Kodak Announces First North American Sale of PROSPER S10 Imprinting System to Wilen Direct

Wilen Direct Completes Beta Testing and Reports Outstanding Results

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wilen Direct, one of the first U.S. adopters of the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, has recently completed the formal purchase process following several months of intense beta testing in which the KODAK System delivered outstanding results in quality and productivity. This announcement closely follows the news of Kodak’s first sale of a PROSPER S10 Imprinting System to Instant Data Forms in Hong Kong, in July.

Wilen Direct, the Florida-based affiliate of the Wilen Group, is using KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems to deliver highly targeted, cost-effective marketing materials that provide a greater return on marketing investment for its clients. The company is a leader and innovator in digital and variable data imaging, personalized direct marketing, advanced mail strategies and technologies, logistics, and fulfillment. The Wilen Group has built its business over the past 30-plus years publishing guides for cable and premium movie channel companies, and now serves a variety of national clients such as Charter Communications, Comcast, and Time Warner.

“The KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems allow us to compete in new markets using laser quality imprinting for the first time,” said Darrin Wilen, President of Wilen Media, part of the Wilen Group. “The speed and print quality are outstanding, letting us handle everything from small text to complex graphics with ease. In addition, we’ve experienced impressive reliability and productivity.”

Wilen Direct is running its PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems three shifts a day, seven days a week. One of the primary products personalized by the company with this innovative KODAK System is its VDP inline letter pack, which includes a full color envelope and letter, fully duplexed at 600 dpi. With the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System, the company is able to produce over 80,000 inline letter packs per hour, totaling approximately 1.6 million direct mail pieces per day on one press. Wilen Direct estimates that their production time is 40 times faster with the PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems, and cites expanded personalization capabilities, speed, throughput, quality, and data tracking as major benefits.

A monochrome continuous inkjet solution for inline digital printing on high-speed web devices, the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System delivers offset class, variable data printing with savings of up to 50 percent on production costs for direct mail, catalogs, magazines, newspapers, inserts, and transactional documents. It features flexible mounting options and integrates seamlessly with web offset presses and web finishing equipment. Operating at 1,000 fpm (305 mpm) with a resolution of 600 dpi, the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System allows users to print variable data inline, saving time and money over a traditional, two-step process that combines offset pre-printed forms and offline laser imprinting.

With a print width of 10.56 centimeters (4.16 inches) and pigment-based inks that offer fade, scratch and water resistance, the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System increases throughput and eliminates the need for additional standalone print devices. In addition, output from the KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System achieves outstanding permanence with no additional coating needed.

“Based on KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology, the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System delivers high quality at substantially lower cost, enabling printers to improve production and supply chain efficiencies and create higher value communications for their clients,” noted Kevin Joyce, Worldwide Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Digital Printing Solutions, Kodak. “Wilen Direct benefits from the quality and versatility of the PROSPER S10 as it enters a new chapter in its successful business history. And that’s what it’s all about for Kodak—delivering innovative solutions that help our customers maximize return on marketing investment, and ultimately grow their business.”

For more information on the value of KODAK PROSPER Solutions, visit http://prosper.kodak.com.

KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals reaching more than 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for the commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging and data storage industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.
About Kodak

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About Wilen Direct

Wilen Direct (www.wilendirect.com, formerly Wilen Press) is a leader and innovator in direct marketing campaigns that leverage state-of-the-art printing processes and technologies such as digital and variable data imaging, advanced mail strategies and technologies, logistics and fulfillment, to deliver highly targeted, effective and cost-efficient outreach. Wilen Direct is a part of Wilen Group, a privately held marketing communications and printing services company that provides strategy, creative resources, data analysis, state-of-the-art printing and end-to-end fulfillment to a variety of clients nationwide. In addition to Wilen Direct, Wilen Group consists of two other affiliated companies, all three of which work independently but seamlessly integrate with each other to serve client needs. Wilen Media, offers a full spectrum of strategic planning, marketing, advertising, media planning and buying, research and production services across multi-media platforms; and WILopEN, engages in research and development efforts to create new products and services involving marketing, advertising, publishing/print and media-related businesses. More information about Wilen Group can be found at www.wilengroup.com.