Düsseldorf, Germany - Drupa – May 7, 2004 -- At DRUPA 2004, Agfa and Esko-Graphics show the results of their close cooperation to link Esko-Graphics' Scope packaging pre-production tools with Agfa's production automation servers through PDF and JDF. Both companies strongly promote the use of industry standards to allow their customers to build multi-vendor workflow solutions. The mixed workflows clearly demonstrate the power of PDF as the preferred data carrier for graphics, also in packaging applications. In their mutual commitment to the CIP4 standards organisation, Agfa and Esko-Graphics also cooperate to drive the appropriate developments of JDF capabilities to better support packaging workflows. Sample configurations using DeskPack (for one-up creation) and Plato (for step-and-repeat) at the creation side, and then driving :ApogeeX for output will be demonstrated live on Agfa's DRUPA stand (Hall 6, Stand D27) and subsequently in Agfa's main demo centres. "With this cooperation and the joint demonstrations, we want to highlight that Agfa systems seamlessly integrate through industry standards with dedicated tools for the packaging industry," comments Kris Vangeel, Agfa's Packaging Business Director. "Agfa is not directing its development of packaging solutions towards creative tools, but rather strives to integrate its products with those from market leaders in packaging design solutions. With :ApogeeX, Agfa focuses on openness, connectivity, productivity and production automation. "Combining Esko-Graphics' DeskPack and Plato with our :ApogeeX proves that our solutions can seamlessly be integrated with best-in-class packaging front-end applications. This allows packaging pre-press professionals to build their pre-press configuration completely according to their specific needs, combining the components of their choice." DeskPack comes with a series of plug-ins turning Macs or PCs running Adobe Illustrator software into Scope workflow clients. Plato is Esko-Graphics' versatile toolkit for step-and-repeat operations for labels, folding cartons or other packaging designs, and offers both automated and interactive modes of operation. "Esko-Graphics is totally committed to facilitate the integration of its own components as well as those from third party in any prepress and pre-production workflow", adds Jan De Roeck, Esko-Graphics Marketing Director for Packaging Software. "That is why the use of open industry standards such as Adobe PDF and JDF, as well as embracing popular desktop applications as clients, are essential elements to our Scope workflow philosophy. The combination of our leading pre-production products with Agfa's output workflows clearly demonstrates to the industry that Adobe PDF is fully capable to support demanding packaging applications. The days of proprietary packaging systems are over, for good." Agfa and Esko-Graphics will continue their technical and strategic cooperation in the packaging area on the further expansion of the JDF standard for interoperatibility between their respective software products.