Houston, TX - Consolidated Graphics, Inc. has announced plans to install a Kodak Prosper 5000XL press in the United States at the company's Automated Graphic Systems (AGS) facility in White Plains, Maryland. The partnership with Kodak will enable AGS to market full-color, on-demand publishing to its current commercial printing customers, and strengthens CGX's current leadership position in digital printing.

"Our close partnership with Kodak has allowed us to remain at the forefront of digital inkjet web technology, and demonstrates our joint commitment to seeking newer and better solutions for our market," said Ric Davis, CGX Executive Vice President of Operations. "The Prosper 5000XL Press will enable us to bring offset quality printing to customers who were previously limited by lower volume outputs and affordability constraints for their variable printing needs."

AGS was selected to house the Prosper installation due to its Washington, D.C. location and customer base, which is primarily composed of trade associations and educational institutions. "We've seen an increased demand from our customers to affordably print four-color trade publications where economies of scale have historically limited runs to one or two colors. As a result of the Prosper's ability to image offset quality, full-color variable data on every page, AGS is positioned to respond to a world where print and communication is becoming increasingly personal," said Dustin Graupman, President of AGS. "AGS and CGX have long established themselves as technology leaders in the commercial printing industry, and the Prosper installation is a continued effort to maintain that leadership position."

Consolidated Graphics will begin to market the new technology immediately, educating customers on the speed, price, and quality benefits of the Prosper Press. The company identifies trade associations and educational institutions as primary candidates for the Prosper, but plans to integrate the press into its existing IT infrastructure, marketing the technology throughout CGX's 70 locations and world-leading footprint of more than 220 digital presses.

"Even in a tough economy, CGX continues to invest in the needs of our customers, bringing them solutions that most of our competitors are unable to offer at this time," said Davis. "CGX has historically brought our clients solutions for both high-volume offset runs and low-volume digital runs; the Prosper's inkjet technology meets that middle ground by providing an affordable, four-color option for medium-sized jobs with near-offset quality."