La Hulpe, Belgium - Italian print house Rotomail Italia is set to become the first Kodak customer in Europe to install the revolutionary new KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press. The announcement was made today at Kodak's news briefing for graphic communications journalists and analysts in advance of the Ipex 2010 trade show in May.

Based on KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, the PROSPER 5000XL Press delivers offset class quality, productivity, and total cost of ownership for color applications of books, direct mail and catalog applications. Once installed, the system will immediately be put to work and used to produce color books and direct mailings at Rotomail Italia's new factory in Vignate, Milano.

"The PROSPER 5000XL Press is ideal for producing color books and will play a pivotal role in  our 'Real book on demand' project, which aims to industrialize short run book production," says Giovanni Antonuzzo, CEO at Rotomail Italia. "The press is extremely fast and can handle a very large printing volume. We are planning to use it for direct mail jobs, as well as testing new applications."

The PROSPER 5000XL Press and KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press for monochrome applications feature a print speed of up to 200 mpm (650 fpm) with image quality approaching 175 lpi, and a monthly duty cycle of up to 120 million A4 pages. The presses can handle coated, uncoated and glossy papers, with basic weights ranging from 45 gsm-175 gsm (30 lbs-120 lbs) on the PROSPER 1000 Press and 45 gsm-300 gsm (30 lbs-200 lbs) on the PROSPER 5000XL Press.

In addition, the devices boast an advanced ink formulation that enhances print quality and durability, and has the unique ability to print on glossy coated substrates.

Rotomail Italia has a tradition of early adoption of new KODAK Technologies: "We were the first printer in Europe to install a KODAK VERSAMARK Printing System, and it's great to continue this tradition by installing Kodak's latest innovation," adds Antonuzzo.

Rotomail Italia enjoys a reputation as a pioneer in TransPromo printing. The company was the first commercial printer in Europe to offer TransPromo services using variable data digital color printing systems. Rotomail's ongoing investment in the latest technologies enabled it to develop new digital printing applications for books and newspapers, thus ensuring that the company enjoys steady year-on-year growth.

"Rotomail's focus on continually adding the latest digital technologies to expand its capabilities and services offerings makes it one of the leading companies of its kind," said Kevin Joyce, Worldwide Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Digital Printing Solutions, Kodak. "We're proud to continue our long-standing relationship with the installation of the PROSPER 5000XL Press and look forward to working together as Rotomail once again takes its business to an even higher level."

This news follows earlier announcements of upcoming PROSPER Press installations at Consolidated Graphics, Offset Paperback Manufacturers and Webcrafters.