With your back to the wall

Prepress Agfa-Gevaert has to raise prices for printing plates in difficult times The graphic arts industry in particular is known
for their sometimes ruinous pricing policy. Print orders are already being
times below the cost price in order to compensate for the sluggish
improve machine utilization. Overcapacities coupled with a
The reasons for the downward spiral of the economy are the
Price spiral. As a measure, the companies in turn turn to their
suppliers and also try everything there to ensure that machines and
to be able to buy consumables more cheaply. All this is
nothing new. However, it has recently become apparent that the
suppliers are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with this price pressure.
cushioning.

Breaking the downward spiral
Agfa, a company active in the prepress sector, can and wants to
no longer be exposed to this price pressure. In addition to a reorganization
of the company (Agfa Transition Program), which is assigned to the business
greater independence, Agfa has made a significant
announced a price increase for its printing plates. Moritz Rogger,
Managing Director of Agfa Germany and Agfa Switzerland, announced at a
press conference announced the tariff, at least for Germany: Films
will be between 12 and 15 percent more expensive, analog disks by 8 to 12
percent and digital plates (this refers to printing plates that are
with CtP systems) by 4 to 8 percent. Even if Moritz
Rogger put the price increase for Switzerland into perspective - it should
not be so high, as the price level here is already very high.
the situation - it is clear to him that things cannot go on as before.
can. The margins for consumables are already very thin and
could no longer be reduced - if the company were to continue to
should exist.
Only thanks to far-reaching measures, primarily through cost reductions in
the sales organization, Agfa has been able to increase the
largely compensate for higher raw material and energy prices and
avoid price increases for its customers, Rogger justifies the
measures in the pipeline. Nevertheless, margins are currently at
a record low. "Within just a few years, prices have
for aluminum by 20 percent and for energy by 80 percent",
Rogger explains the current situation, which the company has now
force them to act. It remains to be seen how customers will
and, above all, whether or when the competitors will react.
follow suit.

New platesetters
Notwithstanding the difficulties with consumables, Agfa
not stop there. On the contrary: the Group recently announced at the trade fair
Print 05, which took place in Chicago from September 9 to 15, under
presented its new generation of thermal platesetters.
The Avalon CtP systems, which are available as 8-page platesetters (LF) and
16-page imagesetters (VL) will be available from October, are based on
on the predecessor model Xcalibur, they have nevertheless been extensively
modified.
The Avalon LF is available in five basic configurations - from 10
plates/hour exposing LE model up to the 40 plates/hour
fast XXT model. The Avalon VLF is even available in eight sizes.
offered. Agfa thus also supports new large-format
Printing presses such as the KBA Rapida 205 sheetfed press or the
MAN Roland Lithoman 72 web offset press.  
Agfa has also expanded its software products ApogeeX and Delano
updated. New in Agfa's prepress workflow solution ApogeeX is the
Remote Proofing Controller, which can be used to create largely color-accurate
digital proof data in conjunction with color management.
This data can be sent to print buyers for output on
Agfa Sherpa proofing systems.
This eliminates the need for time-consuming data conversion. The
Agfa's QmsX quality management system guarantees that all
Color proofs from any Sherpa proofing system are always uniform,
have constant and repeatable colors. In addition
Thanks to SpectraSpot, ApogeeX now offers better reproduction of
Special colors and
Duplex images.
Agfa has made less dramatic innovations in its Internet
based project management solution Delano. Thanks to new
functions, files can be conveniently set up online and pages
for production. In addition, the possibilities for
soft proofing (largely true-to-original representation on the
screen). Based on the JDF format - a newer
Data format and networking approach that leads to better integration
of processes - based solution Delano offers publishers,
Prepress companies and print shops opportunities for close cooperation,
cross-company collaboration.

Jürgen Franck