Düsseldorf, Germany – Drupa – 5 May 2004 – When Gannett’s Democrat and Chronicle (circulation: Morning, 172,000; Sunday, 231,000), based in Rochester, NY (USA) decided to go to CtP, they knew a violet system was the best way to go. With many awards to the newspaper’s credit, the production staff at the Democrat and Chronicle knows quality and productivity when they see it. Following rigorous beta testing, the Democrat and Chronicle went ahead with the purchase of three :Advantage violet CtP systems with :Arkitex NewsDrive. As the field test site for Gannett Co. Inc., one of the largest news and information companies in the United States, the Democrat and Chronicle had a significant task to perform in its tests of the Agfa :Advantage DL and :N91v plates. The system, launched at NEXPO last year, is a violet laser-based CtP system that features minimum moving parts, a small footprint, and can be configured for multiple plate sizes without requiring customisation. “We put that first :Advantage DL through the wringer, and we had good success with it,” said Bernie Szachara, VP / Production, Democrat and Chronicle. “We have been ranked number one five out of the past six years in Gannett’s internal colour quality competitions. We are also a three-time member of the NAA, IFRA PANPA International Colour Quality Club. We have a huge focus on print quality and we are hesitant to implement anything new that would adversely impact that quality.” Szachara said as part of the Gannett test, he was to look for three benchmarks: reliability of the equipment, quality of the print and the viability of violet technology. “We like the violet technology, particularly its low cost of ownership. The :Advantage DL delivered the speeds that we were promised and the quality we were looking for,” Szachara said. “Buying from a company where service is a top priority was critical to our decision-making process. A newspaper needs to know that there will be immediate response when necessary, and Agfa provides that to us.” :IntelliTune Boosts Productivity. The Democrat and Chronicle also uses Agfa’s :IntelliTune, which automatically analyses tone, colour and spatial characteristics in every image. Then it calculates and applies the necessary corrections for the best reproduction possible. “:IntelliTune allows us to rapidly tone a large number of images for production in a very short time. We utilise :IntelliTune on our real estate and car images, anything that can be done en masse. As a result, our operators can spend more time perfecting individual images on the front page or elsewhere in the newspaper,” Szachara said. “With more than 35 :Advantage sales in North America alone, Agfa’s violet CtP solutions provide newspapers, including the Democrat and Chronicle, the lowest total cost of ownership, highest quality and complete reliability all in one system,” said Agfa’s Sheila Nysko, business development manager, newspaper business, North America. “Whether your newspaper is an independent production or part of a large publishing group, Agfa’s solutions can fit your needs.”