ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 21, 2005 -- Eastman Kodak Company has provided a KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 digital production color press to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Printing Applications Laboratory for use in its comprehensive Substrate Qualification Program. Originally created by NexPress Solutions, Inc. and operated in a Kiel, Germany testing center, the Substrate Qualification Program for the NEXPRESS 2100 digital production color press was recently transferred to RIT. The industry-wide program benefits both printers and paper manufacturers by providing a full spectrum of results for using hundreds of substrates for a wide variety of commercial presses. "We were very pleased to recently transfer NexPress' Substrate Qualification Program to RIT's Printing Applications Laboratory to be part of RIT's industry-wide program that benefits both print providers and paper manufacturers," says Cumar Sreekumar, Ph.D., vice president, systems integration and manufacturing development, NexPress Solutions, Inc. "With the Substrate Qualification Program, not only do users of the KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 press have a wider range of offset, digital, and specialty substrates, but also they are able to achieve high-quality printing with cost-saving results by optimizing their print settings with the provided substrate scripts. Paper manufacturers also benefit by the opportunity to showcase their range of products in the NEXPRESS 2100 press' Substrate Catalog." "Kodak has long been a supporter of RIT and its School of Print Media; we're committed to providing across-the-board solutions for the graphics arts industry," said Arthur Carroll, chief operating officer, senior vice president, NexPress Solutions, Inc. "By qualifying hundreds of substrates and providing the specifications for a variety of printers, the Printing Applications Laboratory provides data to the commercial print industry that would be impossible to obtain elsewhere. And now that the laboratory has a NEXPRESS 2100 press, there will be even more data available and their students will be able to work with highly advanced KODAK digital technology." "The ongoing support of Kodak has made a significant impact to RIT's School of Print Media and the Printing Applications Laboratory. The addition of the NEXPRESS 2100 press to our facility enhances the already unique opportunity our students have to learn about and study the latest in digital color printing and will make our program even stronger," commented William Garno, director, Printing Applications Laboratory. "The transition of the Substrate Qualification Program for the NEXPRESS 2100 press to RIT strengthens our position as the industry's most comprehensive facility for printing, paper and material evaluations. The Laboratory provides the commercial printing industry with practical, measurable information that they can use to control and improve the quality of their products." In addition to providing a NEXPRESS 2100 press for substrate testing in the Printing Applications Laboratory, Kodak provides ongoing support to RIT's School of Print Media for its educational programs.