"We believe :Azura will be the next generation of CtP media and Agfa's competitors have a lot of catching up to do," Print 21 editor Andy McCourt said, adding that :Azura was the only consumable product at the show to win a Hot Pic award.

:Azura is Agfa's newest plate system that eliminates chemical plate processing from the workflow, thus providing increased reliability and efficiency.  :ApogeeX 2.5 is a powerful workflow solution which provides automated workflow control and connectivity from prepress through finishing.

Azura chemistry-free CTP gains recognition from government

Also at Pacprint, Agfa gained support for its :Azura chemistry-free plate system from top government officials in Australia.  Among the show’s 40,000 visitors, many were drawn to the award-winning technology, including the Premier of Victoria, Mr. Steve Bracks. During his visit to the Agfa stand, Mr. Bracks took interest in the :Azura plate’s ecologically sensitive nature, and the fact that it uses no water.  With the southern states of Australia currently experiencing extreme water shortages, the government is looking to cut water usage in the manufacturing sector. A typical conventional offset plate on an eight-up press consumes between 8 to 10 litres of water to process, which is a strain on Victoria’s resources. Mr. Bracks expressed a desire to work with Agfa to promote :Azura to the local industry because it decreases water usage in the printing process.

About :Azura:
:Azura is a grained and anodised aluminium thermal plate that uses patented ThermoFuse technology to physically bond images to the plate without any chemical processing. A clean-out step follows the non-ablative imaging process to enhance contrast. The result is highly stable and predictable thermal imaging, without any compromises on press. :Azura plates offer high quality (2-98% dots on plate) imaging for printers using 2-, 4- and 8-up formats.

About :ApogeeX:
:ApogeeX is an intuitive, automated workflow solution based on PDF, JDF and digital film. It brings together a wide range of sophisticated features in one application - including job management, advanced job tickets, PDF trapping, enhanced connectivity, Web approval of artwork and flats, for improved productivity and connectivity across the Graphic Enterprise.