Kodak

The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak, is an American company that became famous for its products related to film photography. Headquartered in Rochester, New York and incorporated in New Jersey, Kodak brought photographic film to the mass market for the first time.

Kodak started as a partnership between George Eastman and Henry A. Strong to develop a film roll camera. After releasing the Kodak camera, the company was officially created on May 23, 1892. Under Eastman’s leadership, Kodak grew into one of the world’s largest makers of film and cameras. The company developed many popular camera models, like the Brownie and Instamatic. The phrase “Kodak moment” became common, describing a special event worth recording.

In the late 1990s, Kodak faced challenges from competitors like Fujifilm and the shift to digital photography, even though Kodak had created early digital camera technology in the 1970s. Despite trying to adapt, Kodak filed for bankruptcy in January 2012. After restructuring, the company emerged in 2013 and continued making digital printing products, motion picture film, and still film. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Kodak also began producing materials for pharmaceuticals.

History

Name

George Eastman loved the letter k. He and his mother, Maria, created the name Kodak using an anagrams set. Eastman wanted a name that was short, easy to say, and not like any other name. In 1888, he officially registered Kodak as a trademark.

Founding

In 1880, Eastman partnered with Henry Strong, and they started the Eastman Dry Plate Company on January 1, 1881. They sold dry plates for cameras. In 1884, the company changed its name to the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company. Eastman invented new ways to make film and continued to improve cameras.

The Kodak camera

In 1888, Eastman created the Kodak camera. It was a simple box camera with a lens and a way to change the film. The camera came with a roll of film and could be sent to Eastman’s office to be developed and returned with new film. This made photography easy and popular.

Expansion

In the early 1900s, Kodak grew quickly. They made new cameras, like the Brownie, which was affordable for children. Kodak also supplied film for movies and set up factories in many countries. During World War I, they trained pilots and made materials for the war effort.

Labor relations

Kodak offered good benefits to its workers, like insurance and retirement plans. They wanted to keep workers happy and avoid unions. However, they mostly hired people from certain backgrounds and did not hire everyone equally.

Great Depression

The Great Depression hurt Kodak, and they had to lay off workers. Founder George Eastman passed away in 1932. Kodak started some programs to help workers find jobs, but it was hard for everyone.

World War II

During World War II, Kodak made many things for the war, like film and cameras. They also worked on secret government projects. After the war, Kodak grew even more, making cameras and film for space exploration and everyday use.

Post-war expansion

After the war, Kodak became very successful. They made new kinds of film and cameras. They also started working on secret government projects during the Cold War.

Rivalry with Fujifilm

In the 1980s, a Japanese company named Fujifilm started selling cheaper film in the U.S. This made it harder for Kodak to sell as much film. Both companies tried to move into digital photography.

Shift to digital

Kodak was one of the first companies to work on digital cameras. They made important discoveries that are used in today’s digital cameras and phones. But they were slow to fully switch from film to digital.

New strategy

In the 2000s, Kodak tried to change its business. They closed many factories and stopped making film cameras. They focused on digital technology and new products like printers.

Bankruptcy

Kodak’s money problems grew, and in 2012, they filed for bankruptcy. They sold many of their patents and changed their business to focus on digital printing and imaging for businesses.

Post-bankruptcy

After bankruptcy, Kodak started making a profit again. They licensed their name to other companies for cameras, phones, and tablets. They also continued to make film for movies and hobbyists.

Current products and services

Kodak is organized into four main business areas: Traditional Print, Digital Print, Advanced Material & Chemicals (including Motion Picture), and Brand (licensing of consumer products made by other companies).

Kodak is a key supplier of film to the American movie industry. It also offers packaging, printing, graphics, and professional services for businesses around the world.

Kodak Alaris, based in the UK, owns the rights to still photographic films and photo kiosks. These rights were part of Kodak’s 2012 bankruptcy agreement. In 2020, some rights were sold to a company in China, but in 2023, these rights went back to Kodak, who then licensed them again.

Advanced materials and chemicals

Materials

• KodaCOLOR Fabric Inks
• KodaLUX Fabric coating
• Silver Anti-microbial materials and coatings

Chemicals

• Toll manufacturing of specialty chemicals

Industrial films

• Kodak Aerocolor IV 125 2460 Color Negative Aerial Film
• Kodak ACCUMAX plotter films for printed circuit boards
• Kodak ESTAR polyester films

Motion picture

Since the 2000s, most movies have been made and distributed digitally, but some filmmakers still use film to get certain effects.

Movie camera films come in 8mm, 16mm, 35mm and 65mm sizes. In addition to the camera films listed below, several motion picture technical stocks are also produced, e.g., inter-negatives, duplication sound, and final print films, together with the process chemicals.

Camera films

• Black & white negative stock
  • Kodak Double X 5222/7222
• Black & white reversal stock
  • Kodak Tri-X 7266
• Color negative stocks
  • Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203
  • Kodak Vision 3 250D 5207/7207
  • Kodak Vision 3 200T 5213/7213
  • Kodak Vision 3 500T 5219/7219
• Color reversal stocks
  • Kodak Ektachrome 100D 7294

Still film

Eastman Kodak makes Kodak-branded still films but after its bankruptcy in 2012, the rights to sell, market, and distribute these products were held by Kodak Alaris. However in September 2025 Eastman Kodak began to distribute consumer films directly in US and Canada, coinciding with the launch of revived Kodacolor 100/200 branded films, professional films following in January 2026 leading to some films being renamed in those markets.

Eastman Kodak also does contract coating and/or packaging for other still film brands, including Cinestill (remjet-free versions of color movie films), Lomography color negative films, and Fujifilm. Due to shortage of still films, 35mm motion picture stock has also been made available to still film consumers by 3rd parties such as Flic Film.^{[better source needed]}

• B&W negative film
  • Kodak Tri-X 320
  • Kodak Tri-X 400
  • Kodak TMAX 100 (Ektapan in US/Canada)
  • Kodak TMAX 400 (Ektapan in US/Canada)
  • Kodak TMAX P3200 (Ektapan in US/Canada)
• Color negative film (consumer)
  • Kodacolor 100
  • Kodacolor 200
  • Kodak ColorPlus 200
  • Kodak ProImage 100
  • Kodak Gold 200
  • Kodak Ultramax 400
  • Kodak Ultramax 800 (Single-use cameras)
• Color negative film (professional)
  • Kodak Ektar 100
  • Kodak Portra 160 (Ektacolor in US/Canada)
  • Kodak Portra 400 (Ektacolor in US/Canada)
  • Kodak Portra 800 (Ektacolor in US/Canada)
• Color reversal film
  • Kodak Ektachrome E100

Traditional and digital printing

Kodak makes commercial inkjet printers, electrophotographic printing equipment, and related supplies and services. Currently, Kodak sells the Prosper, Nexfinity, and Uteco lines of commercial printers, and the Prosper and Versamark imprinting systems. Kodak designs and makes products for flexography printing through its Flexcel brand. The company has also sold a line of computer to plate (CTP) devices since 1995.

The company currently works with touch-panel producers for functional printing, including ones with UniPixel, announced on April 16, 2013, and Kingsbury Corp., launched on June 27, 2013.

In 1997, Heidelberg Printing Machines AG and Eastman Kodak Co. created Nexpress Solutions LLC, a joint venture to develop a digital color printing press for the high-end market segment. Heidelberg bought Eastman Kodak Co.'s Office Imaging black and white digital printing activities in 1999. In March 2004, Heidelberg moved its Digital Print division to Kodak under mutual agreement.

Brand

The Kodak brand is used on several consumer products made by other companies, such as the PIXPRO line of digital cameras made by JK Imaging.

Batteries

Kodak uses its brand on alkaline, lithium, hearing aid and button cell batteries.

Professional photo chemistry

The brand rights to Kodak professional photo chemistry went to Kodak Alaris in 2012 as part of the bankruptcy settlement. In 2020, Alaris sold these rights to Sino Promise, a Chinese supplier of the color chemistry for minilabs. However, in early 2023, Sino Promise decided to stop this business; this allowed Photo Systems Inc. US, who had made some of the products for Kodak Alaris, to buy the brand rights directly from Eastman Kodak in September 2023, with the plan to bring back the full range of black & white, and C-41, RA-4 and E6 color photochemistry.

Former products and services

Photographic film and paper

Kodak still makes special films and newer types of film, but it stopped making many older kinds of film. One famous old film was called Kodachrome.

Kodak used to make paper for printing pictures, but it stopped making black-and-white photo paper in 2005. All paper-making was moved to another company in 2013.

Still film cameras

Kodak sold film cameras from the very beginning, starting in 1888. Two very popular cameras were the Brownie, sold from 1900 to 1986, and the Instamatic, sold from 1968 to 1988.

In 1982, Kodak made a new small camera using disc film, but it didn’t sell well and was stopped in 1988.

On January 13, 2004, Kodak said it would stop selling traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, but would keep selling them in other places like India and China. By 2005, Kodak stopped making cameras that used a special film system. In 2006, Kodak let another company make cameras with the Kodak name.

Slide projectors

Kodak bought the idea for a slide projector from an inventor in the early 1960s. The Carousel line of projectors started in 1962, and Kodak stopped making them in 2004.

One early Kodak product used a screen that could show computer pictures without a regular projector. It was good for small groups but had some problems.

Instant cameras

Kodak provided film for another company’s instant cameras until 1969. In 1976, Kodak started selling its own instant cameras. After a legal fight, Kodak stopped making instant cameras in 1986.

Image sensors

In the 1970s, Kodak began studying special parts that help cameras see, called image sensors. Kodak made the first very good sensor in 1987 and later made more advanced ones.

Kodak created a special way to show colors in digital cameras in 1976. In 2011, Kodak sold this part of its business to another company.

Floppy disks

In 1983, Kodak made a new kind of floppy disk, but it was not very popular. Kodak bought a company that made floppy disks in 1985 but sold it in 1990.

Digital cameras

Kodak made digital cameras in the 1990s and 2000s but stopped in 2012. They made cameras that were easy to use and share pictures from. One camera in 2006 was very thin but could zoom a lot.

Kodak bought parts of another camera company in 2004 and worked with another company to make its cameras.

Digital picture frames

Kodak made digital picture frames starting in 2000. These frames could show pictures from online services. Kodak made new frames again in 2007 but stopped in 2012.

Kodak Gallery

In 2001, Kodak bought a website where people could put and print their pictures. In 2012, Kodak sold this website to another company.

Light-emitting diodes

Kodak did research on special lights called LEDs and made some of the first ones that could be used in many products.

Medical technology

Kodak made film for medical pictures starting in 1896. In the 1970s, Kodak made machines to test body chemistry. Kodak sold this part of its business in 2007.

Document imaging

Kodak began helping banks image checks in the 1920s. Kodak bought a company that made scanning machines in 2009 but later moved this part to another company.

Photocopiers and duplicators

Kodak made copiers starting in 1975. Kodak sold this part of its business in 1996.

Consumer inkjet printers

Kodak made home printers with a partner company. Kodak made its own printers starting in 2007, but they did not sell well and Kodak stopped making them in 2013.

Photo kiosks

Kodak put machines in stores where people could print their pictures starting in 1988. These machines added many features over time. Kodak installed over 100,000 of these machines before moving them to another company in 2013.

Photography On Demand

Kodak started a service in 2016 to help people and businesses with photography. It was not very successful and stopped in 2020.

Motion picture and TV production

Kodak made films for home movies and briefly made tapes for television in the 1980s. Kodak also owned companies that helped make movies and TV shows but sold them between 2010 and 2013.

Operations

Since 2015, Kodak has focused on five main areas: Print Systems, Enterprise Inkjet Systems, Micro 3D Printing and Packaging, Software and Solutions, and Consumer and Film. The company's main office is in Kodak Tower in downtown Rochester, New York. One of its big factories in the United States is Eastman Business Park, where they make film.

Kodak has companies in different parts of the world. Some of their old factories were in places like Coburg near Melbourne, Toronto at Kodak Heights, and Xiamen in China. Today, they still make products in Osterode am Harz, Germany.

Kodak Teenage Film Awards

Since 1962, Kodak has worked with groups like the University Film and Video Association and the Council on International Nontheatrical Events to hold an annual contest called the Teenage Film Awards. Young people aged 19 and under could enter short films made on 8mm, Super 8, or 16mm film, on any topic they chose.

In 1974, Eric Goldberg won the top prize with his Super-8 film. In 1971, Jay Sumsion, a director at KBYU-TV, took second place. Charles S. Cohen and Carl Weingarten each received special recognition for their entries.

Notable people

Scientists

Here are some important scientists who worked at Kodak:

• Albert Brault, chemist
• Bryce Bayer, color scientist (1929–2012)
• Harry Coover, polymer chemist (1917–2011)
• Peter L. P. Dillon, physicist
• F. J. Duarte, laser physicist and author (left in 2006)
• Marion B. Folsom, statistician (1893–1976)
• Loyd A. Jones, camouflage physicist (1884–1954)
• Maurice Loyal Huggins, polymer scientist (1897–1981)
• Rudolf Kingslake, optical designer (1903–2003)
• David MacAdam, color scientist (1910–1998)
• Kenneth Mees, film scientist and founder of the research laboratories (1882–1960)
• Perley G. Nutting, physicist and founder of OSA (1873–1949)
• Steven Sasson, electrical engineer
• Ludwik Silberstein, physicist (1872–1948)
• Steven Van Slyke, OLED scientist (left in 2010)
• Warren J. Smith, optical engineer (1922–2008)
• Ching W. Tang, OLED scientist (left in 2006)
• John Texter, physical chemist and materials scientist (1978–1998)
• Arthur Widmer, Special Effects Film Pioneer and receiver of an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award of Commendation (1914–2006)

Photographers

• Jeannette Klute, research photographer (1918–2009)

Archive donation

See also: George Eastman House

In 2005, Kodak Canada gave all of its old company papers to Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Ryerson University Library also got a big group of items about the history of photography from a private group of people in Rochester, New York. The Kodak Archives started in 1909 and have many things like old cameras, photos, files, magazines, price lists, and more. This collection also includes items from the Kodak Heritage Collection Museum, which was set up in 1999 to celebrate Kodak Canada's 100th year but was closed in 2005 when Kodak stopped using its big factory in Mount Dennis, Toronto.

Controversies and lawsuits

Kodak faced many legal challenges over the years. One big issue was about patents. In the early 1900s, Kodak was sued by another company, Ansco, for using a film invention that belonged to inventor Hannibal Goodwin. The lawsuit lasted many years and ended with Kodak paying a large amount of money.

Another challenge came in 1911 when the government investigated Kodak for controlling prices and buying out competitors. This led to a legal agreement in 1921 that required Kodak to change some of its business practices.

In the 1960s, Kodak was also criticized for not hiring enough African-American workers. A group called F.I.G.H.T. (Freedom, Integration, God, Honor—Today) worked to change this, and Kodak agreed to hire more people through a training program.

Kodak also had a long legal battle with Polaroid over instant cameras. After Polaroid won the case, Kodak had to stop making its own instant cameras and pay a large settlement.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Kodak faced issues with pollution at its factories. The company had to pay fines and spend money on cleaning up contaminated areas.

In 2020, Kodak was offered a large loan to help make medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there were questions about how the deal was handled, and some investigations followed.

In 2021, Kodak removed a social media post about Xinjiang after comments about the treatment of people there, saying its page was not for political topics.

Leadership

The Eastman Kodak Company has had many leaders over the years. Some of the important presidents include Henry A. Strong from 1884 to 1919, George Eastman from 1919 to 1925, and Daniel A. Carp from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2002 to 2003. The position of president was removed in 2013.

Important chairmen of the board include George Eastman from 1925 to 1934 and Antonio M. Pérez from 2005 to 2013, who continues in the role today.