ON DEMAND 2003 JAVITS CENTER -- BOOTH 4262 HAMILTON, Ohio--April 3, 2003--SMART Papers' flagship coated digital laser paper, Kromekote Laser High Gloss, emerged as best in class from among nine other competitive gradelines when it comes to color print quality, paper quality and pricing combined, according to a new study available today from the paper company. "It was the most thorough benchmarking study I've ever seen," said John Lind, Director of Research for the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation-Printing Industries of America research center in suburban Pittsburgh. The print trials were conducted on Xerox digital printing equipment at GATF-PIA in March. To ensure strict objectivity during the testing process, sample ID numbers were assigned to each of the 10 paper brands tested. The areas where SMART Papers Kromekote Laser High Gloss excelled were on-press performance as well as paper and printed gloss. Strong on press performance ensures high press productivity, no jamming and delivers a printed piece that is curl-free. High printed and paper gloss maximizes image quality and color impact. The price per sheet for the paper was among the industry's lowest, according to the study. "Put it all together and this study clearly shows SMART Papers offers the best value in the North American marketplace when it comes to digitally printed glossy coated papers," said Garth Geist, Director of Digital and Retail Papers for the Hamilton, Ohio-based papermaker. The benchmarking study was the second in six months detailing how SMART Papers compares to other widely-marketed digital printing papers. In November 2002, a similar blind study comparing paper and print quality of 34 OEM and mill-branded photo inkjet papers showed SMART Papers' Kromekote Photo Inkjet Papers ranked in the top third in print- and paper quality. The papers ranked in the bottom one-third in price. The newest coated laser paper study tested all papers against 17 performance criteria using Xerox DocuColor 2060 and Xerox DocuTech 6180 production-rated digital printers. Paper properties included brightness, whiteness, basis weight, gloss, caliper, opacity--as well as two measures of stiffness, smoothness and porosity. Printed properties included printed gloss and ink density using black, yellow, magenta and cyan. All paper was acclimated for 48 hours prior to printing. The printing environment was controlled for temperature and humidity. The study was developed and directed by Laurie Marchetti, Product Manager of Digital and Retail Papers at SMART Papers in coordination with GATF-PIA research staff. SMART Papers is one of the nation's largest independent manufacturers of premium cast-coated, matte-coated and uncoated printing papers. Its SMART Digital brands include Kromekote Inkjet, Kromekote Laser High Gloss, Kromekote Tuffkote, Knightkote Matte, Carnival and Benefit. Papers are distributed worldwide. GATF-PIA's center in Sewickley, PA, is a member-supported, nonprofit, scientific, technical, and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of graphic communications industries worldwide. GATF joined forces with the Printing Industries of America in 1999. The GATF-PIA Research Department provides unbiased and confidential research to evaluate advanced technologies, analyze quality materials, and recommend efficient procedures. GATF-PIA's new Technical Center houses labs to analyze printed material, ink, paper, and chemistry. For more information about the study, contact SMART Papers' Laurie Marchetti at 513-869-5149.