Golden Business Forms, a commercial printer based in Golden City, Missouri, has upgraded its prepress operations with new Kodak equipment, doubling its plate-making capacity while eliminating chemical processing from the workflow.
Announced on October 21, 2026, the investment includes a KODAK TRENDSETTER Q400 SA Platesetter and KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates. The installation replaces the company’s 15-year-old ECRM Mako 800 computer-to-plate system and is intended to improve production efficiency without disrupting its around-the-clock printing schedule.
Production Capacity Rises to 30 Plates an Hour
Founded in 1963, Golden Business Forms operates a 70,000-square-foot facility producing ATM rolls, fanfold receipts, continuous and cut-sheet forms, and thermochecks. Its customers include independent distributors, print brokers and agencies.
The new platesetter can produce 30 plates per hour, twice the output of the previous system. By removing the need for a plate processor, the company can also eliminate processing chemicals and related inventory management tasks.
The technology uses Kodak’s SQUARESPOT imaging system, designed to deliver precise and consistent plate imaging. According to Kodak, eliminating the processing stage saves approximately two minutes per plate. At a production volume of 65 plates, this amounts to about 2.25 hours saved, with monthly savings exceeding 24 hours under the company’s stated operating assumptions.
The process-free system is also expected to reduce water and energy consumption, chemical use, maintenance requirements, production errors and plate remakes.
Installation Planned Around Continuous Operations
Because Golden Business Forms runs day and night production shifts, the transition required careful coordination to avoid interruptions in its pressroom schedule. The company worked with Kodak’s technical team to integrate the new equipment into its existing workflow.
David Hieber, the printer’s prepress lead, said the equipment’s speed and plate quality had met expectations during the initial period following installation. He also reported that the integration had proceeded smoothly.
Jeff Zellmer, Kodak’s vice president of Americas sales, said maintaining production continuity was a key consideration during the changeover.
The installation reflects Golden Business Forms’ move towards process-free platemaking, a method that removes conventional chemical processing from plate production. For the company, the upgrade combines higher output with fewer processing steps and lower resource requirements, while retaining its existing production schedule.
source: Golden Business Forms chooses Kodak for increased productivity | Kodak
