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
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"Well done all involved... great to see the investment to increase the productivity in the same footprint- much more sustainable than popping another one up."
"From 1949 until the late 2000s Remploy had a network of government-subsidised factories that offered employment specifically to disabled people, originally often war veterans or victims of industrial..."
"Does appear an odd decision as with that level of shareholder funds they would be liable for the staff redundancy and cover the insolvency costs. It’s not like they could take the money and dodge..."
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