Stephens & George is investing 320,000 in Europe's first fully automated B1 violet diode Agfa Galileo VXT platesetter.

The Welsh magazine printer announced the investment at Total Publishing this week.



The 22 plate per hour Galileo will use Lithostar violet plates and will be driven via S&Gs Agfa Apogee digital front-end.


Apogee was the most advanced PDF workflow system available at the time, said general manager, reprographics Darren Coxon.


The Galileo will be used to produce all the firms digital work, about 2,000 plates per month, which is 45% of the total.


S&G is encouraging its customers to supply PDF files rather than Quark documents due to the massive boost to productivity it gives the firm. Coxon said that monthly magazines could keep editorial and advertising open an extra one to two days by going PDF and also benefited from lower prices.


Its move to violet CTP follows Walsall-based Spectrum Pre-press ordering the worlds first violet Galileo at Drupa (PrintWeek, 26 May).

Story by Barney Cox