Mortsel, Belgium – 7 April 2005 – Agfa announced today that Printcorp Services, a large newspaper printer in Tauranga, New Zealand, has purchased and installed a complete workflow solution from Agfa. The installation included the :Advantage DL violet-laser platesetter, an :Arkitex modular workflow system and a plate contract for Agfa's :N91v photopolymer plates. Printcorp, which produces two daily, one bi-weekly and seventeen weekly newspapers previously operated a CtF workflow, but needed a faster and more modern system to keep up with production demands. They selected Agfa because of its reliable reputation throughout the region, and the :Advantage DL for its simplicity of operation. Executives of APN News & Media, the parent company of Printcorp, made the final decision to purchase both the :Advantage DL and :Arkitex systems after executives saw the workflow in production at The Eagle-Tribune Publishing Company (North Andover, MA USA). "It's very hard to ignore the rapid return that CtP offers to the newspaper business," said George Murcott, General Manager of Printcorp Services. "It provides the opportunity to extend deadlines to either capture more up-to-date news or alternatively extend the selling period. We are saving 20 minutes out of a process that previously took 45 minutes." Printcorp imaged about 65% of their plates using the :Advantage DL within the first month of operation, and moved to 100% CtP production at the end of February. The system has an upgraded engine, DL130, which allows fast throughput of 98 broadsheets or 49 panorama plates per hour. Printcorp uses 889mm x 586mm plates on a Goss Community press. Pages are sent to the platesetter using the :Arkitex digital workflow, a modular system which provides advanced production tools and complete workflow control. The :Arkitex Pair and :Arkitex Imposer modules allow for automatic pairing of pages and set-up of plates, while the :Arkitex Producer platform acts as the main hub to the system, transmitting and tracking files throughout the workflow for steady throughput. Before installing Agfa's newspaper-specific :Arkitex software, Printcorp used a number of different systems to handle their workflow. "Employing the new software avoided necessary upgrades to the existing systems," explained Murcott. The :Arkitex system integrates equipment and production tasks – from advertising and editorial to press – and uses advanced production and communications technologies such as PDF, JDF and XML, to transmit data between equipment. According to Murcott it was a 'necessary solution', providing better page management, more opportunity for client control, and a high-level of product confidence because of its supplier-support. "The powerful combination of :Advantage, :Arkitex and :N91v is sure to bring immediate and long-term benefits to Printcorp Services," said Agfa's Kurt Smits, director of newspaper business worldwide. "By investing in our complete digital solution, Printcorp has chosen to partner with Agfa, and we will do our utmost to support them in achieving optimal quality and workflow efficiency."