Ridgefield Park, NJ – November 5, 2003 – Customers continue to marvel at the :Grand Sherpa Universal, Agfa’s new inkjet printing system based on the successful :Grand Sherpa line of large format printers. Agfa, at last month’s SGIA (Screenprinting & Graphic Imaging Association International) show in Atlanta, Georgia, demonstrated the :Grand Sherpa Universal for attendees who came to the Innovative Print Technologies booth. It also garnered wide acclaim when it was shown for the first time in the U.S. at Graph Expo, just a few weeks earlier. The :Grand Sherpa Universal uses Eco-Solvent Plus inks, which do not spread volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Unlike less eco-friendly machines, the :Grand Sherpa Universal uses solvent inks but functions just like aqueous systems. It does not require any special equipment for ventilation in the production facility. The :Grand Sherpa Universal makes it possible to print high-quality displays, banners, posters and more onto a majority of available uncoated media, such as vinyl and canvas, for both indoor and outdoor applications. Other system benefits include low maintenance, for added cost-savings, compared to other solvent-based printers of today. “With its unique Eco-Solvent inks, the :Grand Sherpa Universal has demonstrated the wide range of possibilities large format printers can bring to the wide format digital printing market without the extra work of a traditional solvent-based system,” said Agfa’s Deborah Hutcheson, senior marketing manager, workflow and color systems, North America. “Printers involved in the sign and screen industry are excited by the environmental friendliness and the economics – including solvent longevity and lack of ink waste – that the :Grand Sherpa Universal brings to the large format market. Additionally, commercial printers see the :Grand Sherpa Universal as an opportunity to break into the large format market, allowing them to differentiate themselves from their competition and add an additional revenue stream to their business.” About the :Grand Sherpa Universal. The :Grand Sherpa Universal with Eco-Solvent Plus inks offers six colors – CMYKLcLm – and eight 220 ml ink cassettes for up to eight colors. Using solvent inks which are UV and weather resistant, and without requiring any special ventilation in the printing facility, the :Grand Sherpa Universal is ideal for high quality, photo-realistic outdoor applications such as posters, banners, long-term backlit signage and vehicle graphics. It produces indoor graphics, such as point-of-sale signage, banners, etc. equally well. It comes in three sizes, 1653 mm and 2240 mm (50", 64" and 87"). The :Grand Sherpa Universal’s long-life piezo-electric heads print at 360, 720 and 1440 dpi. It is driven by the Agfa edition Onyx RIP 6.0, with versatile tools specifically designed for large format printing that streamline job management. Promoting the Power of Print. Agfa has been a dedicated leader in the printing & publishing industry for more than 135 years. Agfa is proud to be the Founding Supplier Partner of the PIA/GATF Print Awareness initiative and “Print It!” campaign, designed to help the graphic arts community promote print as the medium of choice.