Agfa Corp. announced that Sing Tao, Canada’s largest Chinese daily newspaper, purchased four Agfa Phoenix 2250 Imagesetters for its newspaper printing operations in Vancouver and Toronto. Sing Tao Canada Media Group is part of the Business Ventures division of Torstar Media Group.

“This was a good decision for us,” said Andrew Go, chairman of the board of Sing Tao and president of Business Ventures, Torstar Media Group. “We increased our quality and decreased our costs, thereby realizing an immediate return on our investment.”

The technology eliminates the film stripping process, improving productivity and reducing time and labor costs.

“We started by assuming that computer-to-plate would be most appropriate for our needs. However, the analysis that the Agfa reps provided to us indicated that at this point in our company’s development, computer-to-film was the most cost effective solution,” explained Go.

The quality of Sing Tao’s newspapers and weekly magazines is expected to be enhanced because there is consistency throughout production. The improved registration, sharper images and deeper colors give the publications a more attractive look. “We expect to realize our return on investment within one year,” said Go. “The improved quality as well as the time and cost savings established by the Phoenix 2250 imagesetters will provide short-term payback and long-term gain.”