Sydney, Australia, February 22, 2007 – LithoTechnics Pty Limited, developer of Metrix, the award-winning automatic layout calculator, announced today the signing of a distribution agreement with Spicers, a division of PaperlinX Canada Limited, Canada's leading supplier of commercial printing and packaging papers, prepress equipment, workflow systems, proofing engines and consumables, and press room supplies. Armed with a thorough understanding of the specific needs of printers and the printing industry, Spicers is a "soup to nuts" company that prides itself on its ability to search the world for the latest innovations, highest quality products, and best values. Jason Hamilton, National Manager – Technical Sales and Services, offered his thoughts on how Metrix can benefit Spicers' customers: "Here in the Graphic Systems Group, our motto is ''solutions through simplicity.' You would be hard pressed to come up with anything that fits the axiom better than Metrix – its elegance and power is precisely in its simplicity." Hamilton continued, "As an example, our paper salesmen, who are not schooled in the intricacies of systems and software, immediately understood the concept and the benefit to their customers when they saw a brief demo of Metrix." Rohan Holt, founder of LithoTechnics, remarked, "We are delighted that Spicers shares our excitement for the product and our vision for the automation of print." Holt, who has almost single-handedly pioneered the field of job planning automation, had high praise for Spicers and its team: "Spicers sales reps are inside printing plants every single day, providing paper and other consumables, yes, but they don't stop there. Spicers has taken their mandate to the next level, seeking out new technologies and products that can play a vital role in the success of their customers' businesses." Roy Tanaka, National Product Specialist – Advanced Workflows, pointed out, "Our technical department prides itself on the fact that we are trade trained, not manufacturer trained. We've taken the bullets on the production side, so we know where our customers are coming from. Metrix clearly streamlines the workflow and removes a major bottleneck. But it is more than that. As our customers are pointing out themselves, Metrix will change the way they do business – enabling them to seize new opportunities and recoup lost margins." The Metrix 2.x family includes Mini Metrix, for the smaller print shop, in 21" and 30" versions, with imposed PDF output. Metrix Commercial, for the general commercial printer, accommodates sheet sizes of up to 144" and outputs imposed PDF, JDF/PDF, or Preps templates, along with export of CIP3 and JDF cutting and folding data. Metrix Ganging, for gang run printers, automatically imposes up to 160 products per sheet, and Metrix Max, the top of the range, includes the complete functionality of all editions. Metrix Commercial, Ganging, and Max are also available with multiple user site licenses, and the whole Metrix family is available in English, German, and Spanish.