Durst published an article in the July issue of its newsletter that questioned "the marketing magic tricks" performed by some companies and how these could damage the reputation of inkjet printing as technology for industrial applications.

The manufacturer claimed that some companies were playing on "dumbness" of customers to manipulate data on ink consumption.

It said: "This is why it’s even more surprising that, to gain renown, companies in the inkjet sector think they have to use ruses to get a competitive edge and ably manipulate data on ink consumption conflicting with the laws of physics.

"They count on the "dumbness" of customers, on the lack of an overall vision and of technical knowledge. And yet it’s clear that the amount of ink is a product of the amount of drops per surface unit of the size of the drops in picoliters or nanograms."

Durst went on to challenge ink calculations used by companies stating that there was "no need for these tricks in either inkjet technology or, in my opinion, a technology-oriented, Bourse-quoted company. They do nothing but damage the technology with which you earn a living," it added.

However, Durst has since printed an apology after admitting it had given the impression that it was accusing Agfa Graphics of cheating customers and "taking them for fools by giving wrong information in their sales literature".

Agfa was also given space for a three-page statement to promote its M-Press technology and the cost of inkjet printing. While Durst did not comment on Agfa's findings, it addressed several points related to ink coverage calling them "beyond dispute".

To read the articles in full, visit http://bit.ly/pw-durst-july for the July newsletter and http://bit.ly/pw-durst-august for Agfa's response in the August edition.