VANCOUVER, B.C.-Dec. 3, 2001--Creo Products Inc. will move production of its Iris proofing products from Billerica, Massachusetts to Vancouver, Canada over the next year. Customer support and engineering for Iris products will also move to the Vancouver area. There will be no interruption in manufacturing, product supply or levels of customer service as a result of the move of Iris Graphics, Inc., a Creo subsidiary. Iris is the industry leader in digital color proofing and has manufactured quality proofers for creative and printing professionals for the last 16 years. "Consolidating our North American manufacturing will improve operational efficiency,'' said Stephen Avedikian, President, Iris Graphics. Creo's Vancouver-area manufacturing facilities are renowned for producing computer-to-plate systems with high reliability. "The relocation will allow increased collaboration with the product development groups in Vancouver,'' he said. "Our customers will continue to benefit from the Creo quality of service.'' The relocation is part of Creo's worldwide cost-saving program that was announced November 19 in response to today's challenging economic climate. These measures will allow Creo to continue to invest in direct sales and service capability to customers, and to sustain new product initiatives. Research and development on the next generation of Iris products, as well as the manufacture of specialized ink jet components, will continue in the Boston area. Between 100 and 120 regular full-time Iris employees will be affected by the move. CreoScitex manufacturing facilities in Herzlia, Israel, and the sales and distribution center in Bedford, Massachusetts are not affected by the location change of Iris. Iris continuous inkjet proofing systems include the Iris iPROOF professional desktop proofer, the Iris2PRINT(TM) and Iris4PRINT(TM) proofers for digital contract proofing, and the Iris43WIDE(TM) wide format color proofer. Iris continuous ink jet technology is used in the traditional prepress environment as well as in desktop publishing, digital photography, fine art, and signage. Iris digital color proofing combines hardware, software, inks and media to provide solutions for every step in the print production process.