Mortsel, Belgium – 17 December, 2007 – Agfa Graphics announced today that its :ApogeeX 4.0 workflow system has received the "CIP4 Certified Product" designation from the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), who on behalf of CIP4, verified its reliability, compatibility and other advantages integral to effective and successful JDF prepress. :ApogeeX 4.0 is the first JDF-capable prepress workflow to receive the designation.

Awarded only after comprehensive testing, the designation is based on PIA/GATF's evaluation of :ApogeeX 4.0 against the requirements of the Layout Creator to Imposition industry-standard Interoperability Conformance Specification (ICS). This certification confirms the acceptability and correct processing of JDF 1.3 files created by certified third-party imposition software in the :ApogeeX workflow. The JDF 1.3 imposition files contain information on page and mark placements, as well as the references to these pages and marks.

"CIP4 certification from PIA/GATF shows our customers that :ApogeeX has been proven to process JDF files according to the high standards that the industry has adapted for imposition. It is an important and significant stamp of approval that allows users to avoid the significant challenge of verifying the compatibility between :ApogeeX and other imposition applications on their own," said Bart De Pelsmaeker, director of Commercial Printing Software, Agfa Graphics. "Furthermore, the certification proves that investing in Agfa's :ApogeeX workflow is a cost-effective investment in reliability, compatibility and conformance to standards, providing the highest quality results throughout the JDF imposition process."

"CIP4 certification is growing in importance because of the increased use and value of JDF imposition workflow, and we're always proud to see companies like Agfa taking the lead in developing vital new solutions," said Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Research and Technology, PIA/GATF. "Agfa has a long and proud history of partnership, which of course includes many PIA/GATF product and technology certifications. Partnerships like this always help to further improve our industry."

Agfa is a founding member of CIP4, which is the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress Organization, a not-for-profit association that brings together vendors, consultants and end-users in graphic communications to work on and resolve important issues, many of them worldwide in nature, related to graphic arts equipment, software, peripherals and processes.
Additional details of the :ApogeeX 4.0 CIP4 certification are posted on the CIP4 website at www.cip4.org.