In a statement released on 29 November, the manufacturer said that despite sustained efforts in improving efficiency and constant sourcing optimisation, these price increases “are necessary to compensate for continuing high inflationary pressure on energy, raw material, logistics and salary costs”.

Vincent Wille, president of Agfa’s digital print & chemicals division, said: “Despite our relentless efforts to contain expenditures, we continue to be confronted with historically high costs for raw materials, logistics, energy and salaries. In order to run a sustainable business – allowing us to guarantee supply and to continue to bring innovative products and quality service to our customers – we have no other choice but to increase the prices of our products substantially. At Agfa we take the competitiveness of our customers very seriously and we have done everything we can in the last year to mitigate these increases, but as we see the inflationary pressure continuing and even increasing, we have no other option but to increase prices, next to our continued efforts to increase efficiency.”

Agfa’s Q3 results, released earlier this month, involved something of a mixed picture at the digital print & chemicals wing. While sales of sign and display products grew strongly, its industrial inkjet for décor printing business was hit by postponed orders due to the weakening economic environment with construction and décor firms in Europe focusing their spend on insulation and energy.

However, Agfa said that décor sales were expected to bounce back.

(Courtesy: PrintWeek.com)