Ridgefield Park, NJ - April 21st, 2003 - It was five years ago that Agfa began shipments of its Galileo Plate Manufacturing system into the CtP (computer-to-plate) market. What had started as one would later become thousands of CtP platesetters, with Agfa among the leaders in this growing field. When Agfa first introduced the Galileo into the CtP platesetter field, the Galileo utilized a Frequency Doubled ND-YAG "green" laser operating at 532 nm. Agfa has since added violet laser versions of the Galileo - the next generation of visible light platemaking technology. The first Galileo customer was Quality Graphics Center, Inc. of Roselle, NJ (www.qgcnet.com). Quality Graphics Center began as an Agfa customer in 1992, when they purchased an Agfa 9800 imagesetter. Over the next few years, QGC upgraded to other Agfa imagesetting systems, including the AccuSet and then an Avantra 30. In early 1998, the time was right for QGC to jump into Agfa's CtP technology. "The fact that we were already running an Agfa workflow made the transition to CtP seamless. We just plugged in the Galileo, and started running plates," said Darren Yeats, QGC General Manager. "At the time of each imagesetter upgrade, we compared Agfa's with competitive systems, and always found Agfa's to be superior. So when it came time to move to CtP, we figured we were working with an experienced partner that knew what needed to be done to achieve the highest level of quality. We weren't wrong," Yeats added. Today, Agfa offers a choice of CtP options - from thermal to the fast-growing violet laser models. For example, some presses require plates that are almost as large as 80" wide. Agfa's Xcalibur VLF thermal platesetter images plates up to 58 x 80" - a good fit for such press requirements. Likewise, newspapers need a phenomenal number of plates in the last hour before press time. Agfa's violet Polaris X platesetters image over 350 plates an hour for the newspaper industry. Regardless of the technology involved, Agfa recognizes that different customers have different needs, and that no single solution is right for everyone. "Since Agfa introduced the violet Galileo system at Drupa 2000 it has been the best-selling violet CtP device in the world. Violet's quality productivity and low acquisition costs are ideal for the short- to medium-run commercial printers who are investing in CtP devices today," said David Furman, Marketing Manager, CtP Systems, Agfa. "Alternatively, if you use abrasive UV inks or papers, or often have run lengths in excess of 350,000 impressions, then a thermal solution may be a better choice for your operation. Either way, Agfa will be sure to have a solution that is right for you," Furman added.