Graphic Systems sales fell 11.7% to 571m (Euro822m), but the fall was actually 3.8% once currency fluctuations were taken into account. However, the division boosted its operating profit by just under 10% to 42.4m.

In the UK, where Agfa has nearly 50% of the film and plate market, turnover was almost exactly the same as last year according to director Laurence Roberts. We are seeing a 30% per annum decline in analogue film and plate sales, but digital products are growing at about the same rate, so there is a balance. In fact we are slightly ahead as weve grown our market share in thermal plates as we now have more product to sell.

Roberts said that in pre-press hardware B1 sales had tailed off as anyone whos anyone has got CTP now, and while there was growth in the B2 CTP sector this area required suppliers to be prudent with credit.

Sales of the Sherpa ink-jet range continue to show strong growth. The Sherpa is up 25% year-on-year and Im quite pleased with that. Ink-jet is the only area where the market is exploding and our market share is continually growing, he added.

The firm was buoyed by the newspaper sales it gained at Newstec in May, but with no major exhibitions as a focal point for commercial sales this year, Roberts said the company was ploughing on. Its hard out there.

Agfa continues to reap the benefits of its Horizon restructuring programme, which has involved cost savings of 382m and 4,000 job cuts worldwide 3,413 employees have already left the company. It has now begun implementing its Orion programme which aims to stimulate sales growth, improved quality and reduce working capital. This programme runs until 2005.

Total group sales in the first half fell 2.8% (excluding currency variations) to 1.5bn. The groups consumer imaging division was the black spot, posting a 17.3m loss.