Dallas, PA, - As part of its mission to digitally produce the highest quality book products on the market today, arvato print USA will test the KODAK PROSPER Press Platform for its book printing operation at Offset Paperback Manufacturers (OPM), one of the leading manufacturers of mass-market paperback books worldwide.  OPM will immediately begin participation in a beta testing program of the KODAK PROSPER with an integrated Muller Martini SigmaLine finishing system, becoming one of the earliest users of Kodak's revolutionary continuous inkjet technology.  With this investment, arvato print maintains its leadership position among book manufacturers by offering the most technologically advanced digital publishing solutions available to publishers.

"Digital printing is rapidly coming into its own, as new technology enables us to produce offset-quality print with the lower cost and faster turn-around times associated with digital," said Dave Liess, CEO of arvato print USA. "We're particularly excited to offer access to the unique benefits the KODAK PROSPER Press Platform can provide to OPM customers in the scientific, technical and medical publication and trade publication markets. As makers of highly customized books, journals and magazines, those markets have a real stake in employing a technology that enables shorter runs on a more condensed schedule with compressed turn times. All of these features add up to enabling publishers to keep titles in print longer."

OPM will initially utilize the PROPSER 1000 Press, a monochrome press, and plans to deploy the four-color PROPSER 5000 XL in the near future.  OPM expects to be able to handle book printing runs of approximately 3,000 copies using the PROSPER Press. This is important as the expectations for paperbacks, reference books, textbooks, journals and other products change and consumers expect the latest versions on demand.

The PROSPER Press Platform solutions deliver unparalleled speeds of up to 650 feet per minute, offset class image quality, and a monthly duty cycle of 120 million A4 pages.  The presses support coated, lightweight coated, uncoated and glossy substrates of 30-200 lbs.

Book printers and publishers are constantly seeking more efficient and economical ways to produce short-run book titles and streamline the supply chain. By printing digitally with the KODAK PROSPER Press Platform, the need for inventory is reduced, waste is eliminated, and the number of available titles increases.

"We are extremely pleased to work with OPM, a manufacturer with a stellar reputation in its industry, as they implement the PROSPER Press Platform. We expect the PROSPER to significantly increase the quantity of books which can be produced digitally at a lower cost than offset," said Kevin Joyce, Worldwide Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Digital Printing Solutions, Kodak. "Recognizing the cost and resource challenges faced by manufacturers, the PROSPER Press helps to maximize supply chain efficiency and delivers offset class quality and speed."