April 12, 2008 -- Agfa Graphics announces the North America debut of :Arkitex 6.0, Agfa's most advanced workflow system for newspapers, at NEXPO 2008. Show attendees can see demonstrations of the latest version of the leading newspaper workflow at NEXPO, which is being held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, April 12 through April 15. Also being demonstrated for the first time are :Arkitex Vantage and :Arkitex Analyst.

Added features of :Arkitex 6.0 include automatic PDF page checking, improved communication with page notes and enhanced publication planning for complex tasks related to imposition and multiple editions.

:Arkitex Vantage, which is a new member of the :Arkitex software family, provides a single view of single or multiple :Arkitex workflow systems and their components. It provides a vantage point to monitor pre-press production lines, and is a starting point for remote support interventions with instant feedback on overall system health.

:Arkitex Analyst, the other new addition to :Arkitex, includes enterprise-wide Tracking and Report Server to provide both real-time tracking information and post-production reports encompassing an entire newspaper production cycle. "Newspaper publishers will be pleased to see, and eager to benefit from, the practical features and functions we've added to the :Arkitex family, designed to enhance their production process," said Sheila Nysko, Agfa's business development director, Newspaper Systems, North America. ":Arkitex 6.0 brings greater automation and ease of use by focusing on improvements that deliver those benefits. Additionally, the advancements made to :Arkitex 6.0 will bring newspaper publishers much-needed cost savings." Among the many system performance enhancements Agfa's :Arkitex 6.0 includes are:

    •    Integration with industry-leading pre-flight systems to enable automatic PDF page checking, easy viewing of pre-flight reports, and early notification of potential technical issues;

    •    Improved communication through both the :Arkitex Director and :Arkitex Courier modules by allowing the creation of page notes with important data from operators and departments throughout the production workflow;

    •    Automatic assigning of different settings that allows advanced publication planning in creating complex impositions and multiple editions;

    •    Enhancements to the AutoInk ink optimization option;

    •    A browser-based interface in the :Arkitex NewsDrive module that allows users to monitor status from anywhere on the workflow network.

:Arkitex OptiInk, a software module that reduces ink costs up to 30% while improving performance, is also being demonstrated at NEXPO. All attendees are invited to come to the Agfa booth (#2110) to see these and other new products and services for newspaper prepress.