Kodak-manroland printhead relationship localised in ANZ

The relationship between Kodak and manroland which has seen the two work together to develop digital printheads on high-speed web-offset presses has led to a local distributor appointment in Australia and New Zealand. No corresponding announcement has yet been made for Asia. manroland Australasia will handle Kodak D and S series printheads integrated into web presses, seen as “a great opportunity” to extend into the web-fed print market by Kodak Australia managing director Steve Venn. manroland says a “significant number” of the printheads have been installed in ANZ, with most running more than one head. No newspaper sites are yet using the equipment, which imprints a ten-centimetre band of single-colour variable data at press speeds. manroland Australasia managing director Steve Dunwell says the Kodak inkjet printheads offer new business models and opportunities for our customers: “This is an easily integrated solution with flexibility to imprint at the full speed of the press, positioned anywhere on the web and with variable widths”. Kodak intends to hand over supplies and service to manroland, but will continue to deal direct with existing customers for the time being.