Want to reduce your pollution footprint while speeding up plate production? Chemistry-free or processless plates can do just that.

By Bob Atkinson

The Key Players

• Agfa was one of the first companies into the processless arena, and maintains a strong market position in the category. Its :Azura thermal metal chemistry-free plates (sizes to eight-up) run on Agfa’s own platesetters and other thermal CTP systems. They’re safe for daylight handling, and only a simple cleanup stage is needed after imaging. :Azura is designed for low-to-medium press runs (up to 100,000 impressions unbaked) and resolutions up to 200 lines. Also, watch for a new faster thermal plate—the :Azura TS—and a new violet process-free plate (currently designated N92-VCF) from Agfa at Drupa, with 200-line and 125,000-impression capabilities. Agfa will release this product in the newspaper market and later for commercial print. (www.agfa.com/en/gs/products_services/all_products/azura.jsp)