Mortsel, Belgium – Agfa Graphics today announced the availability of a more environmentally-friendly and more productive version of the company's popular :Avalon N8 thermal CtP system. The new :Avalon N8 system, combined with Agfa's chemistry-free :Azura TS ThermoFuse based-plates and :Sublima, Agfa's patented cross-modulated (XM) screening technology, delivers unmatched plate production predictability, excellent on-press performance and high-quality image reproduction.

The new system, designed primarily for 8-up commercial offset printers, will make its debut on the Agfa stand at IPEX in Birmingham, UK, 18-25 May 2010.

With the new :Avalon N8, :Azura TS plates run 50 percent faster with increased image contrast. The :Azura TS thermal plates use a simple process via a clean-out unit (COU), making plates press-ready without chemical processing. With :Azura TS, water consumption and waste are considerably reduced.

The addition of :Sublima, which combines the strengths of FM and AM screening, gives users the ability to significantly raise print image quality to consistently produce stunning output without sacrificing pressroom productivity.

The new :Avalon N8 system also features an improved air filter system and the cooling unit's energy consumption has been reduced.

"All of Agfa's CtP systems deliver stunning image quality without sacrificing pressroom productivity. The most important concern of the press operator is to deliver high-quality print, consistently and repeatedly, day after day, from the first run to the last run", said Marc Op de Beeck, Senior Vice President Marketing and Sales, Agfa Graphics. "Agfa is dedicated to bringing the most efficient and productive systems to commercial printers of all sizes".

The new :Avalon N8 system is now available.