New York, NY; July 6, 2006 – Integrated Color Solutions (ICS) – the industry leader in virtual proofing – and Germany’s Quatographic Technology (Quato) have signed an agreement allowing Quato to use ICS’ patented L* technology in conjunction with Quato’s iColor Display 2.0 calibration software. “ICS’ reputation, in remote proofing technologies, makes it a perfect companion to Quato’s long-term experience in developing hardware calibrated displays and calibration solutions. Both companies together offer customers an unrivaled quality in soft proofing,” says J.R. Kuhnen-Burger, Quato’s vice president of marketing and development. Thanks to this agreement, and because both ICS’ Remote Director and Quato’s displays are SWOP certified, users are able to implement yet another remote proofing system from ICS that is not only certified, but will also deliver color accuracy and reliability at the click of a mouse. ”We are excited to work closely Quato, a display manufacturer who shares our vision of display-based proofing acceptance,” says Dan Caldwell, ICS’ vice president of operations. “Together our technologies provide users with the verified quality assurance they need when moving to this emerging technology of virtual proofing.” “The cooperation between Quato’s iColor display calibration and ICS’ Remote Director is a great leap forward for customers,” adds Kuhnen-Burger. “For the first time ever, it joins the forces of a hardware manufacturer and the compelling virtual proofing application.” ICS received U.S. patent number U.S. 6,937,249 B2 for its method of monitor calibration, which Quato has selected to license for use with its iColor Display 2.0 calibration software. Using the L* (lightness) space, the ICS technology allows all monitors to have perceptually uniform behavior after being calibrated. A monitor’s natural state is defined by the appearance of a ramp from white to black. Cathode ray tubes (CRT) have an exponential response, often referred to as “gamma.” Traditional selection of a 1.8 or 2.2 gamma works well with this technology. Conversely, the modern flat panel displays commonly used today, no matter the brand, do not react that way. Today’s color science has developed objective color spaces for instruments based on color conversions. The most popular color space used in the graphic communications industry is CIE-L*a*b*, where L* refers to light/lightness. This color space is perceptually uniform, meaning that any step from one gray unit to the next is perceived by the human eye as being very similar. ICS’ method for calibrating monitors relies on this perception, enabling monitors to appear uniform. Remote Director is the first SWOP-certified, virtual proofing system that applies advanced color management and software technologies to ensure color-accurate proofs. It allows multiple users to view the same artwork, add comments and collaborate about color as well as content and build a complete digital record of the entire job from start to finish – all without consideration for geographical borders. In addition to being able to proof spot colors, five to eight color separations, Remote Director is also handles RGB files natively while showing their CMYK intent, providing users with the ability to work with a wider color gamut throughout various projects. Quato’s hardware calibrated displays are the first to have both the new UGRA/FOGRA display certification and SWOP certification routines built into the calibration software. This gives users a certified color display with color reproduction capability based on recognized international industry standards. The Quato displays feature unmatched precision and color matching capability along with a user-friendly design with feature-loaded software to provide users with an unrivaled overall color experience. “Quato’s license of the ICS technology establishes a common basis for the display calibration from Quato and the virtual proofing application from ICS,” Kuhnen-Burger says. “Additionally, Quato’s SWOP certification with Remote Director and the integrated UGRA display certification ensures predictable high quality results.”