Kodak says it has a revolutionary new product line for the consumer inkjet industry -- with pigment-based inks that will save consumers up to 50 percent on everything they print as compared to other printers on the market.
Kodak hopes to convince consumers that its printers, at a slightly higher cost than competitors, deliver much better long-term value thanks to lower-cost inks.
Kodak's ink is priced at $9.99 for a cartridge of black ink and $14.99 for a five-ink color cartridge. Replacement ink cartridges from other brands can range from $30 to $85 each, Kodak says. ["Based on this pricing, replacement ink, when bought by the cartridge, could cost in the range of $4,000 to $5,000 per gallon."] A value pack brings the price per print down to about 10 cents, Kodak says, while an HP value pack yields a cost-per-print of about 29 cents.
On average, consumers who spend $15 on color ink can print 105 4x6 photos with the new system, compared to only 48 4x6 photos from the leading competitors, Kodak claims.
CHANGING HABITS
While overall printing is down, Kodak argues that consumers will print more if their cost-per-print is more reasonable. The company says its surveys show that more than 70 percent of people limit their own printing or that of their children --and of those, about 30 percent say they would print more if ink were priced lower.
To help make its case, Kodak also launched the "inkisit" website, with "an entertaining look at issues surrounding traditionally high-cost ink." The site includes interactive games; videos of a comedic, mock-TV show called "Ink Is It" -- and a print-cost calculator for consumers to determine how much they are currently spending on ink.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Kodak says its new systems use a nano-sized particle developed years ago, one that builds on work done in film emulsions.
The three new multifunction printers share a common printhead and other core functions.
Kodak says its micro-electro-mechanical-systems printhead architecture uses two different nozzle sizes that produce 2.7 and 6.5 picoliter drop sizes.
Kodak says the color gamut of its pigments exceeds dye-based inkjets, and the prints have a longevity of 100 years.
The color cartridge has four colors, and a clear gloss optimizer that is overlaid on white parts of the image to ensure an even gloss to the print.
The printers have permanent printheads, rather than in each individual cartridge as with some competing hardware.
They can print borderless photos up to 8.5x11 inches.
The base model is the 5100, at $149. It can scan and copy as well as print 22 pages per minute in color.
The 5300 is $199 and adds a 3-inch LCD and storage card slots.
The 5500 at $299 includes fax functionality as well as an automatic document feeder and a duplexer attachment.
The printers will retail exclusively at Best Buy.
The total market revenue for inkjet printers, when combined with ink and media, is more than $45 billion per year according to Lyra.
2/9/07
-- Paul Worthington
