By: E&P Staff Agfa Graphics launched its newest violet photopolymer plates this week at the Ifra Expo in Vienna, and anounced that its chemistry-free digital plates are now in use. The Belgian manufacturer also launched the latest version of its workflow application, and identified the large media group that will adopt its raster technology at all sites.
Agfa's newest photopolymer plate, the N92v, is a long-run, high-consistency, no-bake plate designed to improve run length and print quality, according to the company. The plate, to replace the N91v, will be available early next year.
The company also announced that Austrian publisher Mediaprint is the first test site for its line of violet chemistry-free digital plates. The non-ablative plates work with low-power violet diodes and no developer, thereby lowering costs, improving consistency and reducing environmental impact, the company said. Ifra attendees had the opportunity to see the plates in action at Mediaprint's plant. Agfa plans further tests, and said it hopes to begin commercializing them in mid 2008.
Version 6.0 of Agfa's Arkitex newspaper production workflow features automatic PDF page checking, better communication with page notes and improved publication planning for imposition and multiple edition tasks. The company also demonstrated Arkitex Portal, a new product that provides a single-screen overview of the newspaper workflow and access to the individual elements within it.
Agfa's cross-modulated Sublima raster technology will be installed at Axel Springer's print sites throughout Germany. The software creates "photo-realistic results in newsprint with maximum detail reproduction, smooth surfaces and homogenous development," according to Agfa.
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