Rick's 2nd article

Piece of cake: Julbilee success

The yearlong celebration of Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne will culminate starting Saturday with four days of celebrations, including a concert, a parade and a 1,000-ship flotilla through London on the River Thames. This Diamond Jubilee, is only the second in Britain's long history.  

Pt. Mugu

Picture of the Day

Daily Dilbert

Picture of the Day

The economic shift from west to east

An interview with Stefaan Vanhooren, President of Agfa Graphics about current products and economic development.  

By Thomas Fasold

How has Agfa Graphics’ product offering changed since the last drupa?

For the first time we have brought the M-Press Leopard to an exhibition. The M-Press Leopard excels in sectors of digital printing like 

homeware and decoration. This complements market the sign & display market which we address with our Anapurna and Jeti solutions. All these systems have obviously evolved to state of the art solutions, including inks and workflows. 

This brings me to the importance of the software and workflow that enable our users to approach their customers with web to print, and even cloud based systems, and connect their current pre-press with new digital printing alternatives. We are showing our latest software developments like Arkitex Eversify, a SaaS solution for newspaper publishing on e-media readers and Apogee 8. 

Last but not least you will find a strong presence of our plates and equipment solutions for the offset market, with a special focus on chemistry-free plate solutions for both commercial printing applications and for newspapers.

What are the main focus points for Agfa at drupa 2012?

Offset printing is important for Agfa Graphics. We heavily endorse the chemistry-free plate solutions for offset printers, also for demanding users and newspapers. Chem-free plates make printing more sustainable because they are easier to use and easier to clean while offering an extremely stable process and greatly reduced waste. 

For the industial and sign&display segment we focus on UV curable inkjet solutions with the widest offering in the industry, which not only includes presses but also inks for very specific applications.

And the software ties all of that together. Efficient workflows are much in demand, especially now that inkjet printers or presses have grown into production assets. Software also links the conventional offset workflow with digital alternatives so integration and connectivity are our primary focus. 

Sustainability and care for the environment are important buzz words for drupa 2012. Agfa is reknown fort he plates – is there anything new?

Our solutions that lead to a more sustainable production of print are definitely not restricted to chemistry-free plates. In the meanwhile Agfa has a number of other products and services that help our customers to reduce their impact on the environment: we have press room products that enable them to eliminate the use of alcohol, and we have software solutions that reduce ink. They all make printing a more stable system, which in the end also means a more sustainable solution. 

What is the impact of economic growth in the emerging economies?

There is definitely an ongoing economic shift from west to east. 

Even though we have European roots, we are very active indeed in all of these markets, not only through local sales organisations (like in Japan) and some well-established and strong local partners, but also with our local plate supply from our manufacturing sites in China, South Korea, the US and Brazil. 

We have increased our efforts in recent years to become a strong partner in these markets and we have been able to strengthen our activities and position consider-ably during the past few years, both in offset and in digital printing. The joint venture with Shenzen Brothers (Agfa Graphics Asia Ltd.) opens opportunities for a larger market presence in Greater China and the ASEAN Region. Latin America has traditionally been quite successful but recent investments in the local manufacturing site enable us to be present even more prominently. In India we have a technology agreement with Technova, which allows both of us to focus on the Indian market specifically

drupa Colleague of the Day

Name: Georgina Muciño
Country: Mexico City, Mexico (distance to Düsseldorf 9396 km)
Function title: Business Consultant Inkjet
Job at the booth: Sales of all inkjet products
Lenght of stay at drupa: one week (the first)
Best thing about coming to drupa
To gain new customers; to show the equipment and the new technology, e.g. the :M-Press Leopard
How long have you been with Agfa: 2 years (after the acquisition of Gandi)
Number of drupa’s attended: 2
Favorite Agfa product of all time: :Jeti Titan, because it is the fastest, with a good quality and I like its modularity. I think it is the best of all the engines.
If you would win two flight tickets, where would you go? Hong Kong

drupa Colleague of the Day

Name: Petra Dams
Country: Mortsel, Belgium (distance to Düsseldorf 200 km)
Function title: Global Communication Assistant
Job at the booth: Agfa Only: hotels, entrance tickets, demo bookings coordination
Lenght of stay at drupa:10 days
Best thing about coming to drupa
To finally meet the colleagues that you have been emailing and phoning with. The atmosphere between all colleagues. The feeling of being one big team.
How long have you been with Agfa: 15 years
Number of drupa’s attended: 3
Favorite Agfa product of all time: the :Anapurna's
If you would win two flight tickets, where would you go? New York

drupa Colleague of the Day

Name: Jeannie Yee
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (distance to Düsseldorf xxx km)
Function title: Sales Coordinator MarCom activities
Job at the booth: Info Desk aka Check In
Lenght of stay at drupa: full period
Best thing about coming to drupa
To get to meet colleagues that you have emailed but never seen. Also to get to see the huge printers.
How long have you been with Agfa: 10 years
Number of drupa’s attended: This is the first. I had been waiting for ten years!
Favorite Agfa product of all time: the :Xcalibur platesetter, merely because of its name
If you would win two flight tickets, where would you go? Tokyo or Hongkong, I can't decide

Picture of the Day

Agfa extends range of UV inks

From Labels and Labeling

With the growth in single-pass piezo-electric inkjet technology requiring robust specialist UV-curable inks, Agfa is extending its range of Agora and Altamira inks. Already established in the document and packaging sectors, these inks have now also been formulated for use in industrial applications, with major printhead manufacturers partnering with Agfa to bring new opportunities to the digital market.

Agfa’s UV-curable inks are now available for system integrators, OEMs, industries etc in a variety of different formulations, researched and developed for specific market sectors and printhead integration.

The line of Agora and Altamira inks is composed of industrial inks targeted to many specific applications, including marking and coding, transpromotional printing, object and decoration printing, label printing, packaging printing, and a wide variety of other industrial applications. 

‘Accurate droplet size with outstanding sharpness and color accuracy is complemented by lowest overall consumption and the ability to generate very fast throughput speeds that exceed 100m/min and guarantee superior adhesion across a wide range of materials and surfaces,’ said the company in a statement.

Daily Dilbert

Agfa Graphics Launches :Advantage N HS Platesetters for High-Volume Newspaper Printers

High-production systems hit speeds of 350 plates per hour, helping publishers extended editorial and advertising deadlines without sacrificing quality

Agfa Graphics today introduced two new high-speed platesetters for the high-volume newspaper market. The :Advantage N PL HS (Pallet Load, High-Speed) and the :Advantage N TR HS (Trolley Load, High-Speed) both run at speeds up to 350 plates per hour, 50 plates more than the :Advantage N. :Advantage N PL will be available for demonstrations at the Agfa Graphics stand at drupa (Düsseldorf, Germany May 3 – 16, Hall 8A).

The :Advantage N PL HS, a completely new design, can hold up to 6,000 plates in a fully-automatic setting - two pallets of 3,000 plates each. The system employs a unique and patented process that pre-separates the plates and slip sheets in the plate stack before plate loading. Regardless of temperature fluctuations, RH issues or long storage periods, the pre-separation process avoids plate and paper jams due to plates or slip sheets sticking together in a plate stack. Agfa's patented auto slip sheet removal process offers less downtime with no paper jams and an efficient procedure for emptying the slip sheet into the "dump area."

The :Advantage N TR HS features a trolley to transport plates from safe light environment to the CtP imager. This gives customers who cannot switch to yellow safelight in the room where the CtP device is installed, the flexibility to more easily and efficiently load the plates in a separate yellow safelight environment. 

"With these new systems, Agfa Graphics again shows its commitment to the newspaper industry by offering state-of-the-art CtP technology that meets the requirements of the premium level newspaper market segment. Like all segments in the newspaper industry, the high-volume segment is also looking for improved production efficiency, cost savings and automation. With Agfa Graphics, newspaper publishers have a company with expertise in hardware, complete workflow solutions and consumables, covering the entire pre-press production area," said Emiel Sweevers, marketing manager for Newspaper Engines, Agfa Graphics, worldwide. "Agfa Graphics' goal is to continue to develop solutions that enable our customers to effectively meet the current market challenges head-on and win."

The :Advantage N PL HS and the :Advantage N TR HS will be shipping at the end of the third quarter. 
Thanks to the increased speed, both systems can extend newspaper publishers' editorial and advertising deadlines, giving them the ability to deliver the latest news and last-minute offers to their daily readers. The increased speed will also help newspaper publishers replace multiple, slower CtP engines with fewer, faster ones. This would result in savings on new CtP investments and other costs, such as processing equipment or punch and bending machines. Fewer CtP engines also results in increased floor space.

Picture of the Day

Picture of the Day

They claimed we had the best carpet of the fair

Daily drupa

Introducing Düsseldorf

Source: Lonelyplanet

We conclude with this article to make sure you can talk to friends and family about this lovely city before returning home after a busy drupa 2012. Maybe some of you have another day to walk around waiting for a  flight, or this could be useful to start preparing for drupa 2016. See you all!

Düsseldorf, the state capital, dazzles with boundary-pushing architecture, zinging nightlife and an art scene to rival many larger cities. It’s a posh and modern city that seems all business at first glance: banking, advertising, fashion and telecommunications are among the fields that have made Düsseldorf one of Germany’s wealthiest cities. Yet all it takes is a few hours of bar-hopping around the Altstadt, the historical quarter along the Rhine, to realise that locals have no problem letting their hair down once those Armani ties come off.

The Altstadt may still be the ‘longest bar in the world’ but it’s increasingly getting competition from the Medienhafen, a redeveloped harbour area about 1km further south. Not only is this a feast of international avant-garde architecture by the genre’s boldest and brightest (Frank Gehry among them), the area is also evolving into a chic and sleek place to hang out after dark.

If you’re more into high-brow culture, you’ll likely more than get your fill at the many top-notch art museums and the renowned opera house, theatre and orchestra hall.

Introducing New York

Source: Lonelyplanet

New York can be anything you want it to be. It’s why countless people have pinned their dreams on the place, thrown caution to the wind and shown up on its doorstep.
If you like a day filled with culture, start with a look at some Tseng Kwong Chi photographs celebrating East Village creativity in the eighties at the Paul Kasmin gallery, before ducking through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the current Japanese art exhibition.

Round out your afternoon with some off beat/experimental theater at the Abrons Art Center on the Lower East Side.
If you rather your city a little grittier, spend some time in the hidden, restful Trinity Church cemetery, then cross to the Lower East Side where the Tenement Museum paints an evocative portrait of early migrant life on the island. Grab a hot dog from a street cart and stroll around the recently renovated Columbus Park, watching the mah jong and domino players compete against a backdrop of basketball.

Just don’t be too shocked if your day of high culture turns into a long afternoon of chicken soup and matzo balls at a downtown diner – or if your bohemian day runs off the rails when you stumble into a gold mine, and walk out with bags of goodies you didn't realize you needed. Whatever. New York is easy that way.

It’s why visitors keep streaming in from all corners of the globe, grasping at their silver-screen visions – and finding them – but discovering plenty more on the way. If you are willing to approach New York with a combination of organization and openness, you’ll be met with some staggering and unexpected rewards.

Today In History

What happened on May 15^th?
1567: Mary, Queen of Scots, marries her third husband
1905: Las Vegas founded by auction of 110 acres (0,45km²)
1928: Mickey Mouse premiered in his first cartoon
1935: Moscow metro is opened to public
1940: McDonald’s opens its first restaurant in California
1958: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3
1960: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4
1970: Birth of Frank & Ronald de Boer, football players

One Perfect Day: 24 hours in New York City

Source: Ali Lemer – Lonely Planet Author

24 hours in New York is nowhere near enough, but if that’s all the time you’ve got, we’ve got an itinerary designed by a local so you can make the most of every New York minute.

Morning

8am – Start your day on the Upper West Side with a pilgrimage to the granddaddy of New York Jewish delicatessens: Zabar’s (Broadway & 80th St). Grab a bagel with cream cheese and lox, a cup of coffee, and walk two blocks west to Riverside Park for a breakfast picnic overlooking the Hudson River.

8:30am – Stroll down Broadway to 72nd St, then head east to Central Park West; on the northwest corner is the Dakota, the 19th-century apartment building where John Lennon lived (and died). Just steps inside Central Park is his teardrop-shaped memorial park Strawberry Fields, with its famous ‘Imagine’ pavement mosaic. Keep heading east through the park to the stately red-brick Bethesda Terrace, where the beautiful ‘Angel of the Waters’ statue sits high above one of New York’s most famous fountains.

9am – Continue east to Madison Avenue and window-shop along one of the world’s priciest shopping strips as you walk a half-mile north to 82nd St.

9:30am – Presiding over Fifth Avenue is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, home to one of the world’s greatest art collections (but closed on Mondays). Spend a couple of hours checking out some of the highlights – the Egyptian temple of Dendur, the ancient Greek and Roman statuary and medieval armour from around the world (including Henry VIII’s!).

11:30am – From the subway at 86th and Lexington catch a train south to Grand Central Terminal. No one will blame you for staring like a tourist at the glorious constellations painted on the ceiling of the marbled main hall. Head downstairs to the excellent Euro-style food hall for a quick lunch, or splash out at one of the posher open-air restaurants on the balconies to either side of the main hall.

Afternoon

12:30pm – Walk west along 42nd St. At Fifth Avenue detour around the marble lions standing guard outside the New York Public Library and then head west through Bryant Park till you get to Broadway; hang a right and walk up through the neon bustle of  Times Square. Join the queue at the TKTS booth and nab a half-price ticket for a big musical or an off-Broadway show for that night.

1:30pm – Hop a train down to Penn Station; escape the basement warren and walk southwest to 30th St and Tenth Avenue for the start of The High Line, New York’s most singular park: a linear greenway built on a disused train bridge, with fantastic river views and street vendors selling ice creams and coffee and the like.

3pm – After you leave the High Line at Gansevoort St, wander through the colonial cobbled streets of the West Village: poke your head into some boutiques, grab a fortifying cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery (Bleecker & 11th St), or even stop for a pint at classic writers’ haunt the White Horse Tavern (Hudson & 11th St). Keep angling southeast to get to leafy Washington Square Park, where you can stop for a rest and some people-watching.

5pm – It’s time for a pre-show dinner, so walk up Broadway to Union Square Park. Depending on your tastes and budget, nearby restaurants such as The Coffee Shop (you can’t miss the neon sign), Chat ‘N’ Chew, Gramercy Tavern, the Old Town Bar or even City Crab should do the trick.

Evening

6:30pm – The N or R train will take you back to Times Square, where you can grab a quick drink at The View, the 360° rotating bar/restaurant at the top of the Marriott Marquis hotel.

8pm – Curtain up! Sit back and enjoy a show in one of the world’s greatest theatre towns.

10:30pm – With the post-show buzz to keep you going, hop any train down to 14th St and take the L train out to hipster Williamsburg, Brooklyn for some late-night carousing. Get off at Bedford Avenue and try Trash Bar for some local alt-rock bands, or the heated beer garden and live jazz at Radegast Hall.

After dark

12:30am – Still going? Slam an energy drink and head north to rock the lanes at the late-night bowling bars Brooklyn Bowl (open till 2am) or The Gutter (open till 4am).