Encinitas, CA; January 16, 2003 – Integrated Color Solutions Inc. (ICS), a leader in color management solutions, announced today that the new version of its display-based color proofing system, Remote Director 2.0, has been certified by SWOP Incorporated, a leading organization promoting consistency and quality of advertising material in publications for over 25 years. The certification by SWOP successfully demonstrates that ICS has adequately completed the Application Data Sheet process according to SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) requirements, and that ICS Remote Director 2.0 can produce proofs that are sufficiently close visually to the Certified Press Proofs used in Publication production. SWOP certification enables publishing and production professionals, agencies and their clients to be confident that an off-press proofing system’s color output can be used to closely match the appearance of SWOP certified press proofs when following SWOP-approved specifications. Because Remote Director is a display-based, soft proofing system, SWOP certification means it can be used to approve jobs for press production without the need for hard-copy proofs. ICS’s Remote Director system allows any number of Apple Cinema LCD display users to view and comment on a document or image on-line from different locations simultaneously. The system’s dynamic collaboration features allow users to make and approve edits to color and graphical content in real time, providing significant time and cost savings compared to printing and delivering hard-copy proofs. In addition to remotely accessing the color proof, Remote Director users can employ standard applications such as Photoshop to make changes to the proof and display them side by side with the original. This gives the client instant feedback on their comments, eliminating the many iterations typical of delivering hard proofs and making it possible to reduce job approval cycles from several days to a few hours. "Remote Director 2.0 represents an important milestone in print production," says Dan Caldwell, VP of Operations, ICS. "Using a display-based, ‘soft’ proof as a contract proof can dramatically speed up the production process by easily reducing the time associated with making, shipping, viewing and correcting hard-copy proofs from several days to just a few hours. "We are proud that Remote Director is the first display-based proofing system to receive SWOP certification and pleased that it provides independent verification that ICS offers leading-edge color management solutions," says Caldwell Nubar Nakashian, SWOP Chairman comments, "SWOP certification recognizes that ICS’s Remote Director system is capable of producing soft color proofs acknowledged by industry leaders as meeting the requirements for high-quality contract proofing. This significant achievement means that users of Remote Director can confidently maintain their print jobs in digital form until the jobs are ready to be put on press." The rigorous SWOP certification process requires manufacturers of off-press proofing systems to submit a SWOP Application Data Sheet (ADS) and representative proofs to the SWOP Technical Committee, which checks the data for quantitative conformance and determines the acceptance of each system’s visual match to a SWOP Certified Press Proof. The ADS must provide directions for producing proofs as closely as possible to the appearance of the SWOP Certified Press Proof. Once a system successfully passes this inspection, it is deemed "SWOP Certified" — that is, capable of producing proofs that match close enough to the appearance of the SWOP Certified Press Proof to be used as a contract proof in most publication printing. This certification process is repeated every two years, or more frequently if the proofing system changes. In order to produce acceptable proofs, users of the certified system must follow the directions in the Remote Director Application Data Sheet and must ensure proper procedures were followed by verifying that the color bar meets the values and tolerances stated in the ADS. The certification for the ICS Remote Director system will be listed with other SWOP-certified systems with a link to download its Application Data Sheet at: http://www.swop.org/certification.html Remote Director was developed by the ICS color technology team, recognized as innovators and providers of many color tools for using and advancing color management technology. Remote Director uses industry standard International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles from cameras, scanners and printers to accurately display color simulations of final printing conditions. This display calibration and profiling is currently the best-in-class technology and is sold through dealers under the ICS basICColor brand name. About ICS Integrated Color Solutions, Inc. is a technology leader in providing color management solutions to industries where color is critical, including the graphic arts, printing, packaging and manufacturing. For more information about ICS, please visit the ICS website at www.icscolor.com. (Remote Director and basICColor are trademarks of Integrated Color Solutions, Inc. Photoshop is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Incorporated which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.) About SWOP Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) was initiated in 1975 as a response to the printing industry’s need for uniform specifications and tolerances to ensure consistency and quality of material in publications. Over the past 27 years, SWOP has become a major factor in the publication printing industry. The resulting recommended specifications are the concern of all those involved in the production of publications – including the advertiser, publisher, printer, advertising agency, and prepress service provider. For additional information about SWOP, Inc. and purchasing "SWOP for the New Millennium: Ninth Edition" booklets and calibration kits, visit the SWOP website at http://www.swop.org/products