Agfa has announced immediate plate price rises of up to 10% due to rocketing aluminium costs.
Agfa Graphics President Stefaan Vanhooren described the increases as “exceptional” but said that corresponding uplift in the value of scrap aluminium should help mitigate the move. Aluminium makes up the majority of the costs involved in producing metal printing plates. “Soaring prices of aluminium… are the main reason for this decision,” Vanhooren said. However, thanks to the increased intrinsic recycle value of the used printing plates, the price increase will not necessarily result in a cost increase to our customers.”
In addition, Agfa highlighted the potential economic benefits of the group’s ECO3 framework, which stands for “Economy, Ecology, and Extra Convenience” and is aimed at increasing productivity and efficiencies in the prepress department and pressroom.
The printing industry has been hit by a raft of price increases in recent months affecting ink, paper, and now printing plates.
