Hannover, Germany (CeBIT), March 14, 2003 - Agfa Monotype Corporation has announced three software tool kits for manufacturers and developers of color office printers such as desktop inkjets and multifunction devices. The ColorTune screening, profile and CMM kits feature tools for embedding color capabilities that are intended to give office printers the ability to produce exceptional color image quality. “Using our tools, OEMs are able to embed functions in office devices that result in high-quality color output,” said Ron Iversen, general manager of Color Imaging at Agfa Monotype. “We’ve customized patented technologies developed by Agfa Corporation for the graphic arts market to meet the demand for superior quality on low-resolution devices used in offices. Our tools are designed to meet goals that have been elusive or impossible for many OEMs - exceptional, consistent color output on each device, and the ability to meet color quality requirements on or ahead of schedule. OEMs may find themselves in a better position to generate product revenue sooner than previously expected.” Reviews from manufacturers reflect the value the tools have been designed to offer. “Agfa Monotype’s tools can shorten the development cycle and provide the ability to quickly make those last minute profile edits,” said Bill Kress of Toshiba America Inc. “We found that Agfa Monotype matched our requirements better than any other technology we evaluated,” said Ed McLaughlin of Sharp Electronics Corporation. “Our team was able to work closely with Agfa Monotype’s exceptional engineering and customer support groups to achieve color fidelity and color management speed that will be obvious to our customers.” The ColorTune Screening Tool Kit allows engineers to quickly build binary, multilevel, AM/FM hybrid and asymmetric-resolution halftone screens for maximizing image quality on color office devices. Using a user-interface that displays results, OEMs are able to correct, eliminate and diffuse visible artifacts that can otherwise result from the printing process. A hybrid mode combines patented AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) techniques for achieving smooth transitions when transitioning between light and medium intensities. A multilevel screen format is also available for maintaining a high level of image quality when fast performance is required - suitable for inkjet printers. The ColorTune Profile Tool Kit allows OEMs to create, edit and optimize multiple color profiles that are typically customized for devices such as color copiers, multifunction printers, laser printers and desktop inkjet printers. A patent-pending algorithm allows engineers to smooth transitions between any two colors and dark to light intensities of a single color. The ColorTune CMM Tool Kit allows for fast, accurate color transformations between input and output processes required for achieving high-quality color output. The CMM (color management module) converts colors between devices to ensure they are mapped optimally into the range of colors that can be produced by the destination device, using the full gamut of the device. Agfa Monotype’s CMM is small in code size and supports ICC-specified rendering intents and all industry-standard color spaces and file formats.