Chicago, IL (Graph Expo) – October 15, 2006 (Booth #4218) – Agfa Graphics announced today that one of the leading packaging and display box manufacturers in the U.S., Accurate Box, has put Agfa’s low chemistry :Amigo thermal platemaking system into its busy Paterson, New Jersey, facility with impressive results.
With :Amigo, Accurate Box now enjoys the benefits of ThermoFuse™ technology, which has proven to deliver high-quality results on press with outstanding chemical resistance and exceptional processing latitude.

Accurate Box, a 62-year-old family owned-and-operated business, manufactures custom folding cartons of all shapes and sizes for hundreds of products and purposes. All operations needed for graphic creation and recreation, die cutting, laminating, printing, warehousing and shipping of all its products are performed out of its 279,000 square foot plant.

“We have enjoyed a good relationship with Agfa as we continue to pursue the best products and methods with which to accomplish our goals,” said Lisa Hirsh, president and CEO of Accurate Box. “Platemaking is just one of the areas in which Agfa has expertise and with their help we hope to make even more improvements in the future.”

“Accurate Box shares many corporate goals with Agfa, including technical innovation and a concern for the environment. ThermoFuse technology, noted industry-wide for its much simpler and cleaner plate processing than other processes, is what initially attracted Accurate Box to :Amigo,” said Agfa’s Susan Wittner, marketing director, North America. “It is a multi-purpose plate that suits many different kinds of press work, including the high-demand, high-visibility products manufactured with such creativity and precision by Accurate Box. We are pleased to be a part of the company’s ongoing success.”

The patented ThermoFuse technology uses millions of individual, heat-sensitive thermoplastic pearls that are melted and fused together to form a firm bond to the substrate in its exposed areas. In the unexposed areas, the pearls are easily removed by a mild alkaline solution, which is a fraction of the amount of chemistry that a standard digital plate utilizes. :Amigo plates can run in most plate processors and require less processor cleaning and maintenance, allowing print departments to operate at much greater levels of efficiency.

About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading imaging and information technology companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analog and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare) and specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials).
Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 3,308 million euro in 2005.

About Agfa Graphics
Agfa Graphics offers integrated prepress solutions to the printing industry. These solutions comprise consumables, hardware, software and services for production workflow, project and color management. Computer-to-film, computer-to-plate and digital proofing systems have earned Agfa Graphics a worldwide leadership position in the commercial and package printing and the newspaper publishing markets.

Agfa Graphics is rapidly expanding its offerings in the growing digital inkjet market. Its experience in both imaging and emulsion technology has provided the expertise required for making an assortment of high-quality UV and solvent-based inks. Joint development and manufacturing partnerships with industry leaders expand its technological reach and allow the company to develop comprehensive digital solutions for printing posters, banners, signage, displays, labels and packaging materials.

Product and company information can be found on Agfa’s home page on the World Wide Web at: www.agfa.com.