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Agfa Graphics cloud hosting

Streamline your production workflow in the cloud

Rise to the challenges of tomorrow

Cloud technology offers printing experts new ways of improving efficiency while meeting the challenges of the future: growing amounts of data, customer data integrity, foolproof data storage, excellent performance and permanent accessibility.

An established supplier of imaging and information technologies, Agfa Graphics is taking the lead in cloud solutions for the graphics industry. We offer a unique service that moves the prepress workflow to the cloud and is designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of print professionals.

Work smarter, differentiate your business

Minimize operating costs, maximize profit

  • No investments in dedicated hardware
  • Less management and IT-related expenses
  • Energy savings and a clear TCO

Ensure business continuity

  • Hosted by Agfa’s ISO-certified mirrored data centers
  • Data security, real-time storage and 24/7 monitoring
  • More time to focus on strategy and innovation

Future-proof your business: become agile

  • Increased flexibility of operations
  • Adaptable to changing needs
  • Interactive solution 

Rely on a professional solution

  • Fast and secure web experience
  • Agfa expertise at your fingertips
  • Always up to date

Experience the power of cloud

Agfa’s powerful cloud environment offers all the storage and bandwidth needed to process copious amounts of print data and deliver our workflow software solutions straight to your business. Learn more about the unique benefits of Agfa Graphics cloud solutions:

"Adobe is a global leader in cloud solutions for delivering Software as a Service (SaaS) – Creative Cloud has been very successful with designers. So we welcome the continuing development of Agfa cloud services for prepress and print production. This will strengthen the industry by increasing workflow efficiency and reducing production costs. The Adobe PDF Print Engine, which is built into Apogee and Asanti, is scalable and cloud-ready. So for Agfa users who are planning to transition more of their infrastructure into the cloud, they will get the same reliable, Adobe-quality rendering experience as on-premise deployments."

Mark Lewiecki, Senior Product Manager, Adobe Systems

Up and running in Agfa Graphics’ cloud

Agfa Graphics’ cloud offers a shared working space where in-house publishers, publishing partners, prepress and print operators process and control print jobs. Based on a unified production plan, pages flow through the cloud following a particular sequence.

Preflight

Cloud hosting
  • Publishers and content creators upload PDFs to the cloud via a secure web link
  • PDFs are validated, autocorrected, reported and approved for print

Image enhancement

Cloud hosting
  • Pages are processed using IntelliTune
  • ICC profiles and ink settings are applied for coldset, heatset or UV web printing

Ink saving

Cloud hosting
  • Providing up to 30% ink saving
  • Enhancing the quality of print jobs

Rip

Cloud hosting
  • PDFs are converted into single-bit TIFF files representing the color separations
  • A variety of resolutions and screenings (e.g. hybrid, FM screening, dot gain curves) are available

Imposition

Cloud hosting
  • The single-bit TIFFs are imposed according to the correct imposition template
  • Fixed or variable data can be added, including registration marks, color bars, wedges, barcodes, titles, edition names, sheet numbers and many more

Soft proofing

Cloud hosting
  • Publishers can check processed pages and compare the uploaded PDFs to the RIP files
  • Soft proofs can be configured to give a true color representation of how the page will look after printing

Approval

Cloud hosting
  • Approval can be given to transmit the files to print
  • This step and previous and/or subsequent ones are marked in the cloud’s database for immediate or future reporting

Transmission

Cloud hosting
  • The cloud for print production benefits from an advanced transmission system including FTP to send the prepared pages to single or multiple print sites
  • Following the unified production plan, the cloud knows which pages to send to which site and printer/platesetter

Rely on advanced cloud infrastructure

Our cloud solutions are hosted by two Agfa-owned, ISO-certified data centers located in Belgium – the very same that have been used for years by Agfa HealthCare to store hospitals’ confidential medical data. This advanced cloud infrastructure guarantees:

  • Complete data protection and customer data integrity
  • State-of-the-art performance and permanent accessibility
  • Redundant internet connections and a backup power supply
  • Data mirroring for real-time storage and quick recovery

Agfa Graphics data centers are highly secured: a fire department, medical services and an external security company are on standby 24/7. While the infrastructure itself ensures protection against any damage, Agfa experts are continually testing and monitoring the service, relieving your in-house personnel from IT responsibilities.

No need to worry about platforms, upgrades, licenses, service contracts or training. Agfa Graphics cloud is a trouble-free working zone that is always up to date. Grow your business without the need to acquire new equipment – the cloud is scalable, evolving with you as your business grows.

“The cloud is the future”

Workflow in the cloud at Fratelli Roda

Marco Roda, general director and owner of Fratelli Roda SA (Switzerland), on his reasons to invest in a cloud-based workflow system:

“Above all, we value the security it offers and the constant availability of Agfa’s online support and assistance. Another advantage is that we can count on the immediate availability of all necessary software updates. Yes, the cloud is definitely the future.”

View movie.

Apogee Cloud: Moving commercial printing workflow into the cloud at the Nishikawa Group, Japan

Seiichi Nishikawa, president of the Nishikawa Group (Japan),
on moving his commercial printing workflow to the cloud: 

“Now, our excessive investment in information security is no longer necessary, and customer data are always safe. We greatly value this cloud technology; it has offered us new opportunities, and we’ve been able to reform and improve our operations while decreasing waste.”

Read the entire testimonial.

Graphic design agency Picking and Agfa Graphics’ Apogee Cloud: a match made in heaven

Laurent Broze, Manager Picking (Belgium), about running his applications in the cloud:

“Thanks to Agfa’s cloud technology, my team has more time to focus on essential printing tasks and strategy development. I believe that’s why my clients, in turn, also benefit from our cloud implementation.” 

Read the entire testimonial.

Agfa Graphics sets up virtual print center for Coldset Printing Partners

Tony Nouwen, graphics expert at Coldset Printing Partners (Belgium), on becoming the first newspaper in the world to move its prepress operations to the cloud:

“Our operations run more smoothly and efficiently, and we’re working at even higher production volumes. We can rightly state that this is the smartest job Agfa Graphics has done for us in our twenty-five years as a customer – and that’s saying something.

View movie.

Agfa Graphics’ Apogee Cloud technology receives vote of approval from UK printer Bridson & Horrox

Darren Horrox, Bridson & Horrox (UK), on the cost-efficiency and reliability of Apogee Cloud

“Cloud technology helps reduce capital investment as there is no requirement to invest in servers or maintain them. Also, I feel more comfortable using Agfa rather than having my own in-house servers.”

Read their story.

ProCo, UK - “With PrintSphere and WebApproval, Agfa Graphics is giving us the ability to stay on top of the automation process.”

Karl Dalton, Head of Reprographic at ProCo (UK) on automating business with Agfa’s cloud solutions

“With PrintSphere and WebApproval, Agfa Graphics is giving us the ability to stay on top of the automation process”

View movie.

Agfa Graphics cloud services

Apogee Cloud

Apogee Cloud is all about using the latest Apogee workflow offering for commercial printing, yet relying on the cloud infrastructure, know-how and security offered by Agfa Graphics.

Read more about Apogee Cloud.

StoreFront

This cloud-based web-to-print solution enables print buyers to place orders 24/7 through customer-friendly online stores. Expand your customer base and increase your revenue.

Opt for Apogee StoreFront (commercial printing) or Asanti StoreFront (sign & display printing).

Apogee WebApproval

This interactive portal enables both your clients and team members to access jobs from their desktop computer or mobile device, and upload, review and approve jobs.

Learn more about Apogee WebApproval.

Arkitex Cloud

As a dedicated service for newspapers, this secure cloud-based SaaS solution offers a streamlined workflow that enables publishers to meet tight deadlines and save costs.

Discover Arkitex Cloud.

PrintSphere

A cloud-based SaaS solution for standardized data exchange and workflow automation, PrintSphere completes and facilitates your entire workflow.

Explore PrintSphere.

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