The next “big thing” will be JDF and it has the potential to completely revolutionise the way printers approach all facets of their businesses, JDF(Job Definition Format) is a technology that has been collaboratively developed by like-minded vendors under the stewardship intend to place JDF at the heart of all of our systems. These new systems will drive automated process functions, taking the print industry from what was essentially craft based to one that will be a highly sophisticated computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) industry. ProPrint interviews Agfa's Oceania Marketing Manager Garry Muratore and gets an insight into how Agfa views the printer's brave new world.

How ‘green’ is your platemaking? If you’re still pumping HazChem down the nearest drain, gushing gallons of fresh H2O into the sea and powering ovens and processors 24/7, it is not at all. Thankfully, most printers have taken steps to be more eco-friendly in the plateroom, but Agfa’s new Azura plate takes it all to the next level as Print21'sAngus Paterson reports.

When PoMun Printing in Sydney's inner west moved to bigger premises in late 2004, owner Peter Cheung took the opportunity to upgrade his ageing film imagesetter with a new Agfa :Palladio30M computer to plate system. The result has been a low-cost, user-friendly and fast prepress environment that can handle the variety of plate sizes needed to keep the company's A2 and A3 presses operating.

Agfa's new :Azura plate system, launched to the Oceania region at Pacprint, is already being used in over 100 printing sites across the world. Two Australian companies have added their print operations to this growing global list - Melbourne's McLaren Press has completed extensive trials and will begin full production shortly, while Lionheart Offset in Sydney has been running only :Azura plates since March this year.

Agfa's chemistry-free :Azura plate system and just-released :ApogeeX 2.5 workflow were acknowledged as industry-leading technologies when presented with Print 21 magazine's Hot Pic awards at the Pacprint exhibition. Agfa was the only supplier to take two awards.

For over 20 years, Agfa has sponsored the major award at the annual National Print Awards, attended by over 1,250 industry luminaries. This year the award for the 'most innovative use of imaging in printing' was won by Melbourne-based D&D Global Group, adding yet another achievement in printing excellence to the company's growing list. The winning entry, a self-promotion brochure 'D&D&U', has already received three internationally-acclaimed "Benjamin Franklin" (Benny) print industry awards - a prize rarely awarded outside the United States. The Agfa award was presented to Mr Drago Zorec (D&D's Managing Director) by Agfa's Managing Director Oceania, Bruce Blythe.