DUSSELDORF, Germany--May 8, 2004-- Creo Inc. is launching Spotless(TM) printing at drupa 2004, the largest international trade show for print media production, from May 6-19, 2004. Spotless printing allows printers to dramatically reduce the use of special inks in their press room. It enables printers to represent spot colors on press with process inks, making spot color replacement easy and accurate. Creo is displaying samples of Spotless printing produced by Creo commercial printing and packaging customers in Europe and in North America at Stand B10, Hall 4. "Spotless printing leverages the process stability of Creo thermal imaging with the color stability and extended gamut of Staccato screening," explained Mark Nissen, Spotless product manager, Creo. "Spotless products take these advantages to the next level by accurately predicting color on press, right in the prepress workflow. Spot colors are automatically converted to process colors, with the particular print conditions (such as press, paper, and ink set), taken into account. Spotless printing is an elegant way to increase efficiency in the pressroom and provide better customer service." Spotless also frees designers from the constraints of using only a few spot colors in a particular job. It benefits a printer's bottom line and helps printers serve their customers with more value. Creo is introducing two versions of Spotless printing software. New Spotless 4 software Uses a conventional CMYK ink set to create process color builds that accurately emulate spot colors, easily and reliably. Automatic conversion of spot colors (originating in standard libraries or measured from physical samples) to process builds. Eases proofing difficulties by accurately presenting press color at the proofing stage. Allows printers to offer customers more color options than before, designers can specify dozens of spot colors in a single file, increasing the impact of their printed materials. Accurate client-side proofing with a desktop proofer in a remote location. New Spotless X software Larger range of spot colors can be represented in the proof and on press. Reduces inefficient, costly washups, split fountains, multiple press runs, and custom ink blending dramatically. Gives printers greater advantages by using any expanded (usually six-color) ink set. Special value to packaging market where bright colors help move product off shelves, and batching jobs enables versioning for greater flexibility. Customized service to printers' clients, while increasing printers' operational efficiencies. Choice of any ink set to add new process colors that provide maximum gamut expansion, or use a client's corporate or brand color in the process set to expand the gamut in a particular direction. Gamut expansion can be applied to raster images, such as photographs, as well as vector images for images that are better representations of the original. Spotless and Other Spot Color Replacement Products Spotless can also be used with other six-color systems, such as FMsix and PANTONE Hexachrome. Spotless makes these products easier to use and enhances their capabilities. Spotless places these solutions in a composite workflow, providing automatic color management and trapping. It also makes proofing the results of these products much easier and more accurate. Spotless printing is part of the Value in Print initiative from Creo that is helping printers to maximize the value of their investment in Creo prepress technology. The SQUAREspot thermal imaging heads on the Creo Trendsetter Quantum and Lotem Quantum computer-to-plate devices and Staccato screening, Creo's advanced stochastic FM screening technology, enable the use of Spotless printing solutions. See brilliant samples of new Spotless printing at the Creo stand at Drupa in Hall 4, Stand B10. Every four years, drupa transforms the city of Dusseldorf into the print media capital of the world. From May 6 to 19, more than 1,900 exhibitors, including Creo, from 49 countries are presenting the most comprehensive overview of print media production in the graphic arts industry. More than 375,000 visitors from 170 countries are expected to attend. Images available at www.creo.com/imagebank.