GRANDVILLE,Mich.--Dec. 4, 2003-- The build up and disposal of excess or leftover Ink in the graphic arts industry has steadily become a costly and critical environmental issue for many printers. Today, X-Rite, Incorporated introduces a new feature of X-RiteColor Master 6.0 software called Workoff, designed to help commercial printers better manage inventory and disposal of excess or leftover ink through a unique, easy to use reformulation process. Defining the issue In the printing industry, excess or leftover ink is commonly referred to as a "press return" or "workoff". Many printers today combine this ink to create a stock of black ink. Unfortunately in most cases, more black ink is created than needed, forcing printers to dispose it at a costly rate of $100 to $500 dollars per 55-gallon drum. "Up until today, commercial printers haven't had an easy and effective way to reuse press return ink, especially special color ink," said Michael Charlton, Color Systems Specialist for Vivitek, a division of Sun Chemical. "Remixing ink is a highly technical process because of its chemical make up. Using an ink reformulation system like Workoff, will not only help printers manage their ink inventory better, but save them money in costly disposal fees and benefit the environment." The Reformulation Solution Through a new feature called Workoff, X-RiteColor Master 6.0 reformulates the "press return" ink into any color, including special colors. Customers can control their entire workoff inventory and specify the use of older workoff inventory first to keep newer inventory fresh. Once the formula is calculated, the supply reduction is automatically calculated, reducing the build up of unused ink. "Our color management solutions are built around helping our customers run their business more efficiently," said Jim Weaver, X-Rite's Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. "X-RiteColor Master is a proven software solution applied in many industries worldwide. We are pleased to incorporate new features like Workoff as evidence that we are listening to our customers and responding to their needs." About X-RiteColor Master 6.0 X-RiteColor Master Software Version 6.0 provides accurate, flexible, and fast access to color control data for the ink, paint, plastics, printing, packaging, coatings, and textile industries. Many leading companies rely on X-RiteColor Master software to manage critical color standards. Additional New features of X-RiteColor Master 6.0: X-RiteColor Master Web Edition: X-RiteColor Master Web Edition, launched earlier this year, will be available with X-RiteColor Master 6.0 in late December. Web Edition is a server-based computing program ideal for corporations with multiple locations and/or large supply chains. Users can access color data from virtually any PC via the Internet. X-Rite is the first in the industry to offer a server-based solution. Custom Excel Reporting: Automatically place color data into an Excel report that can be configured, organized, saved and printed quickly. Multiple Languages: X-RiteColor Master 6.0 is now available in English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese (Simplified). Availability and Pricing X-RiteColor Master 6.0 Formulation and Quality Assurance software is available immediately. To schedule a product demonstration and/or receive pricing, visit www.xrite.com or call 1-800-248-9748. X-RiteColor Master Web Edition will be available beginning January 5, 2004.