NEW YORK--April 4, 2003-- Eastern Paper, a North American leader in the innovation and marketing of cost-effective papers for digital color laser printing, today said it has developed new untreated papers for HP Indigo's specialty and commercial web-fed digital presses. The development builds on successful launch of the "inspire(TM)" gradeline for HP Indigo sheet-fed presses. The papers will be available to selected commercial printers for advance trials in May. Eastern Paper will market the U.S. patent-pending paper in 60-, 70- and 80-pound text weights on 12.5" rolls. They are for use on the HP Indigo Press ws2000, HP Indigo Press ws4000 and the HP Indigo Press w3200. "Commercial printers who use HP Indigo sheet-fed presses report that our untreated digital papers deliver increased print job profitability and productivity," said Joseph H. Torras, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer of Eastern Paper. "We believe owners and operators of HP Indigo's web presses will experience the same benefits." Inspire is significant because it is the first uncoated paper that does not require special pre-press treatments to run effectively on HP Indigo presses. It is also fully archivable. In cut-size sheets, the inspire(TM) price is similar to traditional color copy paper. The introduction of roll papers for HP Indigo web-fed presses brings on-press performance, archivability and cost advantages to the lucrative markets for full color, short-run digital label and tag production as well as variable-data direct marketing printing and book publishing. "Our papers have gone through extensive testing by the Rochester Institute of Technology and HP Indigo," says Cash Cappel, Vice President for Paper Sales and Marketing of Eastern Paper. "More importantly, 'inspire' has proven itself where it counts most--with commercial printers." Eastern Paper this week introduced an 80-pound cover weight to the inspire(TM) text and cover family and said a new 12-point cover will be available by May. Inspire is one of several gradelines in the Eastern Digital lineup. Other color and monochrome laser papers include eColor(TM), eCover(TM), eWriting(TM), Certificate(TM) Laser and Docupaque(TM). All feature 30% post-consumer recycled content. Most digital papers today have not achieved this feature. Privately held Eastern Paper is headquartered in Amherst, Mass., with fully integrated pulp and paper manufacturing operations in Brewer and Lincoln, Maine. It has been recognized as a leader in the worldwide pulp and paper industry for its environmentally sound operating practices and for its innovation in the development of specialty papers for digital and offset printing.