The press features Kodak's Stream Inkjet technology and offset-class image quality, which approaches a 175 line screen on glossy substrates.

It can print at speeds of 3,600 A4 pages per minute, which Kodak claimed makes it 38% more productive than other digital presses on the market.

The manufacturer said the machine is also price-competitive and 20% cheaper than other digital presses on the market.

Adi Chinai, King Printing's managing director, said: "We have very high expectations for the equipment we choose to invest in, ensuring that it will meet our high standards, as well as the demands of our clients.

"The Prosper 1000 press is a perfect fit for our business and gives us the flexibility to easily upgrade to the colour functionality of the Prosper 5000XL press."

The printer, which announced the deal at Ipex, will use the use the Prosper 1000 – and later the 5000XL – to produce short-run, black-and-white and colour books.

"We have seen an explosion in the demand for short-run book publishing, and the Prosper press platform is uniquely suited to meet those demands," said Kevin Joyce, worldwide vice-president of sales and marketing at for Kodak Digital Printing Solutions.

King Printing began using production digital printing in 1989, moved to CTP in 1995, to zero makeready binding equipment in 2004, and to full-colour inkjet in 2008.