Graph Expo 2006 Booth 5418 CHICAGO----Oct. 16, 2006-- Artwork Systems Group N.V., a world leader in professional prepress software, has selected X-Rite, Incorporated a leading provider of color management solutions and services, as a preferred partner for offering profiling hardware and software to its customers in conjunction with its new Equinox product. Artwork Systems is launching Equinox at Graph Expo 2006. Equinox is a new color-conversion technology that enables the standardization of five, six or seven printing inks, eliminating the need for printers to rely completely on CMYK or spot color standards. The ability to standardize on a printer's own inks results in shorter makeready times, less waste and much smaller ink stocks while enabling composite printing. As a preferred partner, X-Rite will provide Eye-One iO and ProfileMaker 5 as a bundled package in the Equinox product. Eye-One iO incorporates the award-winning Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer by X-Rite into the automated iO scan table. Eye-One iO provides fast, accurate test chart measurements of various substrates up to 10 mm. ProfileMaker 5 software provides professional color management delivering consistent, predictable color to prepress, proofing and print production professionals. ProfileMaker 5 software is easily upgradeable to a multi-color module for those printers engaged in a CMYK+ or n-color workflow streamlining and facilitating color accuracy wherever high volume of spot colors is required. "Partnering with X-Rite enables us to provide our customers the ability to cultivate an accurate color ecosystem through the implementation of ICC profiles that deliver predictable results every time," says Petra Tant, Product Manager Labels & Packaging of Artwork Systems. "These benefits will ultimately help packaging printers get more jobs on press, while increasing productivity, consistency and accuracy." Through this new partnership, Artwork Systems Equinox customers will further strengthen the adoption of ICC standards throughout the packaging production digital supply chain, enabling consistent, high quality color production as already established in the commercial printing workflow. "Color management is critical to printers as color has become more essential to product brand and promotion," said Iris Mangelschots, X-Rite's Vice President for Graphic Arts. "As corroborated by several key Artwork Systems customers already utilizing ProfileMaker Publish Plus and Packaging, the combination of Artwork System and X-Rite solutions truly meets the prepress needs of the flexographic and packaging industries. These products were designed specifically to meet the color issues common in a multi-color workflow. With Artwork Systems and X-Rite working together, printers can feel confident that their products will be consistent from start to finish. We are very excited about our partnership and what we expect to be a long term strategic alliance."