This acquisition fits our growth strategy for Graphic Systems, said general manager Graphic Systems Albert Follens. Dotrix will allow us to take position in the markets of digital printing and to gain larger access to industrial printing niches such as decoration, packaging and security printing.

Agfa paid 4.2m (euro 6m) for the firm, which is based in Ghent, Belgium. It employs 75 and last year had sales of nearly 3.5m.

End-users will benefit from new product offerings and extended services, said Dotrix chief executive Rob Haak. With improved time-to-market and Agfas brand name we expect to rapidly expand our customer base.

Dotrix was spun-off from Barco in September 2001. Its main product is the.factory, a full colour web fed UV-cured ink-jet press.

Agfas previous involvement in digital printing with the Xeikon-based Chromapress ended in 2000.

Its previous foray into ink-jet as a development partner with Xaar for its Page-Wide Array was also cancelled.

Story by Barney Cox