Ridgefield Park, NJ – March 10, 2006 – Agfa Graphics announced today that attendees at NEXPO 2006 will be able to see demonstrations of a new and unique CtP plate making process that automatically ensures quality plates on press. Now available in North America, Agfa’s :Afirma Process Control continuously monitors all vital production parameters within the complete CtP system, processor and punch bender, resulting in total quality assurance and keeping costly plate remakes down. :Afirma Process Control is designed for newspapers that require worry-free industrial plate production. It eliminates the need for inefficient manual and random plate checks, by monitoring and controlling targeted prepress parameters, making sure each plate is produced to specification. All reports can easily be accessed on location or remotely using a web interface. Automated alarms provide early warnings of any problems that may arise, guaranteeing a continuous quality check on plates. “With :Afirma, Agfa CtP systems can ensure high quality plate production day in and day out,” said Agfa’s Peter Wilkens, director of Newspaper Operations, North America. “By monitoring all system components, Agfa CtP users will have peace of mind knowing that all parameters of the production are automatically being assessed and controlled. By keeping just one faulty plate off the press, :Afirma can pay for itself.” The :Afirma Process Control system is available for Agfa newspaper CtP systems. :Afirma Process Control monitors, for example, CtP engine status and user resolution. For the processor, :Afirma Process Control checks a multitude of parameters, such as pre-heat temperature, developer temperature, different roller speeds, square meter processed plates, and more.