Datasheet
The New KODAK Ultima Picture Paper: A Question of Balance
In the last 10 years, tremendous strides have been made in inkjet printing. Today, inkjet
prints made on premium photo-quality inkjet papers are indistinguishable from traditional
photographs. Although advances in ink, hardware, and software technology have driven
most of these image quality improvements, there have also been significant contributions
as a result of improvements in the photo quality media.
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Compared to early glossy
coatings that consisted of a single layer with just one or two components, the new
KODAK Ultima Picture Paper is comprised of 9 layers as shown in Figure 1.
Ink Receiver
Photobase
Backing layers
-Protective overcoat
-Humectant management layer
-Ink absorbing layer
-Pigmented resin barrier
-Kodak Royal paper
-Clear resin barrier
-Antistatic coating
-Anticurl layer
-Ink resistant overcoat
Figure 1. Cross-section schematic of the new KODAK Ultima Picture Paper, showing
the 9 separate layers.
Balancing superior performance across all desktop printers from different manufacturers
and with different ink formulations is a daunting task. Selection of available materials,
development of new materials, and optimization of component levels and coating
coverages are all critical to the successful development of a new product. These results
are achieved through investment in the design and synthesis of novel materials, along
with careful experimentation and the use of experimental design. In the following
discussion, we’ll provide a description of the purpose and function of each of the layers
and some of the trade-offs faced in our attempt to balance image quality across such a
wide range of printing systems.
From top to bottom, following is a brief description of each layer:
1. Protective overcoat layer
• a thin, highly ink-permeable polymeric layer
• provides a non-tacky, abrasion-resistant surface after drying
• contains a proprietary ceramic nanoparticle, a unique composition of matter that
provides improved density and differential gloss without diminishing resistance to
light and pollutants
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