspired to continue leading the industry with highly automated, cutting-edge solutions that empower our customers to profitably achieve their business goals.”