May 7, 2001, MOBILE, AL --XANTe CORPORATION today announces the Xante FilmMaker 4 the first desktop system designed specifically for computer-to-film printing at up to 2400 x 2400 dpi. In addition, Xante introduces the new Myriad Clear Film for printing high quality film positives. Offering high resolution, close registration, and good repeatability, Xantes FilmMaker 4 provides printing and prepress professionals with a much needed solution for easy-to-produce, quality film positives and negatives. "Together with the new Myriad Clear Film, the FilmMaker 4 sets a new standard for desktop filmmaking," said Robert C. Ross, Jr., Xantes president and CEO. "For years many countries outside the US have used film positives for burning positive metal plates and for other applications resulting in higher quality and faster production. This was the inspiration for Xante to spend extensive amounts of time on research and development for the perfect clear film material. Using the FilmMaker 4 to produce film positives on Xantes specially designed Myriad Clear Film provides easier stripping and less opaquing for use with flexography, commercial printing, and other applications for printing professionals in the US and abroad. With up to 2400 dpi and Xantes Negative Enhanced Imaging Technology, the FilmMaker 4 is in a class by itself providing the complete desktop filmmaking solution for both negatives and positives from the same device." The FilmMaker 4 allows users to print proofs and generate film from one device, reducing prepress workflow to one machine. Boasting a throughput time of 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, the FilmMaker 4 can output film at an average of 40 sheets per hour at resolutions up to 2400 x 2400 dpi. The FilmMaker 4 can be purchased at 1200 dpi and upgraded later to 2400 dpi. Oversized capabilities of up to 13" x 35.5" allow printing and prepress professionals to achieve multiple spreads and imposition layouts and to reduce the need for tiling. PRINTER FEATURES Adobe PostScript 3 Software The FilmMaker 4 offers the reliability, assurance of compatibility, and high performance provided by PostScript 3. PostScript 3 benefits include improved performance, enhanced file and memory management schemes, data compression, composite font support, and much more. High Resolution The Xante FilmMaker 4 provides 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution, upgradable to 2400 x 2400 dpi for typeset quality output. The printer can be purchased at 1200 dpi and be upgraded later to 2400 dpi. The FilmMaker 4s quality is well suited for printing computer-to-film as well as for printing final output and proofing. Myriad Film Polyester based Myriad Film is available from Xante for quality computer-to-film printing. Film is printed on the FilmMaker 4, then processed using the FilmStar 2. Users can burn a metal plate from this processed film; the plate is then used for offset printing. Myriad Film is ready to use and made for daylight film loading. Myriad Clear Film In addition to offering Myriad Film for negatives, Xante introduces the new Myriad Clear Film for positive printing. Printing positives on Xantes Myriad Clear Film provides for easier stripping and less opaquing compared to negatives. Myriad Clear Film is ready to use and made for daylight film loading. High Performance The FilmMaker 4 can output film at an average of 40 sheets per hour at 1200 dpi and 25 sheets per hour at 2400 dpi. Positive Film Technology The FilmMaker 4 includes Xantes Positive Film Technology for quality, consistent printing of positive film. NEIT Xantes patented Negative Enhanced Imaging Technology allows users to produce quality negative or positive images from the same device. Offset printing requires using negative images on film to produce plates. Until now, negative printing from laser based engines has tended to fill in or "plug" tiny white spaces inside letters such as "a" or "e" and fill hairline images. Xantes patented NEIT, in conjunction with Myriad film, helps ensure clear, crisp hairline images and text. X-ACT Xantes patented Accurate Calibration Technology gives users precise control over horizontal and vertical dimensions on page images ensuring unmatched output accuracy. The X-ACT feature provides an easy, convenient way to calibrate the FilmMaker 4 to unequaled accuracy. Halftone Calibration Technology The FilmMaker 4 allows users to linearize the gamma curve of halftones easily from the printers front panel or via software printer setup. This feature enables users to calibrate the midtones of halftone images, bringing out detail that can be lost when printing at higher line screens or when dark photos have been scanned. Densitometer Support Users can calibrate gray scales using a densitometer and Xantes Command Center application to produce the highest accuracy possible from halftone images. Enhanced Screening Xantes Enhanced Screening allows users to further fine tune the output quality by providing 40% more levels of gray when enabled, yielding camera-ready artwork. Enhanced screening allows users to select from the normal (default) or the enhanced screens defined by 145, 197, or 256 levels of gray using the printers front panel or via software printer setup. Mirror Print Users can print a job from any application with the image reversed from left to right to provide right reading, emulsion side down output. Negative Print Users can print a negative image from any application regardless of job composition. Media Handling The FilmMaker 4 supports two input sources in its base configuration. A multi-purpose tray offers a 150-sheet input capacity and supports film sizes up to 13" x 35.5". The second source is a media feed unit which supports the standard 500-sheet trays holding up to 13" x 18.5" film sizes. Two optional input sources are available and can be configured to hold up to 500 sheets each for a total input capacity of 1,650 sheets. The take up tray provides for 500 film sheets stacked. Standard Interfaces RS-232 serial, parallel, and LocalTalk interfaces are standard all of which can be active simultaneously for seamless, cross platform support. 10/100BaseT Ethernet running concurrently active EtherTalk, Novell Netware, and TCP/IP protocols is available as an option. An optional internal IDE drive is available for additional font and form storage. Font Handling In addition to providing 136 standard PostScript resident typefaces, Xantes FilmMaker 4 includes support for Adobes Type 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 downloadable fonts. Target Markets and Applications Xantes FilmMaker 4 targets the growing printing and prepress industries. Companies such as service bureaus, print shops, advertising agencies, in-plant operations, and other in-house graphic departments will benefit from the FilmMaker 4s ability to produce quality film positives and negatives directly from the desktop. The FilmMaker 4 provides direct daylight loading of Myriad Film with no misfeeds or threading, allowing users to bypass many steps associated with traditional printing. This innovative technology reduces the cost and process time required for conventional methods where the user is tied up by camera work and developing. The oversized printing capability provides the flexibility to print full bleed 11" x 17"/A3 documents, multiple spread options and imposition layouts. Pricing, Availability, and Distribution Optional configuration US pricing: FilmMaker 4, 1200 x 1200 dpi, 64 MB RAM......$3,290 FilmMaker 4, 2400 x 2400 dpi, 256 MB RAM....$4,840 Xante offers a standard one year warranty, as well as optional on-site and cross-ship service contracts. The FilmMaker 4 and other Xante products are available direct from Xante or from authorized resellers worldwide.