Connect – Las Vegas – May 1, 2006 – Artwork Systems Group N.V., a world leader in professional pre-press software, and EFI, the world leader in digital controllers, superwide format printers and inks, and print management solutions for commercial and enterprise printing; today announce their collaboration to help ensure customers' success in migrating to an offset/digital hybrid environment. Graphic arts professionals, commercial printers, and pre-press companies will benefit from the integration of the companies' solutions. The companies' collaboration will be demonstrated at Connect 2006, EFI's seventh annual users' conference (April 30-May 3, Las Vegas). Nexus and Odystar are Artwork Systems' comprehensive high-end workflow solutions for commercial, publishing, label and packaging environments. These workflow solutions increase productivity in pre-production through automation of human-intensive front-end tasks and RIP-based tasks. The collaboration between EFI and Artwork Systems will provide a workflow that helps the many companies operating mixed environments meet their customers' quality and deadline demands, regardless of output. There are more than 14 million users of Fiery controllers in the world; close to 10,000 businesses worldwide utilize EFI Print MIS Solutions to provide the foundation for their management processes; and Colorproof XF, with the newest version including a production option for wide format production environments, has an installation base of approximately 50,000 using the award-winning contone and half-tone, contract-quality proofing system. Via EFI's JDF Connectors, EFI's Fiery, Colorproof XF and Print MIS Solutions integrate with Nexus and Odystar. This collaboration enables Nexus and Odystar users to deliver a more accurate, more efficient production workflow – from capturing the designer's original design intent to extended spot-color handling and color verification to producing brilliant digital output, to real-time estimating, accounting and billing. “Artwork Systems has more than 3,000 workflow customers worldwide. EFI Fiery is the front end our customers predominantly choose to drive for their high quality digital printers, and many have requested Nexus and Odystar integration with Colorproof XF and EFI Print MIS solutions,” says Guido Van der Schueren, Artwork Systems founding partner and Chairman of the Board. “Our collaboration with EFI means that Nexus and Odystar customers can automate production all the way through proofing, including wide format, digital printing, and information management in one smooth process. We look forward to continued collaboration with EFI that creates even more benefits for our mutual customers.” “With the EFI/Artwork Systems collaboration, Artwork Systems users will be able to integrate Colorproof XF proofing technology and Fiery-driven digital devices into their native pre-press workflow to output proofs and short-run on-demand print production, and use our Print MIS solutions to run their business,” says Frank Mallozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, EFI. “Conversely, the great number of customers who depend on Fiery, Colorproof XF and EFI Print MIS solutions for unbeatable performance, cost savings and increased productivity will be able to more readily deploy Artwork Systems' workflow products.” Artwork Systems customers deploying Fiery will have seamless access to the Fiery's precision color, consistent high-quality output and workflow innovation with the Fiery's leading-edge WYSIWYG job composition and imposition tools, workflow automation, advanced production tools, and flexible and open VDP capabilities. Artwork Systems customers can seamlessly integrate with EFI Print MIS Solutions via the EFI JDF Connectors. EFI Print MIS Solutions provide businesses with a process foundation that includes real-time, shared access to the baseline information required for day-to-day operations as well as the high-level, focused information executives require for important business decisions. EFI Print MIS Solutions offer estimating and quoting, order entry, job tracking and control, dynamic scheduling with “what-if” capabilities, real-time shop floor data collection, physical and finished goods inventory management, invoicing and receivables, payables, GL and financials, sales, employee and process analysis and “Web-to-Print” Internet tools. With Colorproof XF, Artwork Systems customers will access the result of EFI's development knowledge and resources, combined with the proofing expertise behind Best technology. Newly available with wide-format production capability, EFI Colorproof XF is a client/server-based contone and half-tone, contract-quality proofing system that turns inkjet and laser printers into powerful proofing devices. Artworks Systems' customers will be able to readily utilize Colorproof XF's sophisticated color management based on universally-accepted ICC profiles, its uncomplicated interface, and seamless integration with other illustration, photo and layout applications. Availability Fiery color servers and Colorproof XF are available through EFI's OEM partners and authorized dealers; EFI Print MIS solutions are sold direct from EFI; the EFI JDF Fiery Connector is available via free download at www.efi.com, providing JDF connectivity between Fiery digital servers, its powerful print MIS solutions and Adobe Creative Suite 2, Premium Edition. Artwork Systems' solutions are available directly and through Artwork Systems' network of dealers and distributors.