Apogee integrates with Fiery

Agfa Graphics and EFI have developed an integration between EFI Fiery digital front ends and Agfa’s latest Apogee 10 system.
 
Andy Grant, head of software at Agfa Graphics, says, “With this integration, existing Agfa Apogee users, including users of the latest Apogee 10 system, will be able to take advantage of hybrid offset/digital workflows.
 
“Through certified, industry standard JDF connectivity, Apogee users can select from the wide choice of Fiery driven digital presses to establish easy and quick ways to direct jobs to the most appropriate print devices for the best production scenario.”
 
Agfa says that, while many printing companies use digital presses to cost effectively meet increasing demand for short runs, fast turnaround, and value-added services, many digital presses do not efficiently integrate into offset workflows. The company says that, with EFI, it delivers one of the most advanced hybrid print workflows available in the commercial market, taking advantage of the strengths of both traditional offset and Fiery driven digital presses.
 
The company says that Apogee acts as a hybrid production hub with connections to CTP for plate imaging and to EFI’s Fiery digital front end platforms, centralising all prepress tasks. Apogee 10 can split parts of a job and send those for digital output.
 
The EFI Fiery FS200 Pro offers HyperRIP, a Fiery job acceleration technology offering 55 per cent faster job processing and advanced makeready and colour management tools. Operators can use JDF templates to automate colour, media, layout, or finishing settings available for Fiery driven digital presses.
 
They can also can use EFI Fiery colour management technology from one consolidated point of control with colour profiles and rendering intent managed by Apogee. Apogee users can access the full fiery paper catalogue from the Apogee user interface, with the system dynamically mapping media selection to the Fiery DFE. Users can also map parameters for inline finishing on Fiery Driven digital presses. And, in Fiery/Apogee integrated hybrid workflows, Fiery DFEs report job status data directly to Apogee so both prepress and production operators can monitor job status in real time.
 
Toby Weiss, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Fiery, says, “Within Agfa’s large Apogee installed base, there are also a large number of Fiery Driven digital presses from all of the leading digital press manufacturers.This integration will enable those organisations to streamline their workflow even more, taking time and touches out of the process for a more cost-efficient operation, critical in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive printing environment.”